NBC President Mocks Writers, Strike In Upcoming "My Name Is Earl" Commercial

Jeff Zucker, President and CEO of NBC Universal, will appear in a commercial to run before the April 3 return of NBC's "My Name is Earl." In the commercial, Zucker appears to mock both the writers and the strike that sidelined Hollywood for months.

"We put together a little recap to get everybody back to speed," Zucker says. "It's right here on NBC.com, where you can watch all of your favorite shows, preferably within the first 17 days." A key point of contention in the writers' strike was that the writers received no residuals for any content downloaded online — and the strike agreement now provides a 17-day window during which studios can stream content without paying the writers royalties. Zucker also references online advertising, another centerpiece of the strike.

Zucker also took a non-strike-related dig at the writers, saying, "Earl gets hit by a car, just like he did in the pilot episode. Writers refer to that as a 'callback.' I call it getting paid twice for writing the same thing."

Watch:

Comments

[huntros malaka]

everyone go on to NBC's website and download and stream as much stuff as possible that is over 17 days old.

[segsig]

If nbc were a network dependant on writers' content he'd be screwed; in the meantime just wave goodbye to him as he goes down with the sinking ship. He has a grudge against writers, because all the good ones are elsewhere. nbc scripted shows tank (except L&O's and do they need writers anymore?). I haven't watched anything on nbc this entire year, obviously a problem overall since they had to payback their advertisers in December.

nbc had the least viewership lost during the strike, because they didn't have viewers to start with. This man is a lunatic trying the schizophrenic "kitchen sink" method of running a network - we won't have pilots, but we will; we won't have upfronts, but we will. GE should dump the whole thing.

[ljmck]

One of the oligarchs.

The wealth of this country is so concentrated at the top, it's just unbelievable.

[Irons]

How did I know that a teeeeeeeeeveeeeeeee network would by run by a bozo?

[wadenelson1]

Last night I made the mistake of tuning into "Criminal Minds"

Every time they showed graphic depictions of torture, I changed the channel until it was over.

What is the FCC thinking. Two people having sex isn't obscene. Showing graphic depictions of torture, murder, mutilation, dismemberment, rape, all of the violent behavior on CSI, Criminal Minds, Dexter and these other shows, THIS is what is obscene.

How are boobs and penises and vaginas obscene. I'd rather the "susceptible" people in our civilization get crazy ideas about having sex than watch realistic depictions of torturing and hurting other people.

America has let its media go down completely the wrong path. It's no wonder every small town needs a SWAT team now.

Criminals today know to destroy evidence with bleach and fire. Every single one knows about GSR tests. Thanks a lot, Grissom, and Zucker.

The studios have found an area in which the FCC apparently has NO LIMITS, and they're every week seeing just how far they can push into that zone.

Please, please, just bring back good clean, naughty sex.

[YRG]

Pick a one liner:
This proves that irony is dead.
Dramatic irony gasps it's last weakened breath.
The establishment has co-opted sarcasm.
The avant-garde has gone mainstream.
More proof that corporate hegemony has taken over our minds.
If this is funny, then our collective distraction has already overtaken us.
The writers are back, and they come back with this?
The counterculture is square.
The only way to rebel now is to become a republican.

[Ides]

Isn't that like doing heroin because you think it makes you hip?

[falco]

Oh yeah, after 17 days for sure. Solidarity. Because it was written by a writer doesn't mean the writer has free will as to what to write. So that point is useless. Seems to me that the self-perceived big guys can't stand to see the little guys get anything. How very reptilian!

[TheProf]

Wow! I haven't seen such an amateurish performance since the stage manager in Our Town in junior high. But at least the teenager had a good script to work with. This CEO should never quit his day job. Or maybe he should and just retire. Flat, flat, flat. Now we know why there are writers and real actors.

[dag73]

If the character description for this segment was "A smug ass who is unfunny" then he nailed it! Boo Yah!

[BlackMagicWoman]

It's called comedy... Lighten up.

[StanTheManic]

Phew! Now I don't have to waste precious moments left of my life watching THAT worthless show.

[Sumocat]

He's not mocking the writers; he's mocking himself. And yes, obviously, writers wrote the material, portraying Zucker as a suit.

[NickCatal]

^^^ this

[POINT84]

Why no one else on here can see that beats me...no sense of humor? Then again majority of americans think 2guys half boy (or whatever its called) is the funniest thing to happen to television so I understand.

[KristenfromMA]

I'll be sure to wait 18 days before watching anything on line.

[stop7997]

Absolutely. Solidarity!

[Moarku]

Oh please. He's making a joke in his role as "number crunching studio exec guy". Nothing more.

And that's besides the point that regardless of the fact that it's Zucker himself, this commercial was probably written by... get this... a writer.

[stop7997]

You don't think Zucker wrote this commercial, do you? I'm sure it was a writer.