Colbert and Daily Show writers stage comedic mock-hearing on strike issues

Striking writers for The Colbert Report and The Daily Show masterminded a brilliant comedy mock-hearing on the Hollywood writers' strike, including an arch (and brilliant) meta-moment where they disrupted their own hearing with nonsensical grandstanding from seeming participants.

On one side, in shirts, was the striking Writers Guild of America, played by "Daily Show" writers Rob Kutner, Tim Carvell and Jason Ross. On the other side, in suits, was the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, played by "The Colbert Report" writers Michael Brumm, Peter Grosz and Tom Purcell.

Crashing out of the starting gates, the shirts argued it would cost the suits less than 1% of their total revenue to give the writers everything they wanted. For Paramount Pictures, that comes to $4.6 million, or "half the amount it takes to get Reese Witherspoon into a movie."

"I ask you," one writer noted, "which is more important to a movie -- a script, or half of Reese Witherspoon?"

The studio suits thought for a second.

"Which half?"

Link, Video link

[#1 posted by Tarmle , January 26, 2008 6:46 AM]

There's something seriously wrong with the Double Viking video player. You'll find a watchable version on YouTube.

[#2 posted by OM , January 26, 2008 11:57 AM]

...You know, when you consider all the other workers in the entertainment industry who are out of work, whose families had shitty Chrisnukkahs, and are otherwise suffering because the Writers Mafia got greedy once again, I find this sort of 'humor' on their part pretty damned disgusting.

Bottom Line Either the studios need to grow some balls, lockout the WGA and get things rolling again, or Congress needs to step in and force arbitration to a quick close. Enough's enough.

[#3 posted by joemo , January 26, 2008 12:08 PM]

I like he reference to the Code Stink ladies.

[#4 posted by Jardine , January 26, 2008 12:53 PM]

I agree with #2. Congress needs to quickly enact back to work legislation on these striking writers. Much like firefighters, police, and ambulance services, television and movie writing is essential to the nation. Think of the children and how much they have suffered without proper TV. Think of how badly months of reality shows will scar the children. The writers must be forced back to work; in chains if necessary.

[#5 posted by Takuan , January 26, 2008 1:02 PM]

chains? No! Too many of them would enjoy that. Instead an appeal to their humanity should be made: take them to see the devastation their greed has wrought on studio executive lives. The uncleaned pools, the unwashed Lamborghinis, the tragedies of less than five star restaurants....

[#6 posted by Takuan , January 26, 2008 1:31 PM]

I had a camera at the last meeting

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/d70b5a11cb

[#7 posted by aperryz , January 27, 2008 4:42 PM]

amazing, truly awesome, I loved the full video at the bottom of the http://campusprogress.org/fieldreport/2440/video-state-of-their-union story. Good write-up also

[#8 posted by eringobiteme , January 27, 2008 6:35 PM]

Oh grow up, you trolling spawn of the AMPTP. The writers are asking for a paltry share of the cyber-pie that the greedy producers want all to their piggy selves. There's money to be made in the digital landscape,let's all share like good people. And don't blame the victim-the producers walked away from the table and refused to negotiate with the Writers Guild. Not the other way around. If you want to point the finger of blame, point upwards, where the producers are sitting on their sacks of gold.