Though his Tonight Show monologue was irreverent, topical, and clearly strong enough to help him win the night in viewers (7.19 million versus The Late Show With David Letterman’s 5.5 million), Jay Leno’s jokes on his first show back didn’t sit too well with the Writers Guild of America. Today, the union issued a statement saying that it talked with Leno to “clarify that writing for The Tonight Show constitutes a violation of the Guild’s strike rules.”
Leno, who is a member of the WGA, admitted on camera last night that he wrote his own jokes. (Sample: He compared the amount of money lost in the writers strike to what Paul McCartney could lose in a divorce. He also quipped about how the public relies on him to get the latest news about Britney Spears.) What’s more, it was clear during the telecast that Leno was reading from cue cards. The WGA has instituted a “pencils down means pencils down” policy for all of its members during the strike, now in its third month.
NBC issued its own statement disagreeing with the WGA’s assessment of Leno’s performance last night. “The WGA agreement permits Jay Leno to write his own monologue for The Tonight Show. The WGA is not permitted to implement rules that conflict with the terms of the collective bargaining agreement between the studio and the WGA.”
Leno was one of the first celebrities to show solidarity for the strike that began Nov. 5 by joining the writers on the picket line. He said in his monologue last night that he needed to go back on the air “because we have essentially 19 [writers] putting 160 [crew] people out of work.”
Comments (1-30) of 118 Add your comment
Leno is a scab.
The writers are a bunch of babies. Jay wrote his monologue WITHOUT them and it was funny as hell. Scab or not, that proves how irrelevant a lot of these “talented” writers are.
Leno was the best I have seen in years; forget the writers and return to what these guys do best; standup. Striking doesn’t help anyone, find another way; perhaps real communication?
There are 160 people who are relieved that is the case.
I think if the WGA keeps up this dictatorial treatment of the people who publicly support their cause they’re going to lose a lot of support from the general public who is already tiring of this strike. I completely support the strike but let’s face it: admonishing Jay for his 5-minute monologue when you have 99% of the entertainment industry at a standstill is just ridiculous. Their utter refusal to even consider granting a reprieve to the HFPA for the Golden Globes (an organization that hands out awards to writers/artists) even when they’re basically begging on their hands and knees is a little like cancelling the party someone has thrown in your honor because you don’t like the way it was planned. I also don’t like the way they release decrees scolding guild members like children. I understand that strikes aren’t meant to be tactful and diplomatic, but the WGA seems to be lashing out at the wrong people to compensate for the silent treatment they’re getting from the AMPTP.
These writers need to shut up and get back to work, or find a new job. The rest of the world actually works for a livin’, and I ain’t maaking no half-million a year to sit on my butt and write, like they do! Get a real job, you jerks, and stop pampering yourselves with that crap that you write, anyway.
The issue is complicated, and in this case I think the WGA is overreacting. It seems that they’re taking a hard line that is inconsistent with the WGA agreement, if NBC’s statement is reliable. I support the writers in their strike, but they need to realize that their fight isn’t with Jay Leno, who supports them, and focus their energy where it matters.
I feel really sorry for all of the no talent hacks who are currently on strike, particularly if they feel threatened by the likes of Jay Leno.
It’d be interesting for someone to report on how the nation’s libraries are faring in light of this strike.
But let us all rejoice for Jay’s brave move to relieve the 160 losers who work on his idiotic show. Given they’re all most likely related in some fashion to someone else in Hollywood, I kinda doubt they were feeling much pain.
At any rate, back to my Television Watcher Strike, which I’ve kept up for many, many years.
It’s too bad the system can’t just rip itself apart – and Americans could get back to celebrating local artists in their own communities, rather than continuing to settle for the fascist, national entertainment industry.
Come on now – if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck even smells like a duck – its a FRICKIN’ DUCK!
Jay Leno is a SCAB!
After he admitted he wrote his own monologue after being warned weeks ago that no monologue would be allowed for talkshow hosts crossing the picketline then if you allow Jay to cross the WGA is SCABBING ITS OWN STRIKE.
Stop JAY – NOW – Please! In the name of sweet Jesus on the cross.
Come on now – if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck even smells like a duck – its a FRICKIN’ DUCK!
Jay Leno is a SCAB!
After he admitted he wrote his own monologue after being warned weeks ago that no monologue would be allowed for talkshow hosts crossing the picketline then if you allow Jay to cross the WGA is SCABBING ITS OWN STRIKE.
Stop JAY – NOW – Please! In the name of sweet Jesus on the cross.
I wonder if the average American thinks that is okay for the union to tell a guy he can’t write jokes for his own show? If the janitors strike can he flush the toilet?
While support their right to ask for residuals on internet downloads think the writers have getting increasingly unreasonable. I also would support them more if they use some of the extra residuals that they get in helping non-writng staff recoup their lost income.
they are crying “pencil down means pencil down” then there should not be any deals made with letterman or only certain award shows that they will write for. that is very hypocritical.
Scab = a word used by a childish blowhard who doesn’t give a d@mn about the other 160 people who rely on Jay Leno for their jobs.
I’m proud of Jay. The show is just as good, or even better without the writers. And I think THAT is what scares them! They aren’t really needed! LOL, you’re shooting yourselves in the foot dumbfarks!
