Yes, I agree Jaki - you are right.

Anti-union powertripping capitalist abusers of workers need to be punished.  Boycotts can be one tool in this whipping.

By archeon of thrace, January 5 at 10:47 pm #
(501 comments total)
Bullshit - I agree with

And I agree with YOU that we should boycott crap from China, along with some of the other things you mentioned.  I don’t agree that boycotting a TV show is intellectually silly because it is really not the specific TV show that is important, IT IS THE ANTI-UNION POWER TRIP THE CORPORATE EXECUTIVES ARE ON and their greed (no viewers no advertisers)...and I think you know it, if you are honest.

I suspect you also know that television viewing is monitored.  The networks know how many viewers there are for each program.  That’s how they get those advertising bucks.  That’s why I won’t watch.

Corporations will feel the sting of personal actions over time; individuals making conscious choices to NOT BUY certain brands, or items, or things imported from certain countries.  It could be a kind of “silent revolution” but very collective, especially if we use the internet.  We are all feeling the erosion of quality of goods due to outsourcing and globalization and most of us are sick of it. 

We want our quality manufacturers back.  What options do we have other than to refuse to buy the junk that is forced on us?  Wanna bet the ruling class doesn’t have to buy that crap?  They are insulated.  They don’t shop at WalMart, or Home Depot, or Target, or K-Mart, or Walgreens, or Ross, or even the middle-class stores, like Macy’s, which also have become overloaded with clothes and other goods made in China and The Philipines and Pakistan and…

We are also sick of plastics, chemicals, pesticides in our food, genetically-engineered food, oil-consuming, pollution-belching vehicles.  And we need to escalate our resistance to them and the corporations who force them on us.  To wait until those within the political system create change would be an exercise in futility. Each of us has the power to change ourselves and our consumption behavior.
We are part of the collective consciousness and we have a responsibility to the planet to act.

Every individual act ripples through the web of existence.

Bullshit - I agree with Akira, try boycotting something serious like oil, or plastic, or cheap clothing from china.  Perhaps actually gettin out to vote in a election is something to strive for - but boycotting a tv show?  get real. that is easy. it is cheap. it is intellectually silly.

That guy in Teinamen square in Bejing standing before the tanks with his plastic bag in his hand, HE was taking a stand.  Sophie Scholl and her brother in Nazi Germany, they took a stand.  I don’t see many taking a stand now, here in this pardise of freedom and liberty.  We just continue to burn the oil, polute the water, cut the trees - if we are not doing it here we allow it to happen by proxie in India, China, and Russia.

If the writers shouldn’t make 150K then why should the execs of the media companies make 1000+K?  The writers need to get the royalties on their work that is being and will be carried on the new digital and electronic media channels and platforms.  For Leno, Letterman, Obrien, Colbert, and Steward to play the “they are making us do it” crap is dishonest, silly, and I can’t believe they think we will actually fall for it.

The studios, producers, and multinational media companies are dishonest bloodsucking immoral unethical avaricious demons.  They like all entities that must rely on the creativity and labour of real people in wage slavery only care about profit.

Does anyone realize that it costs more to develope an new car model that it does to make a movie like Titanic?  the car has great costs of overhead, material, etc to produce and the life span of each car is limited, as is the money making potential of each model.  Titanic cost $400 million to make, made all it’s costs back within 6 months, and has the potential to keep making money for it’s studio and producers FOREVER! The writers simply want a fair share of this potential forever revenue.

As much as I have missed their shows (though I am getting a lot of reading done in the process) I will never tune them in, not even out of curiosity to see how they’re making out without writers, until the strike is over. 
And BTW, they may well have some of their writers, though they’re not going to say so.  There’s a status called “financial core” in right-to-work states, which allows a person to go on receiving all financial benefits (union pay scale, pension and health coverage) from the Writers Guild while returning to work, and no sanctions of any kind are permitted.  So, Colbert and Stewart, unless we hear specifically otherwise from them, may well have some of their old writers who’ve decided to go the Legalized Scab route.  For shame if they have!!

Bullshit.

You want to start boycotting something? Start by boycotting something worth boycotting! Do you even listen to yourselves?

“Hey! Colbert and Stewart are -possibly- being forced to cross the picket lines! Let’s boycott the hell out of them!”

Of course, that one is convenient to do. Stop watching a TV show, oh, how rebellious.

Now, you’d be ballsy enough to -say- you’d boycott something like oil, but would you? How long would that last?

