Jay Leno - scab
Unfunny talk-show host Jay Leno scabbed on the WGA writers strike of 2007-8.
Though the Tonight Show was not allowed to use writers during the ongoing strike, WGA member Jay Leno told monologue jokes he claims to have written himself.
But the Writers Guild, like many of us, wasn't laughing. According to NYmag'sVulture buddy Nikki Finke, Leno says he was given permission to write his own material by Guild president Patric Verrone during secret talks, but Verrone says this isn't the case.
WGA rules on the strike clearly stated:
Quote:
NOTICE TO ALL WGA MEMBERS WRITING FOR COMEDY/VARIETY SHOWS
The Council of the Writers Guild of America, East, Inc. and the Board of Directors of Writers Guild of America, West, Inc. (collectively the “Guild”), have adopted Strike Rules which will go into effect if the Guild calls a strike. The Strike Rules, among other provisions, prohibit Guild members from performing any writing services during a strike for any and all struck companies. This prohibition includes all writing by any Guild member that would be performed on-air by that member (including monologues, characters, and featured appearances) if any portion of that written material is customarily written by striking writers.
Multi-millionaire Leno's scabbing came after previously claiming to support the writers, and even generously distributing some doughnuts on a picket line.
Mar 17 2009 00:49
#2
Why does libcom have all these celebrity scab pages? It just seems like a weird form of celebrity worship (obviously there aren't pages being made for the thousands of other random scabs out there) and/or hollow populism.
Mar 17 2009 17:50
#3
oh for goodness sake.
Quote:
obviously there aren't pages being made for the thousands of other random scabs out there
um yeah, because nobody would have heard of them. unlike celebrities, who people have heard of, hence the interest. 
Mar 18 2009 10:42
#4
the celebrity scabs is probably my favourite section.
Mar 18 2009 15:22
#5
this is a good feature. these types often like to pose as the People's Friend, and political sophisticates like us will know it's rubbish but having these handy short bits could be very useful for others learning. i saw the letterman show when harvey pekar outed letterman for writing during the writers' strike (1987 i think), very tense scene. i'm surprised in retrospect that they aired it.
Mar 18 2009 20:29
#6
Petey,
You might like this article regarding that incident ('88 it was, but I couldn't find it on youtube): http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/109
Mar 19 2009 16:14
#7
DAMN i was trying to quote a line in here but hit the 'edit' button not the 'quote' button and edited away this whole post, to which jr reacted in his next post. history is the loser.
Mar 19 2009 09:04
#8
Think the point of that article was that Letterman, much like most of the folk you see on TV, when it came to the crunch, couldn't or wouldn't say anything about GE, despite that been when it counted. 'tis very easy to do so with your own production company, but when your actions may cost you censure or worse, it's a different matter. But of course, I paraphrase, that's why he's a known personality and Pekar is fringe.
Like Refused sang, "better to be forgotten, than remembered for giving in", I reckon.
Mar 19 2009 19:28
#9
timely.
Quote:
Now that Obama has ascended to the grand stage, however, Leno can give him something he can't generate himself anymore: a populist platform.
Mar 20 2009 13:15
#10
Quote:
these types often like to pose as the People's Friend, and political sophisticates like us will know it's rubbish but having these handy short bits could be very useful for others learning.
What is being learned here? That extremely wealthy celebrities (who are probably bosses of some sort) cross picket lines?
In other news, management didn't respect a strike! Make a section about it to educate the ignorant masses!
Mar 20 2009 17:44
#11
Quote:
What is being learned here?
that influential media figures who successfully - that's the important word - pose as populists are sometimes exposed as just the opposite, which just might help to turn a few heads in our general direction. obviously, political sophisticates like you don't need that lesson. but harvey pekar and the libcom editors whom you screamed at in post #2 aren't aiming at you.
Mar 20 2009 18:05
#12
yoshomon wrote:
What is being learned here?
Nothing. Its a bit of fun.
What you up to this weekend?
Mar 20 2009 18:20
#13
bens wrote:
And he's crap.
Yeah, I'd definitely say that's my biggest objection to him. What I would like to see here is a scathing critique of Jon Stewart, which I am coming to admire for his attack on financial reporting, which mean I'm probably missing quite a bit.
Mar 20 2009 21:15
#14
Quote:
Nothing. Its a bit of fun.
oi! after all i wrote!
Mar 21 2009 20:41
#15
yoshomon wrote:
What is being learned here? That extremely wealthy celebrities (who are probably bosses of some sort) cross picket lines?
fun. ur doin it rong.
Mar 22 2009 08:52
#16
Well Jon Stewart has hosted the Oscars twice, and been in the film The Faculty; could criticise that alone all day.
Mar 22 2009 10:23
#17
Yeah, jolly, but did he cross any picket lines to get to the Oscars, or to the set of The Faculty?
Mar 22 2009 10:51
#18
No TOJ, it was merely jesting. Stewart is a good man.
Interestingly, both Leno and Letterman paid their staff out of their own pocket, including those who didn't strike.
Mar 22 2009 11:19
#19
Actually, I thought that Jon Stewart was a scabbing cunt as well, no? I heard he held out for a bit but then ended up doing his show anyway (he made his first show back all about the writers' strike, but that's still crossing the picket line as far as I can see..)
Mar 22 2009 11:42
#20
Yeah, Ed, looks like you're right.
Stewart and spin off host Colbert came back before the strike was over, without writer's material. Scabs.
Stewart is no longer a good man in my book.
Mar 22 2009 12:14
#21
Mar 22 2009 12:59
#22
Yeah, it's the second link; I happened to find that after my original post. What a sap Letterman is, losing his cool.
Mar 22 2009 16:56
#23
The wikipedia article claims that Stewart went back to host the show "because [his] stage crews and production teams were suffering much more than the writers from the financial crunch, and by that point had been out of work for two months." He also stood behind the writers` successful attempt to unionize with WGA, before the strike.
Mar 23 2009 11:20
#24
Note the lack of a source for the first claim though.
Mar 23 2009 20:41
#25
I don't question Mother Wikipedia. A source will be found. I have faith.
Jun 6 2009 13:26
#26
1) The celebrity scab pages are great. They're good fun, nothing more, and I can't for the life of me imagine why anyone is complaining about them. Sheesh...
2) I know every time I say this I should just really step up myself, but some really should write celebrity scab pages for Stewart and Colbert. Show liberalism for the hollow political shell that it is.
Jun 6 2009 21:53
#27
DIY!
And he's crap.