Maybe he left messages for the WGA too

When you're a critic, you get used to being told you're a moron. (Also that you're brilliant, but what good Irish Catholic ever listens to praise? Not this one.) So I wasn't surprised that a man identifying himself as a member of the WGA took up two message units on my voice mail to take me to task for my "puff piece" review of Jay Leno last night. The caller bashed The Times' coverage of the strike in general, and my piece in particular because I did not call Leno a "scab." Now, this is one caller I wish had not chosen to remain anonymous, because I would have loved to have called him and raised the same issue.

Watching Jay Leno last night, I wondered why he, as a member of the WGA, was allowed to write his own monologue -- which was available on the web by 6:30 yesterday evening -- in which he announced his support for the writers, despite the fact that he had crossed a picket line to restart a struck show at a struck network (something I actually said in the piece, but I'm not sure this reader got too far beyond the headline). I didn't call him a "scab" quite simply because the WGA had offered, and continues to offer, its support of Leno. In fact, spokespeople for the guild, including president Patric Verrone, have gone out of their way to explain that those writers still picketing NBC are not picketing Leno, they're picketing the network.

So are you a "scab" if the striking union doesn't condemn your breaking of the strike?  (The WGA issued a statement today saying that “a discussion" took place today between Jay Leno and the writers guild to clarify to him that writing for "The Tonight Show" constituted a violation of the guild's strike rules -- but that hardly counts as condemnation.)

Last night, Leno explained that he came back on the air because he didn't want 160 crew members losing their jobs for the needs of 19 writers. Unfortunately, this is the essential nature of a writers strike which Leno says he supports. This morning, Verrone told AirTalk's Larry Mantle that the WGA would be "talking to" Leno about the writing of his monologue, but when asked what he, Verrone, would have done in Leno's shoes, the WGA president mainly expressed relief for not being in Leno's position; he certainly did not condemn Leno's decision. Subsequent callers, however, said that what Leno did was the very definition of "scab labor."

So, anonymous guy who tried to be polite while telling me what a crappy job I'm doing, I'm sorry you feel that way, but you might want to check in with your union too.

-- Mary McNamara, Times television critic

Comments

[Chibi]

Some WGA members have even called actors on their unlisted numbers and tried to bully them into walking off their shows. This would put show staff like makeup people and camera people immediately out of work.

Isn't it nice when one can hide behind a wall of anonymity to spread venom?

I also feel badly for those businesses who make their living working in peripheral capacities for the entertainment industry:

Caterers, florists, restaurants and others.

This is getting completely out of hand. I'd hate to see some otherwise uninvolved person lose their home or business over this whole thing. I believe I saw something the other day to that effect, though I can't recall where off the top of my head. Pure and simple, it's just wrong.

[Guinness10]

You know, I support the writers in their strike, but seriously, what did they expect was going to happen when they started working out a deal with Leno's competition? Whether it's the behavior of a scab or not, you can't expect Leno to sit quietly by while Letterman gets his show up and running again. And yes, I understand that Letterman is produced by his own company, which gives the WGA the loophole they need to maintain their sense of. . . I don't know, "honor" I guess. Even so, the WGA might as well have dared Leno to not return.

[wga WRITER]

Sorry, Mary.

Don't take it too personally. Emotions are running high. People's lives are being ruined. They're bound to be a little testy.

[joe frank cludy]

To this day, I've never been able to figure out who Leno pissed off in Hollywood. Leno has been snubbed for years. He rarely gets nominated and if he does, never wins for his show. He continues to beat out Letterman in the ratings. And yet he's never even been considered to host the Oscars.

I read once that Leno was not considered to host the Oscars because "his monlogues only deal with news."

Excuse me...John Stewart deals in something besides the news?

Leno has been a stand up comic, writing his own material for decades. And he continues to sell out in his live acts.

Now the WGA has blasted Leno. Who wouldn't? Leno has proven that he can have a successful show...with or without a team of writers.

[Chris Jackson]

Come on now - if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck even smells like a duck - its a FUCKING 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 teh name os 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.

[Greg Patrick]

Technically Jay did not violate the rules by doing his monologue. The reason is when he first started doing the tonight show he wrote his own material. If a host has even once wrote his own material than he is allowed to go back and do that according to the WGA rues. However, what may be a violation is the clip shown during Mike Huckabee. He would not be fine, it would be the producers. No he is not a scab. He also has a contract as well. There could be something in the contract that made him go back but can not say it.

[Guinness10]

I don't get the WGA here. I mean, I totally support their strike - I think they deserve a better deal from the studios. But what did they think was going to happen when they started negotiating with Letterman? Certainly they didn't think Leno and Conan and others would just stand by while Letterman (and Ferguson, by extension) went back on-air with new shows?

The WGA has brought this particular problem onto themselves. And yes, I understand that Letterman produces his own shows - and that gave the WGA the loophole that was needed for them to hammer out a deal with him. But they might as well have dared Leno, in effect saying "We're putting your competitor back on the air, nyah nyah nyah!"

[Guinness10]

Oops, that's me posted twice above. First comment was caught up in moderation and I reposted, thinking I had made an error the first time (since it hadn't shown up). Feel free to remove one of them.

Sorry!

[alicet]

I sympathize with the WGA strikers but they are simply wrong in accusing Jay Leno here. They are losing the public sympathy and coming off as sour grapes for the fact that Mr Leno came off succesfully in his show without help from his writers. Mr Leno has been very supportive of the strikers as well as support crew who would be out of work if the show goes off the air again.

[Tony]

Leno might be many things, including generally being not very funny or entertaining, but he's no scab. He's doing what his union allows him to do under terms of the last deal, which is still binding in the wake of no new negotiations or contract. That the WGA wants to change all the rules to suit their public position isn't surprising. But since Leno A) has a contract with NBC to do a show, B) has dozens of employees who will, in fact, lose their jobs if the show disappears again, and C) is relying on himself and not his "staff" to supply material for the show, he's doing the only thing possible in a situation that is really nothing short of ridiculous. He's no scab. In fact, considering his support for the strikers even while having to go back to work to keep other staffers employed, as a viewer I have increased, if grudging, respect for him.

Besides, he and the other late-night show hosts are doing something that the WGA and AMPTP don't care so much about: they're thinking of the viewers, the people who make it possible for the gasbags on either side to make a living. Doesn't matter if it's out of obligation or other considerations, they're at least back at work, and thinking of us at home not wanting to see another repeat or, God willing, another episode of American Gladiator.