That Robert Elisberg keeps putting out funnier and funnier stuff. His "quips" are killing me. Actually, it was my ex-wife and I who were the actors he referred to in his Neil Simon quip. Elisberg quipped that my ex made some unfortunate comment about the writing on The Marrying Man. He's right. She did. P.S., the script was dreadful. But I am sure, as you may have deduced from Mr. Elisberg's quipping, famous writers get a pass from such criticism, however poorly the words are chosen, but famous actors do not.
Mr. Elisberg has a problem, and perhaps a serious one. He commends SAG out of one side of his mouth but can't refrain from all of his masterful quipping about actors out of the other. Yes, actors nominated for Golden Globes won't cross the picket line, as they have refused to appear on talk shows as well. But Mr. Elisberg's comments about getting between an actor and a camera are a bad idea and he should be aware of that, even at his level.
Anyone who has ever seen a SAG contract with a major network or studio that covers the services of its lead actors knows that there are copious and mandatory clauses covering promotional duties. Most lead actors I know would hardly ever bother with appearances on most talk shows, let alone morning shows, except in order to fulfill contractual obligations to promote their projects. Junkets with all of those other entertainment media? I think they would pass on those, too. But their employers force them, literally, to get out there and sell. Otherwise, who would Jay Leno have seated next to him? Mr. Elisberg?
The Globes appear to be dead. The Oscars are next. And there is a monumental difference between those two. One is a pleasant evening hosted by a fraternity of international journalists who choose to recognize the work of those they admire. The other is an evening of history. To accept an Oscar is to take one's place among the greatest actors of all time. If the WGA strike continues and there is no waiver for the Oscar broadcast, I hope Mr. Elisberg has plenty of fresh quips handy. He and his colleagues are gonna need them.
Read more about the strike on the Huffington Post's writers' strike page.