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I've just been given the exclusive news that Ellen DeGeneres will not be bringing her syndicated talk show to NYC next week as planned. (The New York Post story today is wrong.) Ellen is taping her TBS special tomorrow night in Las Vegas and was supposed to catch a plane immediately afterwards for NYC.
The Ellen Degeneres Show was planning to tape in NYC next Monday and Tuesday, November 19th and 20th. Ellen is both a member of the WGA and AFTRA. Which is why the Writers Guild Of America East issued the statement it did last Friday headlined "Ellen Is Not Welcome In NY." The guild had pledged to "certainly let Ellen know our dissatisfaction in person if she decides to proceed with the shows she has scheduled [and] make our voices heard the preceding week if she tries to pre-tape comedy segments on location." Since then Ellen has been under fire by writers and others. The "s" word, for scab, has even been used during this controversy.
There has been a running dispute between the WGA East and AFTRA with Ellen smack in the middle because she went back on the air after honoring only one day of the writers strike. On her first day back, Ellen said she supports her writers but returned to work because of a) her crew and b) her company, which ordered her to, and c)a no-strike clause in her AFTRA contract.
But AFTRA was quick to defend Ellen, saying she had done nothing to violate the WGA agreement and noting that DeGeneres, like other first-run syndications that deliver original programming (Dr. Phil, Regis and Kelly, and Oprah), has a contractual obligation as host and producer. Also a portion of the Writers Guild's "Minimum Basic Agreement" (MBA) supposedly excuses Ellen's situation.
But the writers guild scolded Ellen for not making an "act of individual conscience".
I should note here that AFTRA is often accused of having undercut Guild contracts for years and poaching jobs that are traditional union jurisdiction. But AFTRA pulled out a letter to Ellen dated November 8th (and written before today's WGAE statement) expressing "appreciation" to Ellen "for your individual act of solidarity shown to the striking writers in their efforts to negotiate a fair contract with the industry producers."
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Gee, I wonder why. LOL.
Good work troops, this had to be dealt with.
I commend Ellen for doing the right thing, that is if she decides to abide by the WGA Strike rules.
Yeah, this almost seems like a non-story. She seems to be handling this whole situation pretty well and doing the right things.
Who cares about Ellen?
Nikki, any whispers or signs as far as the two sides meeting to talk yet?
First her dog, now this. What’s a girl to do?
Looks like I spoke too soon. My bad…
If Ellen is still planning to tape shows to guarantee that Networks allied with AMPTP can cover their upfront advertising dollars/profits then Ellen will still be considered Ellen “Disingenous” to me.
Damn… Not too original a sentiment, I know, but I must say I’m incredibly impressed by the reporting on this site. Nikki Finke is simply wiping the floor with the MSM. It makes you wonder what we ever did before we had blogs and the technology for good reporters to instantly bring needed news to the public.
And even though I have extreme misgivings about the notion of union force against the individual, and am thus often at odds with most of those commenting here, I do appreciate the back and forth and perspective I get from reading these contrary points of view on these boards.
God Bless the Internet.
She was for the strike before she was against it. She’s just doggin’ it now, ha ha ha!
I know Ellen should abide by the strike and support the writers, but lets face it…her show is not that great.
And if she writes it herself, it will be even worse. I can’t see how her taping the show without quality writing would be worth top advertising dollars.
She is probably not doing the show so that the ratings don’t go down during this time. Who wants to be the only first-run syndicated show that flops during the strike?
Just my opinion.
Break the union!
The WGA has already said publically it would work if AFTRA (or SAG) goes on strike in the future (and they did work during SAGs last strike).
So, when Ellen as an AFTRA member works, they give her a hard time about it (even though her AFTRA contract says she must, and even though if AFTRA stikes, WGA said it will work). How hypocritical of them.
Clearly what a bunch of greedy a-holes (and rude, name-calling bullies), these rich, arrogant writers are!
I did like how Ellen said she wasn’t going to do her monologue in honor of her writers being on strike.