Oil, coke, pepsi, non-natural food, Bill O’Reilly, Presidential elections, taxes....every one of you has the balls to say you would do it, but guess what? You’d probably fill up your car, or buy a Dasani, or get too lazy to read the packaging to see if it was natural or not, or watch an episode of O’Reilly, or vote, or do your taxes....and millions would go ahead and do the same.

But not watching a TV show? Sign me up! That one’s really easy and won’t actually screw up my schedule at all! Hell, that’s like the morons who give up something like -red meat- for a month. Find something really easy, and go with that.

You guys can go ahead and ‘boycott’ Colbert and Stewart. Me? I’ll watch. I want their take. I want the writers to get paid fairly, but I want their take. I want to hear what’s going on from people who were picketing.

Do you want a real boycott? Boycott the movies. But guess what? 3 or four people ain’t gonna cut it. Neither will 40, or 50. Even 100 people doing it won’t make a difference. You -must- try and convince millions to boycott something. Announcing it on Truthdig is not enough. Then again, that probably wouldn’t be convenient enough, would it? It’s far more convenient to not watch, then proudly state that you boycotted it.

Cyrena’s comment of 12/31 makes a good point. I am not watching scripted television since the strike, and since my wife and I don’t watch reality or game shows there is little other than news or sports on the tube. The shows I miss most are Colbert and Stewart, who along with their producers and crews are scabs, and whose shows were my favorites. I watch quite a few movies on DVD and am getting caught up with reading and have more time to play music. I may be supporting the bastard networks by TIVOing the football games, but no one is perfect.

It’s odd to be in this position as I agree with both of you although we don’t know ALL THE FACTS.  Will I be leery if they cross the picket line, of course.  However, another side of me says it would be just like “the powers that be” to discredit the both of them.  I do think Colbert put everything on the line at the “White House Correspondents Dinner” although even with that I could be wrong, although I don’t think I am.  I think we need to have a wait and see attitude and also some facts before we make any hasty decisions.  I don’t know.........

I rewatched Colbert at that dinner, seems unlikely that he’s a scab, experience says these two things just don’t jive.....I don’t know.....

http://youtube.com/watch?v=qa-4E8ZDj9s

I guess truthdig doesn’t print email addresses.  You can get one for Comedy Central by going to:
http://www.comedycentral.com/help/terms.jhtml - 61k

By Thomas Billis, December 29 at 4:21 am #
(99 comments total)
money is not the issue

I have rethought my position of willingness to forgive Jon and Steve if they return before the strike ends.  They should not do it.  I won’t watch if they do, and I love them both.  They were a part of my daily life.

Thomas Billis is correct.  His statement is succinct, to the point, and FLAT-OUT TRUTH.  Those who work for The Man need unions or they will be reduced to slave wages, especially with globalization constantly replacing our workers by moving our manufacturing base to foreign countries.  And we need to get it back and have the things we need and want made competently in our country, and keep our people working with livable wages.

But we also have to start boycotting the products from those foreign factories, as much as we can.  We can’t boycott true necessities, but there are so many more things we buy that are not even remotely necessary that we could collectively refuse to purchase, on a daily, conscious basis.  We have to start thinking seriously about how we have been lulled into salving our wounded pride and comforting our (real) fears with materialistic consumption, buying buying buying--junk, and poorly made junk at that.

The internet is a great forum and also a great avenue of communication to start boycotts.  How about starting with CocaCola?  Or Standard Oil?  Or?

I guess maybe the first boycott should be Comedy Central and Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert...and their products!  If enough of us are willing to make whatever sacrifice it means, it will hurt.  It needs to hurt and they need to know it.  So tell them.  Flood them with calls and emails.  Don’t watch.  And don’t think you can sneak it in and no one will know.  They know.  They monitor.

And don’t just do it as a private protest.  THEY NEED TO KNOW.  They need to FEEL IT.  And it will take time.

Comedy Central
1515 Broadway, 45 Fl.
New York, NY 10036 (Map)
Phone: 212-846-3723
Fax: 201-422-6630
Email Address of Designated Agent: mtvi-admin at mtvi dot com

RE: #122803 by Aimee on 12/27

Great introspective thoughts.  Thank you.  As you imply it is hard to judge each situation upon its own merits without the facts.

It remains to be seen what the outcome will be.  I was not aware of the situation that you spoke of.  Great comment.

