Letterman returns wednesday with WRITERS
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As an engineer that writes firmware to control analog hardware systems, I know the value of feedback loops and how they apply in real life.
Any system that runs for a significant period of time needs to have a mechanism to provide a feedback control system. Further that feedback loop must be present for every significant control input.
Unions were formed to provide that input to control a company's inclination to work their staff as hard as possible, with the lowest possible cost. Face it, there were real abuses back a century ago that unionization helped to control. If the unions die entirely, these abuses will come back.
The problem is that currently these feedback loops are controlling the wrong things. There is no control that keeps a viable manufacturing and/or export balance. No control on prices for entertainment sources. No control on healthcare costs.
The most visible feedback though comes with the sports and entertainment industries. The unions there are mostly concerned about whether the employee gets a fair share of the pie. The current writers strike is because the writers are not getting royalties from digital media distribution. You can say what you want about greedy writers, but the only pocket they are attempting to pick is that of the studios. Do you really think the studio will change prices based on the results of this strike?
The mechanism that is broken in sports/entertainment is one of cost to the consumer. These venues rake in unbelievable gobs of money and the consumers keep paying. $250 for a single ticket to a NFL game? Why not? $1k for a ticket to a rock concert? Yep, we will pay. $20/ticket to a movie? Sure (in some venues). Until the consumer indicates that the price is too high, this is going to continue and there are going to be these obscenely huge pots of money to be split up. If the pot is huge, why shouldn't the writers get their share?
Everything I have seen indicates taht he will not have a writing staff. Dis something change?
Clearly the lack of writers will be one problem that the non Worldwide Pants shows will have to contend with. the other is the fact that according to reports many potential guests do not want to cross the picket line to appear wither out of support for or fear of the writers.
I heard it this morning on KROQ that Kimmel is using non-union writers. Since Kimmel used to work at KROQ, I thought Kevin and Bean would have inside information. Maybe they are just guessing?
Well Leno was on with a monolog that he wrote himself. He even explained he could write his own monolog. He even described how he would wake up his wife to test jokes (I bet she will be glad when the strike is over).
It was not bad actually. Now just have to see if he can do it night after night. He did point out that when he used to sub on the Tonight Show he would do his own monolog, so he has had lots of practice.
For a skit he did audience Q & A. He probably got more laughs than his written skits usually do.
It was not bad actually. Now just have to see if he can do it night after night. He did point out that when he used to sub on the Tonight Show he would do his own monolog, so he has had lots of practice.
For a skit he did audience Q & A. He probably got more laughs than his written skits usually do.
only letterman and ferguson are using guild approved writers per their negotiated contract with the wga.