Um, I don’t suppose she skipped the monlogue because it would require her actually coming up with lots of jokes, and well, she hasn’t done that in years. But nice spin with the whole “honor” thing.
I’m not sure Ellen should be vilified for what she did, but she certainly could’ve at least taken off a week or two in solidarity rather than just one day.
Ellen doesn’t want to “screw the pooch” on this one…
Too soon?
I’m sure Jay Leno and Letterman have no strike clauses in their contracts as well, and they aren’t crossing the picket lines.
Can someone explain why Ellen’s situation is different?
Sorry, Ellen is a WGA member. Her writers are WGA. If we go one strike, she should respect it. Dave does. Jay does. Conan does. Stewart and Colbert do. The foreign guy does. She’s the only comedy/variety host to cross the line, and in doing so, she adds to the already immense pressure on Conan and others to cross.
Good for the WGA East to call a scab a scab. And if she’s afraid to come to New York … well, New York has held the line. With any luck, she’ll soon feel unwelcome in L.A. The talk show hosts are on the front line of this strike. A list screenwriters and TV showrunners should realize this, as should the WGA west.
Keep the bosts of the air, keep the money out of hte network coffers, prevent the Christmas movies from being promoted. Little by little the AMPTP will realize they’ve followed Nick Counter down the wrong alley.
These guys have miscalculated badly.
I absolutely agree with the dude. WGA and a few other unions need to be taken down a notch or two. They try to bully people or organizations into supporting their cause (doing the work for them) instead of going out and doing it themselves.
Kudos to Ellen for doing what she is obligated to do.
Yes, if AFTRA strikes, the WGA still has to go to work, just like every other union excluding Teamsters. Why? Because that’s in their contract. The difference? Ellen is actually a MEMBER of the WGA. Which means she should be on strike.
And FYI, one of the things the “rich, arrogant” WGA is fighting for RIGHT NOW is the right to honor other picket lines INCLUDING AFTRA. So that next time AFTRA or any other union strikes, the WGA can back them up.
P.S. Before you call the writers’ union “rich,” you should look up some statistics.
“Can someone explain why Ellen’s situation is different?
Ellen’s show is syndicated. Which means if she goes on strike, her show goes into repeats. Which means it might get killed by the likes of Dr. Phil, Oprah, The People’s Court & whatever else opposes it. Which ultimately means the stations would likely replace “Ellen” with something else. I imagine that’s why she continues to produce new episodes. Someone can correct me if I’m wrong.
But she is a WGA member, so yeah, it would be nice to see her out on the picket line rather than dancing in a sports coat & sneakers for the cameras.
Maybe Ellen could dance for the picket line people during their many hours walking the line.
Is she still crying over that stupid dog?
Can we just get her off TV altogether?
“I’m sure Jay Leno and Letterman have no strike clauses in their contracts as well, and they aren’t crossing the picket lines.
Can someone explain why Ellen’s situation is different?”
She has less money?
If Ellen wants to step up she should play that “Voices of Uncertainty” youtube video on her show. And have Patrick Verrone on, too. Or if she wants to get bigger ratings, get the writers/cast of The Office to explain their point of view. If she has to go into work (and it’s quite reasonable that she does) at least she can help the cause in her own way. Maybe bring in one WGA favorable guest a week.
It is wildly unfair to compare Ellen’s situation to late-night talk shows, as the contracts are entirely different and Ellen has actually not violated WGA rules, based on the information you have posted Nikki. It seems like her show is exempt.
One of the things that pisses me off is the inconsistency. She’s being attacked for a non-violation, and being harangued on ethics (its practically a republican platform). But other people who are ALSO members of WGA and who are also still working – i.e., JJ Abrams directing Trek, showrunners still editing, etc – are not being publically attacked. If you can argue that Ellen as a member of the WGA should be picketing, even if that does put her in violation of her AFTRA contract (and by the way, nice. easy for you to say. its not your legal mess, right?), then why shouldn’t Abrams be picketing as well?
