With Stewart and Colbert, It's Do As I Say Not As I Do

By Steve Young

Created Jan 10 2008 - 9:04am


I've had a bunch of mail on my recent columns pertaining to the return of
Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert to the airwaves.

They tend to fall into one of three categories.

From the non-political "public" (i.e. non-WGA writers), it was "finally,
entertainment is back.

From the political public, "their voices are needed to offset right wing
noise machine."

From the WGA writer - "We love those lovable scabs, but a scab is a scab."

As a WGA, non-political and non-political writer, I find all three
reactions
to not only have validity...they're all true.

That's the problem. We need S&C's intelligent, cut through the bull, make
a
point through satire, or make no point at all but it's still funny, kind
of
Daily Show, Colbert Report on the air.

But there's no question they've "crossed the line."

Both Stewart and Colbert have made it clear that they support the writer
and
the WGA, but their support of the writer is being broadcasted over the
WGA-struck air while they're contributing to WGA signators content the WGA
says they should not because that DOESN'T SUPPORT THE WRITER. Along with
Leno, Kimmel and Daly, S&C cry personal contracts and/or the
jobs/livelihood
of non-writers.

BUT THAT'S WHAT A STRIKE IS ABOUT, BUNKY!

If a strike was only about those on strike, strikes would never work. It's
not just about inflicting discomfort on "management" and their
advertisers,
it's about affecting everyone. In this case, the viewers, the shows'
office
staffs, "behind the camera" crews, the caterers, the small and large
businesses in the area who cater to those workers, et al, et al, et al.

That's how the pressure mounts on the two sides to sit down with each
other
and work things out.

What Stewart, Colbert and friends are doing is alleviating the necessity
for
AMPTP (Producers, etc) to get back at the table. Why should they? Their
shows and stars are coming back and so are their viewers. Without the
writers, pension, health benefits and daily fresh fruit they're NOT paying
for now, they're actually able to do these shows even cheaper.

Obviously, it's a Left-winded argument, but so really is the support of
labor. And there's no question that trying to keep the line going, is
painful, but it shouldn't be all that complex to the perceptive minds of
Stewart and Colbert..

I mean if the Golden Globes figured it out how confusing could it be?

WGA Member and award-winning TV writer, Steve Young, is author of "Great
Failures of the Extremely Successful" (www.greatfailure.com [1]) and
doesn't
expect to be hired on the Daily Show or Colbert staff...even after the
strike.


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"A little patience and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their
spells dissolve, and the people recovering their true sight, restore their
government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are
suffering deeply in spirit,
and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public
debt. But if the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have
patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning
back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are
at
stake."
-Thomas Jefferson