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I have exclusively not one but two letters from AFTRA (see below) — one thanking Ellen DeGeneres for her support of the writers and the other contradicting today’s WGA East statement attacking the comedienne. (See my previous, WGAE States Ellen “Not Welcome In NY”.) But first, her rep’s statement: “Ellen has done nothing to violate the Writers Guild of America agreement. Ellen is competing with other first-run syndicated shows that are delivering original programming like Dr. Phil, Regis and Kelly, and Oprah during the competitive November sweeps period. Telepictures and Warner Bros have a contractual obligation to the affiliates to continue production and deliver original programming. They asked Ellen to come back to work to fulfill her contractual obligation as host and producer.
“As a syndicated show, the individual stations control when the show airs. If Telepictures does not deliver original episodes of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the stations can move the show out of its time periods, or ultimately hold the company in breach of contract.
“Telepictures provides first run programming to stations they don’t control. The network controls their own schedule and programming with the late night shows as Leno, Conan, Kimmel etc. (We can’t speak to the specific deals at each network or to the specifics of other shows’ decisions to stop production).”
I should point out that AFTRA is often accused of having undercut Guild contracts for years and poaching jobs that are traditional SAG jurisdiction. But here is the first letter from AFTRA dated November 8th (and written before today’s WGAE statement) expressing “appreciation to you for your invidual act of solidarity shown to the striking writers in their efforts to negotiate a fair contract with the industry producers”:
And then today AFTRA wrote a second letter defending Ellen to the WGA East after that organization’s attack on the TV host today. This is signed by AFTRA National executive Director Kim Roberts Hedgpeth:
Finally, here is the portion of the Writers Guild’s “Minimum Basic Agreement (MBA) that addresses Ellen’s situation as it now stands:
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So, her defense is that it might cause her an economic impact? What the hell do you think it’s doing to all the writers? The fact remains, she cried for a week about a dog. She even cancelled shows because she was so upset. It’s shameful.
sounds somewhat reasonable. But Ellen opened her own can of worms with her ridiculous “no monologue out of sympathy” speech. She injected herself into the strike, and now she’s paying for it.
so um….basically it would be inconvenient for business purposes because of sweeps? maybe she’ll support the strike when it’s more convenient for the corporations…
perhaps true, but didn’t Ellen bring it on herself with the self-serving “I love writers, no monolog, I had to balance all this” speech? She specifically gave notice that she planned not to honor the strike. She may not have been under any obligation to do anything, but for whatever reason, she chose to pick the fight.
AFTRA’s opinion is irrelevant. They are not behind this strike. SAG is. The WGA is. Ellen’s writer’s are. Ellen should be as well. Ellen’s ‘response’ is basically “But my show will be hurt!” This is about something bigger than one show. Ellen should walk. Tomorrow.
Bottom Line: Ellen Crossed the Picket Line to Provide new Product so Networks can make Money during Sweeps.
This is the Exact opposite of what other Late Night Hosts have sacrificed doing to Support the Strike.
Sorry Ellen, that crap won’t fly in New York and it won’t fly here. You have been outed as a Corporate Ho.
For the other Courageous late Night Hosts, stay strong, pay your laid off staff out of your pockets if you have to. We are at War and they are trying to destroy us, in the Trades, in the Media and in the Negotiating room. We won’t stand for it and we won’t stand for people like Ellen who are more interested in their own personal gain than the many thousands who may suffer as a result of their selfish actions.
You had your chance to do what is right Ellen, you could have corrected this and you blew it, again.
Good luck in NY. You’ll need it.
This is terrific- really, excellent job by Mona. I’m on a line-and she’s putting energy into protesting Ellen? Seriously, can someone with a clue please handle all of the WGAE public releases?
Excellent way to set AFTRA against us, and distract from what the story needs to be- THE STUDIO’S UNWILLINGNESS TO PAY US FOR OUR WORK.
Focus on the bad guys- I’m bleeding starting next week, and this clown is going after a woman who spent last week crying over a dog.
Waste of energy.
Sorry but I’m bleeding next week, and this is a perfect way to take the spotlight off the Studios. SMARTEN UP!
-Anonymous
Why does Ellen hate labor unions? Are we not as cute as puppies?
I get the complications here…but if Ellen is doing a monologue now, isn’t that struck work, no matter what?
Oprah, Dr. Phil and Regis & Kelley don’t do monologues, do they? Does that make a difference?
Clearly, the WGAE acted rashly and discourtesly to AFTRA regarding this. But I’m not sure they were wrong.
I would hate terribly to be in the position of so many of these people having to make choices like this. I don’t think Ellen meant any harm, and was probably trying her best to live up to her obligations to both her union and her audience…maybe that WGAE should have simply talked to her first.
Oh, well in that case proceed. Whatever’s best for Ellen.
… which pretty much proves that the WGA is run by the same kind of over-reaching, pretentious jerks as AMPTP.
But I am sure they will continue their “we are all innocent victims of the studios” playacting. Innocent victims would be more cautious about victimizing others.
I fully support the striking writers. I’ve stopped watching all of my shows online (and I mean all, my tv is rarely on). I don’t watch the Ellen show and generally don’t find her all that funny.
The WGAE public rebuke of Ms. Degeneres is a disgrace. Attacking actors for performing their contractually obligated duties. WGAE is ostracizing a large segmet of the viewing public and a great deal of the entertainment industry.
Find some scabs or some showrunners who are writing and call them out. Don’t take an outsider who has twice very publically supported you and take her to task for fulfilling a legal obligation.