In addition, Ellen’s competitors are still working, so unlike the late night guys, who are all not working, Ellen looks at some serious repercussions if she were to walk off the job. Is anyone telling Oprah she shouldn’t be working right now? She’s got a daytime talk show, but I don’t see anyone bitching about her.
I’m glad to see Ellen take the heat for not showing solidarity, but let me pose this question: why is The View getting off scot free? That show has WGA writers who are on the picket lines, and yet that show is still on the air…
One time sitcom writer…
Are you saying that Dave and Jay don’t have competition in their timeslots? They haven’t crossed the line. And their shows are in reruns… during sweeps.
Please continue to explain to me why Ellen isn’t lame for crossing a picket line after one day.
It amazes me how little the writers know about the television business model. THE MONEY FROM ADVERTISER SUPPORTED CONTENT ON THE INTERNET DOES NOT GO TO THE STUDIO IT GOES TO THE NETWORK. THE STUDIO IS NOT MAKING MONEY OFF OF ADVERTISER SUPPORTED CONTENT – LIKE YOU FIND ON FOX.COM, ABC.COM, CBS.COM, ETC… THE NETWORK IS USING THESE INTERNET SITES TO PARTIALLY SUPPLEMENT THE INCOME THEY ARE LOSING FROM THE RAPID DECREASE IN TELEVISION VIEWERS.
Money and crew isn’t the only thing to fight for when it comes to being unified. The AMPTP is so powerful that if we all don;t move in step on this strike we will all one day be working for peanuts again.
United we stand… divided we fall…
I can;t tell you how many times I have been taken advantage of having producers think that writer should work for free or at least rewrite for free. That is because they don’t value your writing when they can talk you into working for free. We must value ourselves and get what we need to support ourselves and families in the future with gas over $3.oo a gallon.
I don’t even have medical insurance so if I am willing to stay the course and not write then we all should.
Chris
“It amazes me how little the writers know about the television business model. THE MONEY FROM ADVERTISER SUPPORTED CONTENT ON THE INTERNET DOES NOT GO TO THE STUDIO IT GOES TO THE NETWORK. THE STUDIO IS NOT MAKING MONEY OFF OF ADVERTISER SUPPORTED CONTENT” – Well, it amazes me how naive this comment is. Just who do you think owns the networks??!! ABC? Owned by Disney. NBC? Owned by Universal. CBS?? Owned by Paramount. Fox? Um, owned by 20th Century Fox.
Comedy Writer wrote:
Are you saying that Dave and Jay don’t have competition in their timeslots? They haven’t crossed the line. And their shows are in reruns… during sweeps.
From what I read on this site, Jay & Dave’s shows are controlled by their networks while Ellen’s show is syndicated and the individual stations control when her show airs.
Someone asked how Ellen’s situation was different, I attempted an answer. I also asked to be corrected if I was wrong. Anybody?
Please continue to explain to me why Ellen isn’t lame for crossing a picket line after one day.
I can’t continue to do that, since I never said I supported her crossing. In fact, I said as a WGA member, it would be nice to see her out on the picket line.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6494952.html
If scripts stop, syndication could prosper
By Paige Albiniak — Broadcasting & Cable, 10/29/2007
[snip]
Most syndicated shows don’t employ guild writers, and if they do, they have already made significant contingency plans.
Warner Bros.’ The Ellen DeGeneres Show, for example, has several guild writers on staff, all of whom will strike. DeGeneres herself is a member, but she’s also a member of the Screen Actors Guild, and she’s hired as a performer, not a writer, on the show. So she’ll keep producing shows, possibly with more improvisation, more celebrity interviews and fewer written segments.
“We’re definitely going to do the show and Ellen feels confident in her ability to do it,” says one Warner Bros. executive.
CBS Television Distribution has three shows that employ guild writers: Dr. Phil, Entertainment Tonight and The Insider, although those shows will continue. ET and The Insider writers labor under separate WGA news contracts. (So do writers on NBC Universal’s Access Hollywood, which will continue.) Dr. Phil may be required to read less off the teleprompter, but that show also will go on.