Jay didn’t mean anything by it; he was just joking.
This is a man who truly cares for his crew of 15 and 160. He has supported the 15- WGA from the beginning. It hasn’t settled so now he makes a decision that will go against the 15 WGA to place a 160 back to work. They need to support their families too! Good Decision Jay!
On David Letterman’s first night back, his head writer stops a lame joke to literally call the AMTPT names. This goes on for about a minute and they did this before the shutdown.
The producers are sitting back while the WGA comes across as strident bullies. They are telling Jay Leno he can’t tell his own jokes. They are picking and choosing which award shows will have jokes? and actors.
A word of warning: deny America their endless red carpets and you’ve lost the hearts and minds of the entertainment public.
Leno is trying to have it both ways. You can’t claim to be supporting the cause while simultaneously undermining it.
The issue with this thread is that it’s not so much about Jay’s lame humor as it is about anti-union posters overly concerned with someone else’s salary.
I personally thought the last 2 monologues were proof he’s working without writers. They were terrible. The WGA should let him keep going, because, if this is the best he’s come up with in over 2 months, it’s proof that these shows need writers.
The question of collective bargaining here has already been left out to decompose.
Regardless of the strike, there’s a more fundamental issue of survival that draws from a far higher source of import. Hollywood could roll up into a ball of goo for a year and the hills would still be stocked with millionaires and the wealthy coke dealers who keep them all smiling. In other words, nobody really gives two tinkers of a d@mn about this ageless wonder of a strike. What the public sees is a bunch of greedy people trying to get a bigger slice from another gaggle of greedy people.
The business you are killing is your own.
…
Thank God someone (Jay Leno) has the sense to do the right thing. I’m all for people striking… but not when so many other people’s lives are affected… don’t the writers realize how many people depend on the day-to-day paychecks they get from working in the industry.
Oh, I guess they can’t see past all that residual money they’re still making while we suffer watching the reruns that are paying for them to put everyone else out of work.
I applaud Leno, for putting the needs of the 160 (Camera men,office staff, ect) in front the 20 blowhard writers. He’s not a scab, these people were going to lose their jobs, what more important the 20 loser’s striking, or the 160 other HARD WORKING employees. . hmmm. . Leno has been supportive of the Union, infact he was one of the first out picketing for them, but he was paying the 160 other people out of his own pocket!!! The past two monologues proves that he doesn’t need those 20 striking losers. . . he’s a stand up comic, for pete sakes. .
Please, read up on the subject before you start pointing fingers, and proclaiming loudly.
http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com
and
http://www.unitedhollywood.com
So, Stephen and Shawn, you blame the writers? Why not blame the executives who refuse to renegotiate an unfair contract? Do you even know what the writers are asking for?
As far as ’suffering’ through reruns, it’s pretty clear what country this strike is taking place in if that’s a definition of suffering.
Jay Leno would make a great spin doctor. If Letterman wasn’t going to go back on the air then Leno and NBC wouldn’t care about rushing back to production with self written jokes. Leno was a back stabber when he stole the tonight show from Letterman, and he still has to mention him and CBS in his monologue because of his insecurities.
I think that the WGA would not have said anything had Leno not so thoroughly beat Dave in the ratings. The WGA was hoping to use their deal with WW Pants to push the negotiations back to the table. They didn’t realize that in having one show with writers and one without, that America is going to watch the one without waiting for the train wreck. Its rubbernecking at its most fun… Its why reality TV is popular.
If Letterman had been close to Leno in the ratings then there would be no issue because WGA would have been smart enough to see the PR nightmare that going after Jay is creating for them. And calling Huckabee a scab didn’t work out so well for them either. At least to Iowans.
This writer’s strike has officially gotten OLD. I think that maybe everyone thought that it would be resolved by the end of December, but unfortunately it is still dragging on. Come to an agreement, people!
And leave Jay Leno alone…. what was the man supposed to do? Get up there for 5 minutes and talk about nothing?!?!?!
It takes 19 writers to come up with the lame jokes?
For all of the people who are saying that the strike has lasted too long, and that the writers just need to ’shut up and get back to work’… Why not direct your misguided anger to the producers guild, who has still not offered up a fair deal. The writers didn’t stand firm on VHS residuals in the 80s when the producers said that they were unsure of this ‘new medium’ and the result was a totally unfair deal that they have had to live with for two decades now…..
Also, it was said up near the top, in that swell of ignorance, that the writers are making half million dollar salaries to ’sit on their butt and write’. SO VERY FEW writers are millionaire writers, but so many more of the producers are WAY better off, all because of an unbalanced and unfair deal.
It’s bad economic times across the country, oil is nearly 100 dollars a barrell, we’re at war, children are dying in Kenya, should I go on? THIS is why the writer’s strike is losing the support that it had two months ago. It’s difficult to support something like that when it is putting numerous people out of work–out of benefits–and they will reap none of the reward once it’s resolved. It’s difficult to choose one side based on soley what is right, when people are also trying to be pragmatic. I agree with what the writer’s are asking for, it’s just that their timing couldn’t be worse. Their tactics aren’t working. Maybe if they get the Garbage Union to go on strike with them, they’d get soem resolution–that gets resolved right quick.