It's Not Only About Money: Are Far-Left Hollywood Producers In The Pocket of the Far Right?

After more than two weeks of what many are calling the Writers Guild Strike or Lemmings 2007, it's become obvious that the strike is not about money. Never has been. Producers have plenty. Have you ever seen the prices at the Ivy or heard of a producer turning down the collision damage waiver on a car rental? For Godsakes, Sumner, it's covered in your personal auto insurance policy! Why the fruck would you pay again for something you already have unless you have money growing out of your mixed-metaphored ass?

Producers could pay writers their fair share of Internet and DVD monies and they still wouldn't have to check the price for undercoating on their next Bentley or whether one more Monet would be tacky.

It's got to be that the so-called Hollywood Left Loons are actually in the pocket of the Fox so-called News.

"Can you make it 10% funnier" is now, "can you make it 51 % conservative" or is it conservativer?

It's not about money or Monet. It's about pulling anything that tests the public's ability to reason words and thoughts.

If not for non-scripted, Conservative television, would Bill Kristol ever be allowed within ten miles of another opinion? The guy hasn't got anything right since...well, I don't know if he's ever gotten anything right, but every week, there he is, smirking his conviction that more dead US soldiers are still a great idea. Absurd, but far from funny.

Apologies to Keith Olbermann, but Jon Stewart and his writers can deliver more political truth in the context of a one-liner than three hours a day with Bill O'Reilly.

Whether the Jonathan be Stewart or Swift, effective satire in the hands of the today's television best like Stephen Colbert and Bill Maher cuts to the quick, stripping the thin veneer of bullshit and exposing the absurdity that comes from those of supposed authority.

This isn't to say the Right doesn't provide grist for the satirical mill. It's just that their grist doesn't seem to grasp how to churn out the humor their own mill turns out. Think the Half-Hour Comedy Hour, but only for as long as you have to. Placing the Judith "Right Wing Books A Mundo" Regan in a war against Rupert Murdoch (who set her up with her own imprint at Harper Collins) and Fox, where we can find many of the right-wing authors she has published (Hannity, Gibson and frequent guest Boortz), would have a network with any sense of irony creaming over the possibilities. At Fox News we're left with Dennis Miller to find the funny. I said, Dennis Miller and funny. See, now that's ironic.

The Power of Satire (in caps to make it easier for my literary agent to sell the book...maybe to Judith Regan) in the hands of the Left is deadly ammunition in the war against the insanity of this White House. That isn't to say that the satirists have not targeted those to the left of Limbaugh. The powerful of either party are always in the satirist's cross-hairs. But it is in protecting the Right that most benefits from draining the ink from the WGA's pens. And for that matter, keeping them quiet for as long as possible.

Fact is, the strike has taken away The Daily Show, Real Time and The Colbert Report and left us with The Factor and Entertainment Tonight.

Tell me that isn't an attempt to dumb down the Folks™.

Question is, which is more credible, the Daily Show (even off the air) or Fox News (anywhair)?

You make the choice...

Daily Show

or Fox News

I realize that my contention may not be all that feasible to many, but you tell me that the result of what's been pulled off the air and what's been left doesn't make us all a little less capable of making smart decisions.

Don't be surprised if the strike lasts until the last voter is disenfranchised on November 4, 2008. How else would you keep a Republican in the White House?

DISCLAIMER: Of couse, I may be completely off base and a prolonged strike is not a deliberate Right-wing criminal effort by the Producers. But keeping the voice of the dissenters silent...that is a crime. And for that, the well-healed producers and their corporations are seriously culpable.

Steve Young is an award-winning WGA TV writer, a Harper Collins published author and his weekly LA Daily News column appears in the same oped on as Bill O'Reilly's. He has also never been employed on staff at either The Daily Show or Real Time and isn't at all happy with their hiring practices.

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

Comments

[grendl]

Everyone has a right to their opinion, unfortunately.

We live in a society in which the "O'Reilly Factor", and " Daily Show" co-exist on the airwaves. That's a good thing believe it or not.