[snip]
Other popular first-run shows—such as CBS’ The Oprah Winfrey Show or Disney-ABC’s Live With Regis and Kelly—don’t use guild writers, say show spokespersons. [snip]
What cracks me up about all of you strikers is how much you are shooting yourselves in the foot.
Those of us in the Internet content development game are positively salivating at the possibility of a lengthy strike. You are only accelerating the demise of TV in favor of the Net. You shouldn’t fear the studios, you need to fear APPLE, GOOGLE and MSFT. We are taking over the entertainment game, and y’all can’t keep up. That’s the real issue here. People are turning to the Internet for content, and even the old dinosaur studios can’t figure out how to harnass it’s power or stop our momentum. So Hollywood is wounded, and all you strikers are doing is driving a stake through the heart.
BTW, you aren’t the only writers on the planet. And Silicon Valley is a decidedly non-union kind of place. We’re pretty well-staffed, so please keep your resume out of my gmail. I’m not interested in someone who can’t negotiate for the greater good of my industry without picket signs.
You people are unbelievable. If Ellen goes on strike her show will be canceled. It is really as simple as that. If you still want her to go on strike after knowing that then your are insane and selfish.
Rich, arrogant writers???? Are you on crack??? Yes, there are a few, but the rank and file members of WGA are slaves just like all the below the line people. The residual checks are rarely enough to keep you and your family from going underwater.
Ellen makes PLENTY OF MONEY and has been spoiled and coddled by Telepictures and the networks – her numbers are not as high as Oprah’s, but she’s been positioned as the feel-good nice talk show host (which she is – on camera, anyway). She’s also won Emmys 3 years running.
I think she’s listening to the wrong people. I don’t know who they are, but she’s getting bad advice and her squeaky clean dancing queen image is starting to tarnish.
I won’t watch her show again. I hope she gets canceled.
If Ellen keeps broadcasting, and the strike lasts weeks (or even months), she may develop the largest viewer audience she ever imagined and one that will stay with her when the strike is over. For Ellen, it’s a calculated move that good prove to be great for her ratings going forward.
SCAB!
I am not a union member,but I WILL NOT cross a picket line.
Kick her out of your union.
I applaud Ellen for living up to her “no strike” agreement. Too many times these days, people ignore their obligations when whenever it’s convenient. Last I knew this was still a free (?) country. Dave, Jay, Conan; any of those guys could make the same decision Ellen did. They chose to honor the strike. Their choice. Ellen chose to work. Her choice. Any of the writers, or member of any union for that matter, has decisions to make. Some area of the country have pretty draconian laws “requiring” union membership in order to work in certain occupations. That’s oppressive and anti-choice to me. I can’t say I agree or disagree with the reasons for the strike, but I agree with anyone’s courage to have an independent thought.
I applaud Ellen for taking her crew into consideration by returning to work. The writers should have just kept an ongoing negotiation going and not threatened the livelihoods of these hardworking behind-the-scenes people who never get any credit and have to put up with the BS of writers (who hold up shows with their incessent changes and right-up-to-the-deadline, egocentric attitutes). Hollywood writers are a pain in the rear end.
The most revealing and interesting element of all in this is that like Rosie O’Donnell, the “real” Ellen has emerged. First her ludicrous hysteria over the dog (when in fact she broke the contract by giving it away) and now this. Her bubble of niceness has been pierced.
I don’t like Ellen but I do support her on this.
I’m not particularly a fan of Ellen’s, but she has learned a great lesson throughout this particular part of her career: Once you join a union, you lose all rights to self-determination.
I support the WGA 100%, however I also support Grips, Gaffers, etc who are now jobless and when the strike is resolved will make the same amount as before the strike. And the writers already make more then the below the line crew to begin with! So Ellen at least is providing some crew members work.