Walter Reuther, the head of the autoworkers union, met with Nikita Krushchev when Krushchev visited the U.S. in the 1950s.  When Krushchev learned about the collaborationist policies and the huge income Reuther accepted as head of the union Krushchev commented, “We hanged all the people like that in the U.S.S.R. in 1917.”

(I just finished rereading the two volume set of Kruschev’s memoirs published in the 1970s.)

To Louise--a brilliant plan.  I wonder if Colbert & Stewart have actual control over who ARE the invited guests.  Too often it seems the ones they have at the end of the show are just selling books, which are published by the Corp(ses).  And then, of course, they both sometimes have to choke it back when some ahole like Andrew Card or Tom Delay or The Big Dick or Mrs. Big Dick sits across the table.

But, maybe they will see your post--or better yet, have you tried to communicate directly with them?  Maybe through the Writers’ Guild?

If they have the power to do so, I would bet they would be on it.

My intuition is that they just squeak by getting away with as much anti-fascist comedic banter as they possibly can.  The real money comes from advertising and the books.  Which, of course, we can all boycott, if we so choose.

Let’s hope they survive this Catch 22 conundrum and that the audience of the previously devoted will forgive them any “sins” of survival.  I’m sure it is painful to them to be forced to make the choice to give in or get out.  They are not just one in a million workers, they are OUR VOICES and we have so few.

#121978 by Outraged on 12/22 at 10:58 pm

“There is a lot more to this than meets the eye.  For one thing Colbert and Stewert may have contracts which may put them in an extremely precarious position.

Two, it shows the backlash of corporate America to any who stand up to them.  Now they are AGAIN using the divide and conquer (and quite possibly just a facade of it) to make it “appear” that Colbert and Stewart “sold out” Get the facts before making any hasty judgements.  Hasty judgements which are the equivalent of REACTIVE as opposed to PROACTIVE are a tactic.  When this TACTIC works they laugh all the way to the bank.

As to unions being “fat cats”, there is an element of truth to this, however the unions were infiltrated by big business interests.  Certainly there were those who were willing to be bought.  But that in and of itself would not have lead to the complete and utter shambles which were made of unions at the hands of corporate interests in the political arena.  Unions GOOD, big corporations BAD, end of story.

Thirdly, this issue highlights the NOW common tactic of corporate interests requiring TWO OR THREE TIMES the work for the SAME pay.  Looks like its hitting middle America in a serious way now.  Prior to this middle America was mainly watching as the lower ranks “disappeared”.  Who did middle America think the corporations were going to use to fill those ranks?  You guessed it folks..... and the immigrants were just a tool used to undermine the lower ranks.  Now the lower ranks, if the middle doesn’t “buck up” will be used to replace them.  Of course at less than half the cost.

We’re all in this together is RIGHT, an understatement, but undenialbly accurate.  STICK TOGETHER, THAT IS THEIR WORST NIGHTMARE.  And remember, there’s more of us than there is of them....we can shut them down, don’t EVER even think we can’t.  I think of corporate America in biblical terms: (paraphrased) “They whitewash the outside but the inside is full of dead men’s bones.”

and remember, it’s always darkest before the dawn......

Hi Outraged.  I thought your letter was just so right on and so well-written, that it should be printed again.  I am WITH YOU.  We have to STICK TOGETHER and
support John and Steven, and all the other writers (most of whom do not make the big bucks, but could do a lot better if the Corp(ses) didn’t exploit their work and take far more than their share.

We also have to take back OUR AIRWAVES.  I think we will find a way to do this.  Boycotts?  Millions of people in the streets?  Refusing to support advertisers? Zillions of emails and phone calls to our so-called elected leaders to Impeach Cheney and Bush?  That would certainly be a start.  Get rid of the F(ascist)CC members who secure ruling class hold on our media transmissions.

John Stewart and Stephen Colbert, contrary to one lunatic on this blog, do not speak for the Whitewash House.  They are among the few who Speak Truth to Power.  They need our support, regardless of what they may be forced to do to stay on the air in the future, even after the strike ends.  I think that would be the only way they would capitulate, and WE NEED THEM TO STAY ON THE AIR.

Leno, on the other hand....

Thank you for your thoughtful and forceful post.

Oh come on people.

$100K writers are striking to get $150K? Be like CEOs striking because 100 million dollars a year isn’t enough for them. Real union members only strike because the company isn’t paying them enough to put food on their families, and you want to support these pampered morons who have to use beepers to get laughs because someone said ‘FUCK?’

I say they should Reagan them (like they were ever as important as air traffic controllers) and fire the lot of them and get some writers who are glad to have a job and want to please the viewers and not the white house.

