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I used to be more addicted to television than I was
usually willing to admit. The CW was my drug of choice.
Their witty, yet scandalous teen-focused dramas fed
my hunger and gave me the drive I need to finish my
homework after a long day of school and work.
The 11:00 news would be next. Finally, the late night
comics lull me to sleep with the sound of the audiences'
laughter.
For three months now, I have been deprived. The writers
went on strike. Picket lines formed and signs were made.
Since November 7, 2007, shows like One Tree Hill and
Gossip Girl have taunted me with their previews for
weeks, stretching out the season with long breaks. The
late night talk shows that made my caffeinated homework
marathons more bearable started showing reruns.
As a student studying writing and journalism, of course
I side with the writers. To keep the strike going on
for three months was a completely destructive decision
by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers,
or AMPTP. To continually turn on the television and
find mind-numbing reality shows only fueled my disgust.
Carson Daly's mistake
On December 4, 2007, Carson Daly became the first late
night host to return to his desk in front of the cameras.
Last Call with Carson Daly stayed off air for less than
a month. Was I excited? Absolutely not. His first show
was an extraordinary disappointment. My six-old-sister
has better interviewing skills than he does. And worst
of all, he crossed the picket line.
He excused his return with the fact that he was not
a part of the Writers Guild of America and that NBC
had given an ultimatum: Return or be the reason your
staff of 75 is fired.
Daly relied on his egotistical view that his humor
could survive scab writers and an angry picket line.
Matthew Weiner, executive producer of 'Madmen' sent
a message to Daly through CNN.com, "You will spend
the rest of your life apologizing for what you did."
The writers have publicized their deep disappointment
in Daly's decision, especially since talk show hosts,
actors and actresses have been showing their support
in numerous ways.
Cast members from Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty,
etc. have taped short videos including a dramatic reading
of a phone book, and miming to the audience. Those not
as theatrically-gifted could show their unwavering support
for the writers by buying pencils for a dollar a box
and sending them to a favorite television show.
The late-night giants return
On January 2, 2008, Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien returned
to the air.
Leno and O'Brien used the first several minutes of
their airtime to express their support for the writers.
Both said they had been out on the picket line and hoped
the strike would end very soon for the sake of the show.
They emphasized the importance the writers held in the
show's performance and said they fully supported the
writers and their "more than reasonable" cause.
The reason they came back on the air at the start of
the new year was because of the show's employees.
Jay Leno apologized, but said that they no longer could
allow the strike of under 20 writers to put the rest
of his staff [160 plus] out of work. Leno even generously
paid his staff members out-of-pocket despite the show's
moratorium.
When Carson Daly returned to the air, he apologized,
but then laughed and said, "It's been going on
for a long time… We just ran out of reruns."
By allowing the strike to continue for this long, AMPTP
has not only lost more than a billion dollars, I am
no longer a faithful viewer to several shows. I have
lost my respect for them because of their despicable
treatment of the writers and believe that they will
indeed end up feeling its consequences in the long run.
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After H1N1-related school closures in the last flu season, local schools have lowered the severity of their response and are focusing on preventative action that does not interrupt education.