Here’s the problem. The writers are not just asking ONE TV host for an “act of individual conscience”. They are asking for the entire casts and crews of tv shows to provide one as well. Yes, the writers deserve what they are asking for but asking that entire crews be out of work going into the holiday season isn’t unconscionable? How much sacrifice should people making $15 an hour have to give for conscience? One could say that Ellen’s act of individual conscience is to take the mudslinging from the WGA and not require her crew to make a sacrifice. Hey, the union crew is still showing up. Maybe they be should be blacklisted as well. It’s not the time to try to bore windows into souls and make enemies where there are none. Keep your eye on the real enemy.
Gosh, NY city won’t get a chance to see her do that wacky, tennis shoe wearing , jacket flapping and face scrunching goofy dance on stage.
Why isn’t anybody noticing the obvious: OBVIOUSLY all these so-called hosts, comics, talk-show personalities CAN’T TALK WITHOUT A WRITER TO TELL THEM WHAT TO SAY! This is hilarious. They should be called readers since that apparently is all they are. Oh…just thought of something….this would explain why Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannitty don’t have to shut down when the writers go on strike~~they don’t HAVE writers! Hmmmm….that must mean…..they think! they speak! (for themselves!)….now THERE’S A THOUGHT!! Ann
Ah, even THESE folks support the strike.
http://www.theweeklydonut.org/index.php/2007/11/13/but-only-because-were-going-to-miss-24/
Ellen is a SCAB, it’s really quite simply. You can talk until you’re blue in the face, a SCAB is a SCAB is a SCAB.
Actually I would say that Ellen did make an act of individual conscience…. she decided to take the risk of keeping the show on the air so as to keep the rest of her crew WORKING. She is substantially doing the show without the long monologue which means she is not making use of writers. You can also look at it this way. She is keeping the show ticking over so that the writers will still have a job to come back to.
It’s great to see that Ellen is keeping her crew WORKING and recieving a pay check, especially considering that the majority of the crew make far less money than the writers.
All of this said I do agree that the writers should be paid residuals for re-runs whatever the format. What I don’t agree with is the writers going on strike and putting over 100,000 crew members out of work basicly for a bonus ontop of their already very reasonable pay.
Effectively the WGA is bullying the small guys in Hollywood.
The WGA’s main function is to make contracts and that is what they did. A close look at the WGA contract shows that Elen is acting within her contracts.
Strange that the WGA has n ot offered to pay her legal fees if she were sued by the producers she is obligated to by contract.
It seems to me that this whole strike is a pissing and dick waving contest between the Hollywood moguls and the WGA bosses and that these “big boys” are taking shots at Ellen.
There were other ways to figt this fight.
In the words of a famous LA resident, “Can’t we all get along?” People, people, people…we have bigger issues in this world. Take care of all these issues at once. Stop the strikes and make sure that you cover all types of media–including future technology–with your new agreement, instead of having to go on strike every few years to cover something else.
The way I understand the 2004 WGA MBA, Ellen is actually caught between 2 contradictory guild rules. The first states that no guild member can perform struck work. The second states that material that someone writes for themselves to perform is not covered by guild rules. So basically, she is not allowed to take over the writing that her striking WGA writers used to do for her except that she is allowed to write for herself (which is all her striking WGA writers did for her). I imagine that right about now, Ellen wishes the MBA did not contain that contradiction so she didn’t have to make the decision she was forced to make.
Why not clear up that loophole in the 2007 contract so Dave, Jay, Kimmel, Ferguson, Stewart, Colbert, Ellen and the women on the View will have no choice but to put their pencils down?
What I don’t get are WGA members who aren’t picketing.
I thought they HAD to picket (and face fines if they don’t).
Yet WGA members like Ellen DeGeneres is doing her talk show and writers like Craig Mazin and JJ Abrams are directing movies?
Why aren’t these people being forced to picket like the rest of the WGA membership?
Or have some of these people bought their way out of their obligations?
megschlegel: You said, “Yes, if AFTRA strikes, the WGA still has to go to work, just like every other union excluding Teamsters. Why? Because that’s in their contract. The difference? Ellen is actually a MEMBER of the WGA. Which means she should be on strike.”