Yes, Fox puts forth a neocon agenda and parades idiots like Bill O'Reilly, and Kristal before the public, giving them a forum to voice their witch finder general views. But that's a good thing.

But they're idiots, you say. They're nazis whose only agenda is to undermine the human intellect. True. But that's not the point.

The point is we have freedom of speech in this country. It's their constitutionally protected right to spout inane drivel.

As for the producers and the WGA strike, its simply about money. I know intellectuals with too much time on their hands will find conspiratorial underpinnings and ulterior motives behind the studios actions, but it's simply about money.

No, but...what if...but how about this fresh angle...

It's all about money. Simple as that.

[peterg76]

They do seem to be stuck in that old neo-con-glorified "my greed is more important than your justice" thinking.

[nancytheragingliberal]

For twenty years, the writers have been slaving away in their little windowless offices, enriching their corporations. They should be compensated for all of their hard work. These CEO's just hate to part with all of their millions/billions. Why should they give the "little guy" or the "foot soldiers" a break? I was disappointed when my Fav., Bill Maher on Real Time, HBO, did not act in his final show. His writers are superior. I say, pay the writers now and while you are at it, give them some benefits. How about it you zillionaires? Share the wealth you cheapo's.

[whatstheidea]

Please refrain from making and wearing your Tin-Foil hats for now as the Holiday season is once again upon us and the Tin-Foil will be needed to prepare various dishes included in our Holiday Feasts.

As a "neocon Christian" this is my chance to cook copious amounts of large game bird (hence the tinfoi), a traditional part of celebrating the evil "white man" stealing this land and the birth of my savior Jesus Christ. So I ask please refrain from wearing you tin-foil hats during this time.

Painting wax paper with some silver metallic spray paint would be fine substitute during this time.

Feel free to stop by there's always plenty of leftovers and for you PETA folks, I make a kick ass veggie lasagna.

Happy Holidays.

[texanna]

Wow! Now that's a point of view on the WGA strike that I hadn't considered before. Before reading this post I was pretty sure that the position of the producers was just to union-bust. After reading and considering the post, however, I think that keeping the masses dumbed down is maybe not the point of the producers' unwillingness to give an inch. It certainly seems to be a beneficial effect for the Neonuts, though. Thanks for the insight.

[Galvestonians for Dr. Ron Paul]

NO ONE speaks as to how this is shutting down dissenting voices....The talk shows are all silenced...Broadway is silenced....War movie making is silenced...These are things that ended the Vietnam war. This is how the messages got out...Now these strikes have silenced these voices, yet NO ONE says this.
I can not believe the stupidity of America.

They are misinforming us and trying to evade issues....Please wake up and see this for what it is.
We must debate "real issues" and speak on our economy, Iraq and foreign policy....I still can not say where any Democrat stands on all the issues. Why arent they screaming for impeachment? Ron Paul is. Dennis Kucinich and Mike gravel are. Why not the others?

Three times this weekend I have heard a Senator and 2 award winning talk show hosts explain that America is in a prime position to impeach this bullshit we have laying up in the peoples house.
The Republicans, up until one week ago, have been saying it would be too un-nerving for the American people to go through another impeachment.
The Dems have gone along with this.
Consistently.
Last week everything changed when Republicans started switching their votes on impeachment and "mocking" the Democrats and causing trouble...
John Conyers has said "this has changed everything."
Please call him Monday morning and request impeachment proceedings begin IMMEDIATELY.
These Republicans must pay for their arrogance and bullying...
Bernie Sanders has said "your calls DO matter."
This war will not end unless these people are impeached or "IF" Ron Paul wins the presidency. Thats too long to wait on an "IF".
Please call.
313-961-5670
202-225-5126

http://metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=12025
posted 11/18/2007 at 09:28:16

[Thorn]

The strike is about fair pay for the WGA. It's so much more far-reaching than Bill O'Reilly or Jon Stewart. You're just looking through the wrong end of the telescope as usual, and I predict it will start getting embarrassing for you about ... well, about ten months ago.