Dear Jon and Stephen: We Wait With Unscabbing Breath -UPDATE:RON PAUL TO CROSS PICKET LINE AND APPEAR ON LENO TONIGHT!

Tonight's the night. If there's anyone on TV who might be able to do their show without actually defying the WGA strike, it would be you two. But short of having the shows go on without you two appearing, I'm not sure how you'll fill the hour without ridiculing your writers and the purpose of the strike.

I love your work to death. One more than the other though I'll never say which. But as you prepare to go on the air I would hope you take into consideration what crossing the writers' (your writers included) line means.

Despite what Jay and the NBC attorneys say, WGA writers writing for themselves on their own shows is against the WGA rules. So says the WGA.

Writing for others is obviously verboten. Any programming idea falls under WGA guidelines.
That includes actors, stagehands, office staff, et al who end up on screen performing your ideas.

Others, WGA or otherwise, writing for a WGA signatory (ex. The Daily Show and the Colbert Report) is also off limits.

Crossovers during the strike, such as what Jay is going to do with Jimmy or you to are known to do prior to The Colbert Report, are about one WGA member crossing the strike line to appear on another struck show. That is scabbing as sure as The Daily Show and Colbert Report - with their writers - are the best shows on TV (The Office isn't planning on returning until strike is over).

Remember back when affording today's health insurance was a luxury, but the WGA secured it for you.

There was a time before guaranteed minimum salaries and residual payments for a writers' work.

There was a time before writers received fair pay, before they even received credit for their work.

The WGA formed and fought for those benefits. Benefits both of you have profited from.

While there are others who are not writers or striking who lose during the strike, that is what a strike is about: revealing the effect - the entire effect of not having the writer on board. The people who are not writers but have their livelihood affected by the writers being on strike have been direct beneficiaries of the same writers' work.

Without the writer there is no show. Certainly not a good one. And that would include your shows. Afterall, you are writers. More so, you are WGA writers. And it was the WGA that gave you and all those who came before you the protections to receive fair treatment.

Going against the best interests of your brother writers would be like a poor person, sans health insurance with a son in the military, voting for George Bush in 2004. Worse, it would be like working for George Bush. Is that what you want...another George Bush?

So I urge you, before you pull that lever, think about what the election of George Bush begot this country.

Don't do the same to the writers. Otherwise you're just undermining the troops.

Break a leg.

WGA Member and award-winning TV writer, Steve Young, is author of "Great Failures of the Extremely Successful" (www.greatfailure.com) doesn't expect to be hired on The Tonight Show, Daily Show or Colbert Report staffs...even after the strike.

Read more strike coverage on the Huffington Post's writers' strike page.

Comments

[radmul]

I am no fan of scabbs but if what Stewart said was correct that they agreed to your terms and strikers did not want to sign the contract then I say screw the union.

[Belowtheline]

Leno should invite the head of the WGA negotiating committee and the head of the AMPTP negotiating team to be guests on the show...talk about good television.

[DaveLawler]

Writers are fighting for their livelihood (since they believe they cannot work at all unless affiliated with the Guild - untrue, by the way), but they're doing it in such an obnoxious way so as to never get work again even if the strike is resolved. All those videos circulating on YouTube, etc - how would your boss feel if you made insulting videos about him? You think you're gonna get a raise? A-hem.

[erincnyc]

This is a really confusing situation. The hosts are bound by contract. They are all WGA members, but not covered as hosts when they are not functioning as writers. However, I believe all of the late night hosts are also writers on their shows and receive credit as such. Anything they say on their shows can be construed as writing. But they are bound by contract?! I can't think of a good solution for them. After all, the writers are protected by law from losing their jobs from striking. But the hosts are not offered the same protections. And neither are their crews. They are between the proverbial rock and a hard place. The critics are a bit harsh.

I've been more interested in the guests. They have no obligation to be on Leno. I was shocked that Huckabee went on Leno. Then the next day said that he thought that ALL of the late night shows had reached a side deal with the WGA. What an idiot. Not that the GOP is that worried about unions, but still. At least do the research. I've been checking the shows to see who scabs. I was surprised to see Megan Mullally scabbing. I'm making a list, and checking it twice.

[corymac]

Another one bites the dust. I lifted this from
Reuters.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - HBO's "Real Time With Bill Maher" will return with new episodes Friday without both writers and two of its most popular features, Maher's opening monologue and the closing segment "New Rules."

The round-table discussion with celebrity guests will stay as the producers of the live political talk show are tweaking the rest of the format because of the Hollywood writers strike, which is now in its third month with no end in sight.

The most recent season of "Real Time" was cut short by the walkout. The November 9 season finale was canceled and replaced by a rerun.

Monologues performed by talk show hosts who are Writers Guild of America members are at the center of a controversy, sparked by "The Tonight Show" host Jay Leno's decision to write openings for his show, which returned last week without writers.

The WGA has been adamant that, under its strike rules, such hosts cannot perform any "writing services" for their shows, including penning their own monologues. Meanwhile, NBC has claimed that the hosts are exempt and are within their legal right to write monologues according to WGA's 2004 collective bargaining agreement.

"Real Time" is one of three political comedy shows that are returning this week without writers, along with Comedy Central's "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report."

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter