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We need an end to the Writers' Strike |
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Written by the Editorial Board
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Friday, 25 January 2008 |
.jpg "Strikers in solidarity.") Strikers in solidarity. Photo by Rob Dubbin/TheSequitur.com
Well, most of them. Because some members of the Writers' Guild of America (WGA) have already crossed the picket lines, and those writers include the influential likes of Conan O'Brien, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Jay Leno. One of the reasons these hosts have returned to their desks is that the writers only make up a small portion of the people who work on any given show, and those other people – the cameramen, make-up personnel, even ushers – still need money to live. On the other hand, we fear this action undermines the entire purpose of the writers' strike.
Admittedly, it is unrealistic to think that certain members of the Writers' Guild should stay on the picket lines and declare absolute solidarity with their other union members. But we should also be realistic about another fact: without writers, the comedic value of these shows will probably decrease as the weeks and months wear on. While it's true that many of these hosts have been practicing the art of improvisation and topical humor for years, that doesn't mean that they are going to be able to maintain the momentum they enjoy with twenty writers contributing to their programs' content.
[H]osts such as Jay Leno, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert just need to quit being funny.We propose that, since the decrease in quality is close to inevitable – if not already apparent – hosts such as Jay Leno, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert just need to quit being funny – not in a literal sense that would threaten their professionalism as entertainers, but in a manner that conveys to the viewers that the writers are truly an integral part of their programming. The only way they can show allegiance to their brethren and successfully demonstrate the importance of the writers is to quit being so clever. Make people change the channel. With the way this strike is going, it may be one of the only ways we can truly give the people a chance to show the networks how important we think the writers are.
Furthermore, the Director’s Guild has recently come to an agreement with the corporate beasts, and perhaps a precedent is now in place for the WGA to negotiate an end to this excruciating standoff. Hopefully, some relief is in sight for the American couch-potato. After all, with the economy is spiraling down the toilet, our military dedicated to two wars raging half the globe away and the 2008 elections on the horizon, the very least we deserve is to have our bread and circuses to keep us placated in dire times. It’s time for big business to let some of their big profits trickle down to the deserving talent that fills their wallets and bring some sense of normalcy back to our TV-starved lives.
Asst. Managing Editor Dwayne Robinson abstains from all staff editorials.
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Conclusions 
