Weirdly, I have to say that I don't find either of these two particular anecdotes odd or even funny (shows how long I've been working in the belly of the studio beast, I guess).

There is such a thing as a Pixar formula, and it's beautifully articulated by screenwriter Michael Arndt on the "Toy Story 3" DVD extra (transcriptions of which have been posted multiple times on line - even linked to by you, possibly?). I know exactly what this Producer meant, and any writer currently working in the industry ought to understand him, too.

As for the Smith story, this stuff literally happens every day. Young star doesn't like a pitch and rejects it? Uh-huh. It seems funnier when the star is under-age, but given that so many older stars are equally... let's call it, "taste-challenged," my response would be: So - next?

I'm sure the site in question has plenty of amusing anecdotes on tap, and it must be a great release valve for the genuine idiocies many writers must confront when working in the industry. But what I'm reacting to (my moon must be in Cynical, this Friday) is the way so many screenwriters love to laugh at Them (the studios, the producers, directors, agents, stars, readers, et al) for their stupidity... when They have the power, They have the money, and They are running the business.

Smart pre-pro screenwriters spend a little more time finding out how the business actually works. Just sayin'.