Ellen Degeneres crossed picket lines to continue taping her daytime talk show. But, she took the side of the strikers in today's non-monologue. Instead of doing her normal joke routine, she stood in the audience and spoke of her support.
Check it out:
However, one anonymous emailer told a different kind of story to Defamer, claiming she had little appreciation for her writers in the past.
Do you believe Ellen or the writer?
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I agree; at least Leno is chilling out while Ellen makes more of us frigid over her latest crocodile tears.
I don't know how much writers make, but actors and emcees typically get more money; and a lot of their fame goes back to the writers. It's invariably a symbiosis. (If bad writing is the cause for a show's demise, how come writing is rarely mentioned as the cause for a show's success? The actors have a part to play as well, and Ellen is really being a twerp. Unless she writes her own show, but how can one be her own scab?!)
I remember when Ellen was a funny, original stand up comic. Then she had a funny sit-com where she looked like she might become the next Lucille Ball. Although the "coming out" episode was funny and groudbreaking, the show just plain sucked after that. They brought in some stiff to play her girlfriend and the show lost its charm. Amazingly, her once great sit-com became completely devoid of humor. Then she got a daytime talk show -- what a perfect fit. She's charming and funny, great with all kinds of guests. But then one day she decided to go on air and cry about a puppy. For a week. About a puppy. A comedian. Crying. Then the writer's strike starts and she goes on air telling us how she's standing with them even though she's producing new shows. Now she'll probably go on air and tell us how bad she feels that the writers are now mad at her. Crying, of course. Jay Leno is showing re-runs and he's still paying his non-writer staff. He's laying low until the strike blows over. Ellen can certainly afford to do that. But then we couldn't see her hem and haw and weep for the camera, so what would be the point?
She is NOT HONORING anyone by continuing to tape!
Her true colors are showing.
And huffpo should not suggest that she is!
Where's Iggie???
Ellen=betrayal
Maybe this excerpt from the AFTRA web site will help clear things up, around Ellen crossing the picket line.
Apparently she really is required to go to work, or be in breach of contract. As her atty has no doubt told her, being a no-show could end her career on TV..
As an AFTRA member, you are reminded that you are required by the no-strike clauses of your AFTRA contract to report to work and complete your contractual commitments. However, you are also instructed that during the pendency of this strike, you may not perform duties covered by a WGA contract that have been performed by members of the WGA.
http://www.aftra.com/aftraflash 07_11_07memWEB.html
"The spokesperson added that Telepictures and the show's distributor, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, are under contract to continue delivering original episodes to the stations that carry the talker."
Umm, ever hear of a little thing called force majeure? Are you telling me Warner Bros was too stupid to put that in their contract?
(Basically a force majeure clause says if you're prevented from executing the contract because of something beyond your control, like a flood, or riots, or a STRIKE, you're freed from liability.)
Ellen who?
I never liked her in the first place and this isn't helping things much.
Yeah, she really went all out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nT9vjsx0Lk&eurl
Um, most Hollywood writing is total crap. but, I suppose the creators of the crap should get a fair deal vis a vis the sellers of the crap.
When we pull the script out of the drawer for the live action Spongebob Squarepants movie, we ought to try to get Ellen for the role of Squidward. The resemblance is uncanny.
Maybe we shouldn't overthink this! Ellen paid a tribute to her writers. She wasn't arguing anyones' case, yet she stayed within the bounds of decency by saying "we hope it ends soon." Knowing Ellen, and given the tribute, it would appear that Ellen truly wants the strike ended by benefitting the writers. She's a good person!
Wait a minute! Ellen is "honoring" her writers by saying she hopes the strike is over soon? How is that honoring them?
I can understand that she has contractual obligations and can't stop production, but supporting her writers would be as easy as saying she supports their case or at least understands why they are striking.
Crossing the picket line is anathema.
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Huffington Post | Katherine Thomson
First Posted: 11- 8-07 02:44 PM | Updated: 03-28-08 02:45 AM