So how is that different if the situation is reversed? If the AFTRA is on strike, but the WGA is not, Which contract has precedent then? You are only mad because she chose to honor her contractual obligations that are in conflict with you. You said it yourself, it is in her contract to work.
Good for her! “SCAB” is an honorable title. I am proud to have earned that title when, as a member of the American Federation of Musicians, I crossed a hotel picket line to honor a contract with a private party, thereby rubbing it in the face of the obnoxious union organizer that tried to stop me.
I used to support the writers whole heartedly – until they released their statement. It was classless and petty and ridiculed Ellen for loving her dog. Since then I’ve been thinking about all the “little people” who don’t make a dime when a DVD is sold – and make very little on the set. To hell with these heartless viscious petty people.
Everyone needs to get off Ellen’s case. If she does not continue with her show, she is in breach of contract. Can you dunderheads understand that?
Leno, Letterman etc. have shows that are owned by the networks…they are not syndicated. It’s comparing apples and oranges.
I think, perhaps, you are misogynists at heart.
There seems to be some confusion on the issue of network television v. syndicated television. All of the shows that have been shut down by the strike, Leno, Letterman, Daily Show, etc. are network shows. Network shows are funded by the network and/or a studio partner (if they have deficit funding) and for the most part, the networks have allowed those shows to shut down because there are no writers and hence nothing for the hosts to say. Would the networks prefer those shows stay on the air? Absolutely. But, the reality is they cannot force the hosts to write and those hosts have choosen not to writer their own material.
Syndicated shows have contracts directly with local affiliates to deliver first run programming directly without the involvement of a network. The daytime programming blocks of the local affiliates are not controlled by the networks (unlike the prime time blocks of the same affiliates.)
If Ellen (or any other daytime syndicate) stops delivering shows to the local affiliates then they face serious consequences including breach of contract lawsuits and termination of their syndication contracts.
While Ellen is a member of the WGA, the WGA does not have jurisdiction over material written by a performer to be performed by that performer. This would mean that even if Ellen is writing she is not writing covered material. It would be the same if the WGA told its members that they were not allowed to write a technical manual for a fire extinguisher manufacturing company during the strike. That type of writing is not covered by the agreement and the WGA cannot stop its members from doing work which is not struck work.
Let Ellen do her show in peace, she’s not breaking the strike rules and she has a legal obligation to deliver the show. She could be held personally liable for the losses of the local affilites if she breaches her contract.
If these writers were dogs or cats, she’d care alot more about their living conditions and the cost of a living wage. Let’s see her work up a few tears for the writers and their families. When you show such empathy for the care and well being of an animal, you should at least feign the appearance of as much feeling for people who work for or with you.
Ellen is nothing more than a big name SCAB, and our household will no longer support her show or career in any way.
And hey, could part of the reason she canceled New York is because her GUESTS are starting to cancel?
We used to have so much respect for Ellen. No more.
You people are really giving unions a bad name. Let me try to explain this AGAIN.
Ellen’s show is syndicated. Just Like Oprah, Dr. Phil, Judge Judy, Judge Mathis, Etc…..
She is REQUIRED by contract to provide new shows. But it goes deeper than that. If she didn’t have new shows and reruns were ran, her ratings would plummet and networks would replace her show with other things. Then her show would be canceled and she would probably be sued.
But of course you geniuses can’t let the facts get in the way can you?
For the commenter who decided for themselves how I would feel if the situations were reversed (re: AFTRA and SAG), if you’re going to read my mind you are going to have to try harder.
If AFTRA is on strike and Ellen is an AFTRA member, then she should be on strike. If she is a Teamster and the Teamsters are on strike, she should be on strike. If you are a member of a union and drawing on their benefits, then you also sacrifice with them.
Also, just a note of clarification: the writers aren’t really striking for MORE money. It can sound that way. But all they’re doing is trying to stay at the income/benefit level they have now.