But as a matter of fact, the Daily Show is off more than it is on; they do about 20 minutes a day, only 4 days a week, and of that some eight minutes is spent pandering to----ironically----WRITERS! And they hardly ever fill a full month before they go to reruns and take a long vacation.

Oh, I enjoy their biting wit as much as anyone alive I suspect, but I can do without it by just watching the moron in the white house trying to pretend he ever has had a cogent thought. If you really want funny, then watch CSPAN Senate and look for Harry Reid who is funnier than Jackie Gleason ever was.

There is a lot more to this than meets the eye.  For one thing Colbert and Stewert may have contracts which may put them in an extremely precarious position.

Two, it shows the backlash of corporate America to any who stand up to them.  Now they are AGAIN using the divide and conquer (and quite possibly just a facade of it) to make it “appear” that Colbert and Stewart “sold out”.  Get the facts before making any hasty judgements.  Hasty judgements which are the equivalent of REACTIVE as opposed to PROACTIVE are a tactic.  When this TACTIC works they laugh all the way to the bank.

As to unions being “fat cats”, there is an element of truth to this, however the unions were infiltrated by big business interests.  Certainly there were those who were willing to be bought.  But that in and of itself would not have lead to the complete and utter shambles which were made of unions at the hands of corporate interests in the political arena.  Unions GOOD, big corporations BAD, end of story.

Thirdly, this issue highlights the NOW common tactic of corporate interests requiring TWO OR THREE TIMES the work for the SAME pay.  Looks like its hitting middle America in a serious way now.  Prior to this middle America was mainly watching as the lower ranks “disappeared”.  Who did middle America think the corporations were going to use to fill those ranks?  You guessed it folks..... and the immigrants were just a tool used to undermine the lower ranks.  Now the lower ranks, if the middle doesn’t “buck up” will be used to replace them.  Of course at less than half the cost.

We’re all in this together is RIGHT, an understatement, but undenialbly accurate.  STICK TOGETHER, THAT IS THEIR WORST NIGHTMARE.  And remember, there’s more of us than there is of them....we can shut them down, don’t EVER even think we can’t.  I think of corporate America in biblical terms: (paraphrased) “They whitewash the outside but the inside is full of dead men’s bones.”

and remember, it’s always darkest before the dawn......

Prior to the strike, I enjoyed watching both of these guys and their witty shows every night-and never watch Leno or Letterman. It is a real disappointment that they are in effect scabs, betraying the writers that helped make them icons in American comedy and political satire. Unions are not pure as driven snow, but without the organized labor movement most of the workers of this country would still be working 18 hour shifts for wages a fraction of what they are now and spending it at the ‘company store’ trying to avoid starvation. Shame on Colbert and Stewart and their producers.

Colbert and Stewart’s liberal credentials are shot to hell if they go back on the air.  They’ll have writers, i.e. the ones who have no shame and “go fi-core” which means they’ll give up the right to vote in WGA elections but not their pension and health benefits, and can go to work without officially “crossing the picket line.” It’s a form of legalized scabbing; I don’t know where it came from or what misguided legislators made it into law, but it is nothing but scabbing.  Colbert, Stewart, I love you both and I miss your shows; I’m a loyal and constant fan, but you cannot do this thing and spend your air time scoffing at the companies and making jokes about George Bush without looking like TOTAL hypocrites.
Sorry, but it’s true.  Man up, guys.

As a Union tradesman, I know the importance of a no strike clause when certain thresholds are reached, if Hospitals and schools operations are threatened, power and infrastructure repairs that could envolve life threatening situations i.e. heat or power in winter. I know few if any union tradesmen who would not trample the picket line if critical work was needed.

With the deteriorating state of the free press in America, the more avenues covering news albeit alternative news, the better.  The MSM press is a farce and censorship of objective media is increasing.

I for one say give them a pass as we are on the eve of the New Hampshire primaries and need a different voice to hear the news with.

It is a shame they have agreed to cross the picket line but we don’t have to watch them and can certainly no support their advertisers until the strike is settled.

Should we give in to temptation, it will be interesting to see what they do or what they can do without the writers.

this man is a great and good man!
plus i bet his IQ is like 180.
http://www.bdogmania.com loves S.C.-- we knew he was a hit before he hit! he is a mind for the possible good future we could have as soon as the forces of good take power. I know that sounded a bit off the wall but good and evil is an endless cycle since the good by definition can’t do the evil to get rid of the evil, think about it.