LOGO: Truthdig: Drilling Beneath the Headlines. A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman.  
November 22, 2009
Log in / Register

 Choose a size
Text Size

Most Read

Intelligentsia Against Intelligence

Throw the Money Changers Out of the Temple

Obama's Job Approval Slips Below 50 Percent

Battlefield in the War of Ideas

Claire Wasserman on Europe's Islamic Immigrants

Most Comments
Most Emailed

Reports
Enough G-2 Talk Already
Despite Subsidies, Class Sizes Rise in California Schools

Ear to the Ground

A/V Booth

Arts & Culture
Freedom’s Fight: Part II

Digs
Financial Meltdown 101
Vetting Sarah Palin

Truthdig Bazaar
Empire: Impressions of China (Imago Mundi series)

Empire: Impressions of China (Imago Mundi series)

By Orville Schell, James Whitlow Delano (Photographer)
$35.00

Now They Tell Us: The American Press and Iraq

Now They Tell Us: The American Press and Iraq

By Orville Schell, Michael Massing
$9.95

more items

 
Ear to the Ground

Hollywood Copes Without Writers

Email this item Email    Print this item Print   
Posted on Nov 13, 2007
writers strike
newsmax.com

Though Ellen DeGeneres has taken her show across the picket line and some reality TV has improvised along, Hollywood is increasingly worried about its wordless future. Late night talk shows went to reruns immediately and the scripted shows are nearly tapped out of fresh episodes. The writers, meanwhile, show no sign of ending their strike any time soon.


AP:

While “Dancing With the Stars” steps gracefully, the strike has left other shows limping or worse. Many dramas and comedies face a dwindling supply of new episodes. Late-night talk shows, minus their sprawling writing staffs, have retreated into reruns.

The syndicated “Ellen” is on the air without its union writers, to the WGA’s publicly stated displeasure, but host Ellen DeGeneres was sweating it on the first episode taped after the strike started Nov. 5 (with digital-media residuals a central issue).

DeGeneres extended her trademark opening dance last Friday for lack of a monologue, then launched into a laundry list of guest Vince Vaughn’s attributes (“tall,” “very, very tall”). Seven minutes to kill until the commercial break, she was told.

DeGeneres’ next line: “How many pints are in a quart?”

Read more

More Below the Ad

Advertisement


Elsewhere: .

Comments

Are you a Truthdig member yet? Login now, or register with Truthdig.

By vet240, November 14, 2007 at 7:34 pm #

If a prolonged strike will result in the demise of Fux News it’ll be worth the sacrifice.

Report this

By Charlie, November 14, 2007 at 7:22 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Are you kidding, of course people are paid to write those “crappy” shows, and let me tell you, it ain’t much. Have you seen what writers make: http://writerspay.hollywoodstrikes.com

Report this

By The Village Idiot, November 14, 2007 at 5:12 pm #

You mean people are PAID to write those crappy shows? And they want MORE money?

At least I feel better knowing that these celebrities really aren’t very clever if even Ellen DeGeneres can’t think of anything to say on her own TALK show (I assume she began her career without the benefit of a staff of writers, so what happened to her wit? Did it refuse to cross the picket line?). I’m not one to advocate walking in lockstep with a group’s agenda if you don’t agree with it, but when this is over Ellen’s colleagues are going to remember her choice to cross the line, a decision she will probably regret.

Hammo: We aren’t talking about writing and the media. We are talking about the WRITER’S STRIKE.

Report this

By thomas billis, November 14, 2007 at 4:45 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

She cries over a dog and steps over the lives of real people.What a caring person.

Report this

By nopuppy, November 14, 2007 at 12:43 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

As I’ve said elsewhere, I’m a writer, and writers should certainly be rewarded appropriately. 

But the reality is: the world, and our society in particular, will be much better off without all this teevee and movie kaka.  Turn off the tube, stay out of the theaters!  Read a book and use your brain!  Hell, just talk to other people, and use your brain!  Teevee and movies don’t require brains; they’re what we watch to KEEP from thinking.  Turn ‘em off and keep ‘em off!

Report this

By Hammo, November 14, 2007 at 10:18 am #

Speaking of writing and the media, the recent news involving Oprah Winfrey’s decision to remove the book THE EDUCATION OF LITTLE TREE from her book list seems to require further exploration by thoughtful people.

For more information, see the article …

“Oprah bumps book ‘Education of Little Tree’ from list; readers can explore many factors involved”

AmericanChronicle.com
November 9, 2007

http://americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=42576

Report this

By Douglas Chalmers, November 14, 2007 at 2:36 am #

“...shows went to reruns immediately and the scripted shows are nearly tapped out of fresh episodes….”

Just import stuff from CHINA, ha ha! The have heaps…...

Report this

By P. T., November 14, 2007 at 2:34 am #

Ellen DeGeneres—What a backstabbing creep

Report this

Add Your Comment

Posts by unregistered readers are moderated. Posts by members
are published immediately. Why wait? Register today!







Number of characters remaining: 4000

Notify you when others comment on this article?


Are you a human?
Retype the word you see here.


Please read and abide by our comment policy.
By submitting this comment, you agree to this site's terms and conditions.

 
 

 
Join the Liberal Blog Advertising Network
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman.
Copyright © 2009 Truthdig, L.L.C. All rights reserved.