Writers (like novelists and musicians) get paid a royalty payment when their intellectual property gets re-sold to a new market. (It’s not a bonus.) When TV switches to internet, gradually, writers will lose the royalties that many of them depend on as part of their livelihood. And Big Media is proposing to replace those royalties with, basically, nothing. So it’s not like the writers are trying to get richer here. They are just trying to stay at the same level by collecting the same royalties they get now, just applied to a different medium.
(Another side note: the really rich writers actually don’t have as much to gain here. They are multimillionaires; their deals set them up for life. The royalty payments don’t make a huge difference to them. The payments DO make a huge difference to middle-class writers…or to struggling writers who may go years between jobs.)
Thanks, HH. That is the most concise explanation I have read on why Ellen’s show is different.
I’m still not sure why The View, Oprah, Live with Regis and Kelley and/or the Martha Stewart Show isn’t facing the same criticism, although I suspect it is because none of them are WGA members.
P.S. When Ellen went through the dark years before she became ELLEN, you can bet she was plenty thankful for the residuals she got paid when networks re-sold work she’d already created.
That said, we should all (myself included) move on. There’s a lot more at stake here. Freaking out over Ellen is a waste of time.
I SUPPORT ELLEN! and I’m sure her staff is very happy to not have to be unemployed for the holidays. Instead of badmouthing people and pulling ridiculous stunts (”bring your kid to picket day”, “send pencils to studio execs”, etc…) the WGA should be forcing it’s leaders and the head of the AMPTP to go back to the negotiation table. Anyone who has any sense on this sight would be demanding that their leadership gets back into negotiations. This could lead to the end of the WGA altogether if this strike continues. This isn’t 1988 when television was making money hand over fist and networks were thriving – this is an entirely different landscape. Now is NO TIME TO BE GREEDY WITH DEMANDS. Get back to negotiating!
thanks Ellen for putting fans ,some who plan vacations around when they can get tickets; and crew first. sure you will take some “flack”, you’ve had to do that before. whats new??
Dear Sarah -
Oooo – not the big bad silicon valley boogie man! OH, NO! What will I do without studio notes and control over my own content? What will I do when I just need investors to get my product onto the internet?
Thanks, sweety, that’s only going to help us.
While I think the WGA is probably right, I think Ellen should continue to do her show. Too many of my friends have been laid off due to the strike. They are the ones who are hurt the most. They are the crew. They won’t get anything from the strike except lost wages. Good for Ellen to keep working for her crew. Also, if her contract demands no honoring the strike, she should honor her contract. People need to honor contracts.
I, for one, will not weep if this person gets herself cancelled. All these hacks who think they write witty scripts for crappy shows can strike ’til they drop. 99.9% of what’s on TV nowadays reeks.
Some loser named O.J. said that Ellen’s contract is different because it’s syndicated. All the talent on air, syndicated or not, are required to be on air. The other hosts are taking a risk standing by the writers. The producers are not negotiating, because they are playing hardball (which has worked in the past). But their position not to negotiate is why people are being laid off.
Just because the WGA is on strike doesn’t mean they can’t negotiate. They have been trying to negotiate with Big Media for months now. The strike was the last resort.
The WGA has made it clear that they want to work out a deal. They just released a statement to Big Media saying that they are willing to talk “any time, any place.” The corporations don’t seem to be answering.
I commend Ellen for her ability to pick up and continue her show despite facing those who would chastise her for doing just that.
Good on Ya Ellen!!
She oughta be tossed from the guild. For being a scab and for being unfunny.
And just how is Jimmy Kimmel hosting the AMAs? And who is giving Tom Bergeron his quips?
There’s a lot of scabbing going on here, people. And it’s disgusting.
I’m a hardline supporter for the WGA, but I do think Ellen should be commended on her tenacity. Keeping folks working that otherwise wouldn’t be at the expense of your own image is admirable in my book.
The AMPTP are the ones really responsible for all of this. Their new ‘provisions’ (there were about 30 the last time they were at the table with the Guild) were absolutely deplorable.
Not payin’ people is one thing. Choosing not to CREDIT them for online content while the actors and producers are credited??? Disgusting.