Of course I think it’s great to see clips of Leno riding by with his doughnuts and sympathize with Steve Carell’s “delicate” condition. Applaud them for their support. Don’t get negative and start the catty infighting that the networks are hoping to see.
C’mon, Nikki. This is a side issue. What’s next, Britney and Lindsay? You’re veering into TMZ territory.
Wow. AFTRA wrote Ellen a letter of thanks on behalf of the WGA. Let me guess: Ellen is a member of AFTRA.
Shit. The hypocrisy.
Al Finny — maybe you should have saved something for a rainy day.
Ellen and her sycophants can put up as many “legal” documents as they want. AFTRA can carry water for her if they want… It makes no difference. She’s still a SCAB. Dr. Phil, Oprah, Tyra, the other syndicated talkers – they’re personalities. Ellen is a stand-up comic, an actor, she had a sitcom, she used writers for the Oscars, she’s a WRITER herself!… There is no comparison between her show and Dr. Phil. A strike like this reveals a person’s, an artist’s true character. And what do see? The United Showrunners: Heroes. Ellen: Scab.
Ellen, go back to Louisiana!! L.A. doesn’t want you anymore… go enjoy some cajun scabcakes.
And to the general public: TURN OFF ELLEN!
You know, all I see posting here is an angry lynch mob, and that is not something to be proud of; you guys seem to be just out for blood any way you can get it.
This is no longer about you bettering your lives; this has turned into pitch forks and torches. I can’t and won’t support such behavior.
Good for Ellen.
Who the hell are the WGAE thinking they are saying she’s not welcome in NY?
I applaud Ellen for making it possible for some people to still have a job.
Al Finny (or is it anon)
You are very wrong about this.
For those of you who wonder why the WGA East went after Ellen, understand that Letterman, Leno, Conan, Colbert, and Stewart are under tremendous pressure to go back on the air. So far, they’ve held the line.
If Ellen crosses the line, and no one censures her, it will increase the pressure on the late night guys.
As long as the late night guys hold out, the studios are losing lots of money, and the chance to promote their fall and winter movies. Don’t minimize the front line sacrifice the late night writers are making for our guilds.
Censuring Ellen was the right thing to do. It bolsters the late night writers and hosts, who, along with the soap writers, take the first hit EVERY time the WGAs strike. We use these guys like Australian soldiers. Standing up against Ellen was politically smart, and morally necessary. We are all on strike against the AMPTP, let’s not fall back into internecine sniping. It’s us against them. Not us against ourselves.
The WGA’s statement regarding Ellen is a clear example of the strike-happy attitude that continues to prevail on both sides of the aisle. The writers have gotten a lot of support from various quadrants this week. Good for them. But how dare they call out someone from another discipline who chooses to work just because they have chosen not to. Especially someone influential whose choice allows the crew on her show to continue to earn a living. The collateral damage from the WGA strike is huge. And are any of the professionals unwillingly put out of work by this strike going to participate in any gains made by the writers in their quest? Of course not.
A little less self-righteousness from the WGA would go a long way towards helping their cause. I know they would like to see the studios take a complete loss during their absence. But guess what – they’re only writers. Despite the jargon spouted on picket lines this week, they actually don’t perform every single job necessary for the creation of popular entertainment…
Dog > Writer = What Ellen REALLY thinks
Anon-
i hope you’re right about this. It seems to me that any distraction from the real story here hurts our cause- does WGAE call AFTRA before they release this? We are facing behemoths here in this battle- billionaire companies that are as callous as they come- Ellen’s actions are shameful, but a pee-pee contest between our union and another detracts from the pressure we need to have on the Studios.
If this flies under the radar and there are no headlines for the general public to become obsessed by and I’m wrong- I’ll be relieved. This strike needs to executed as intelligently as possible.
AF (anon)
None of you have your facts right! Why just blast Ellen…all the tv shows like Greys Anatomy, Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives are still going to work! They crossed the picket line to tape their shows. And they are going to continue taping until the last script that have is done taping. Than inbetween shots they show up hold a sign for a bit than go back to work. Why not blast them too! Don’t just pick on one person. I applaud Ellen for doing the right thing. She does have another 135 staff members that rely on her to show up for work so they can get paid. By contract Ellen HAS to show up for work. I give it a few more weeks before Jay Leno, Connon and Letterman cross the picketlines and go back to work without their writers. And not only that Ellens show is different from Leno and so on. Her show is syndicated its not owned by one network. Different networks buy her show, if she doesn’t show up for work all those networks over 200 of them can sue her. What about the rest of the daytime talk shows, they are still working too, so blast them as well!
Hey wow, Ellen has an excuse to cross the picket line! Oh wait, sorry, no she doesn’t, because there isn’t one, except you’re a scab. Thanks for standing up for your own personal greed and convenience and making it that much harder for everyone else, Ellen. The producers really appreciate your spineless weasling and helping them to conduct business as usual in their attempts to break the strike. Boo freaking hoo, poor Ellen. While she’s stabbing her writers in the back and crossing picket lines, we’re not sending her bouquets of roses, how rude. Well, I guess she can afford her own roses, huh? I love all the people who think that someone who makes $20 million dollars a year and doesn’t care anbout anyone but herself is a “victim.”
FYI – Let’s not forget that Ellen is a member of the WGA. Has been for at least 10 years. So basically, the only true scab on her show is herself. And what happens in June if the actors go on strike? She’s SAG too. Can someone be a scab-scab?