Thanks to Hanks

Another week of picketing at 20th Century Fox is in the books. Happy to report no one fell in the fountain this week. In fact, no one has fallen into the fountain since the holiday break.

News crews are still showing up and reporting on us. Except now they're all foreign language. Who knew that Rwanda TV had a Hollywood correspondent?

Gee, I guess the honeymoon is over. When wunderkind Ben Silverman became Prez of NBC he made a big show about how he was the writer’s best friend. He invited writers to bring their projects to NBC because he above all other network chieftains appreciated and valued writers. After the Golden Globes were canceled this week he said, "Sadly, it feels like the nerdiest, ugliest, meanest kids in the high school are trying to cancel the prom. But NBC wants to try to keep that prom alive."

Okay, we may be the nerdiest and ugliest but meanest? Us?! Did we break off negotiations? Did we refuse to bargain in good faith? Did we hold the entire town hostage, cost innocent workers their jobs all in the name of greed and winning? No, it was the popular kids who did that. And so I say fuck your prom. We nerds wouldn’t be allowed in anyway.

In addition to a lot of writers on line being offended by that remark they were also pretty much in agreement that the “life is high school” metaphor is now really old and cliché. But that could just be another example of how mean they are.

So the NBC fallback plan is for the Golden Globes to be considered a “news story”, not an awards show. Uh, doesn’t that tarnish the news department’s credibility and reputation just a tad? Somehow I can’t see Huntley and Brinkley announcing the Golden Globe winners and then turning to John Chancellor to analyze why “Walk Hard” didn’t win best song.

If anyone from CAA is reading this, we haven’t had our churros in a long time now. Where are you guys?

I love Jon Stewart but he is really being a dick. He knows damn well why Letterman got a waiver and he didn’t. Letterman’s show is produced by his independent company. Stewart’s is produced by Viacom, the aft section of the death star. Stop being petulant. Aren’t there Republican debates every night to make fun of? Rudy Giuliani’s staff went door to door in New Hampshire wearing Yankee caps. You can’t do ten minutes on that?

On the other hand, God bless Tom Hanks. He’s the first big name superstar to come out publicly and urge the AMPTP to end the strike. He said, "I just hope that the big guys who make big decisions up high in their corporate boardrooms and what not get down to honest bargaining and everyone can get back to work." Thank you, Tom. They don’t care if every writer and below-the-line worker in the world hates them but they do care that you might be unhappy.

Someone said that the cost of THE GOLDEN COMPASS is more than all the revenue the WGA would receive if the AMPTP accepts our offer. And yet somehow our offer is irresponsible and would cause complete financial ruin to the industry.

Meanwhile, the WGA announced the feature nominees for their annual awards. Here’s the list. Congratulations to all the very deserving screenwriters. The guild also announced it is discontinuing its big gala presentation this year because of the strike. But that's okay. We’re used to not going to proms.

Comments

[emily litella]

This just in..."The Weinstein Co. expects an interim deal with the Writers Guild of America would be signed by Friday"

[A. Buck Short]

With apologies to our own Emily Litella,OK, what’s this I hear about NBC canceling this year’s Golden Girls? Just when Estelle Getty, Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Betty White are finally old enough to date this year’s Golden Girls producer Dick Clark, the network pulls the grey carpet out from under them. The real tragedy is that, because the “girls” remain sexually active, they were also looking forward to a little hanky panky with Merv Griffin, owner of the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where this year’s Golden Girls were scheduled to take place.The ostensible reason given for the cancellation of this year’s season was the WGA writer’s strike. To which NBC president and CEO Jeff Zucker responded, “The Golden Girls had writers? I thought they were part of our news division?”Jorge Camara, president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn., titular sponsor of the long-running, Emmy-winning series lamented the loss of industry glitz and glamour that the Golden Girls cancellation foreshadowed. Although he was quick to add, “But mostly the glamour, because none of our members have ever been able to figure out exactly what glitz is." Members of the Hollywood Domestic Press Assn. issued a public statement vowing to support the writers’s strike by avoiding employment of the word “swanky” until the GGs are returned to the air. As a counter move, NBC entertainment president Ben Silverman said the network had agonized over the decision to cancel this year’s GG’s, because the telecast was especially known for it’s delightful relative informality and one other adjective that he was unable to think of without writers. In apparent violation of the strike, a GG staffer handed Silverman a slip of paper on which was written the word “spontaneity.” Uh, Emily. Emily. The Golden Girls went off the air years ago. This year, what they’re canceling is an awards show, the Golden Globes.Well, never mind.

[jbryant]

Silverman really shouldn't attempt metaphors without a writer handy. Or maybe he actually went to a high school that was ruled by vindictive nerds?Besides, I thought the Oscars were the prom. The Globes are more like a Sadie Hawkins dance.

[emily litella]

Apology accepted. Now I await my residuals from a. buck short...ah...nevermind...

[Anonymous]

Did you not hear? There's a prom next Thursday!http://unitedhollywood.blogspot.com/2008/01/ben-silverman-sad-prom-canceled.htmlI'm very excited.-Rachel

[Anonymous]

You are entitled to bash Jon Stewart, but the fact that his and Colbert's show are still pretty damn funny does not speak well of their respective writing teams.

[Anonymous]

Dec 7 the AMPTP walked away from the bargaining table and the WGA filed an NLRB complaint for failing to bargain in good faith. It was reported the NLRB had 30 days to determine if the WGA has a valid complaint. It's January 11! Did we file the complaint with FEMA?

[sylvia plath]

I read in a Comedy Central article that The Daily Show has an independent contract with the WGA (this was set up before the strike). So it is possible he tried to cut a deal with them independently? I hope so.

[Anonymous]

Let me get this straight. The WGA and supporters can portray this struggle as though it's the logical and moral equivalent of coal miners striking to get better safety equipment, but Jon Stewart's the dick for complaining about how the show he's put his heart and soul into is getting fucked?Mike

[jbryant]

To the anonymous who posted at 1:07 p.m. -- let me get this straight: The Daily Show and The Colbert Report were funny before the strike. They're still funny (presumably because they're being written by Stewart and Colbert, who are both WGA). But this somehow "doesn't speak well" of the previous writers? What kind of logic is that? If the show was still funny after the writers were replaced by monkeys or children or AMPTP shills, then you might have a good point.

[Kyle]

Why is it OK for the WGA to grant an interim agreement to Letterman, but not to Dick Clark Productions for the Golden Globes, even though they were willing to accept the same terms? Sorry, WGA - your hands are no longer clean.BTW, Ben Silverman is a jackass - always has been.

[smacklab]

KyleIm sure dick clark productions isnt the only group in the AMPTP that will benefit from the golden globes... Its free advertising for the enemy... so it might be a double standard, but its worth it to the WGA to hold out...

[D. McEwan]

"the fact that his and Colbert's show are still pretty damn funny does not speak well of their respective writing teams."No. It speaks well of Stewart's and Colbert's talents. It takes nothing away from the suburb writing his writers gave us for eyars.

[Vermonter 17032]

Ken,Great post, as usual, but I must take exception to the following comment:"So the NBC fallback plan is for the Golden Globes to be considered a “news story”, not an awards show. Uh, doesn’t that tarnish the news department’s credibility and reputation just a tad?"Apparently you haven't watched much network news lately if you think reporting on the Golden Globes would be a downgrade in their reporting. In fact, it might actually be an improvement in relevant content.