Comments on: Leno Digs Into Own Wallet To Pay Staff?

By: SJ

SJ — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 22:22:05 +0000

Wow. Now correct me if I’m wrong, but if you go on strike for a union, it’s the union that’s supposed to pay for it, not some individual who happens to be your boss at some level or another? (That’s what unions do in my country, anyways.)I don’t think I’ve ever heard such ungrateful whining as the comments on this site (or even from the person writing this, ‘Nikki’). Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all for this strike (as a potential future writer) and this is really horrible pr for the cause. If you go on strike, you expect to lose money for it. So complaining about someone paying your wages despite the strike is just silly. And so what if Leno hesitated (allegedly) a moment? Was anyone even without pay for a day..?

By: Marcus Miller, Scribe

Marcus Miller, Scribe — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:58:34 +0000

Leno is scabalicious…Whether he should or should not have paid his employees is rendered moot by that fact.

By: bunny

bunny — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 07:04:04 +0000

I have to agree here with the people defending Leno. True, he didn’t pay them outright the minute they were laid off, but wait a minute…why does HE have to pay them at all? He is NOT responsible for the strike. And I bet these same people who are complaining about his actions now are the same people who would have complained about him if he had crossed the picket line, again in a strike he didn’t cause. Give him a break. And stop misdirecting anger.

By: Jay's Grease Monkey

Jay's Grease Monkey — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 08:59:14 +0000

Wow these comments SMELL OF TONIGHT SHOW WRITERS.

Trying to polish those keen writing skills with some blog responses? Awesome.

By: Get Real

Get Real — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 06:19:52 +0000

Jay’s a stand up guy. When is it Anti-American to be pro union? And the Tonight Show staff is upset he brought doughnuts to striking writers? That says more about them than it does about Jay.

Jay was NBC’s most loyal employee. And they treated him like shit. And he’s supposed to break a strike to come to their aid?

That’s nuts.

By: TV Fan

TV Fan — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 05:47:06 +0000

Hey “Francine”,
Jay has been at the picket lines every day.
Jay did not change his mind. He’s always taken care of his people for 15 years.
You, on the other hand, only like to spread lies and ignorance. Go away. You’re an embarrassment.

By: Joey

Joey — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 05:05:05 +0000

Good God, is there no end to the brown-nosing on this thread? Leno is never going to hire you! He and Letterman both hire scabs ALL THE TIME for their jokes. Hail, Conan. A real mensch who is fair to writers.

By: Francine Fishpaw

Francine Fishpaw — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 04:38:07 +0000

crewmember,

Marc Cherry isn’t an asshole who assures his staff that they’re going to get paid when he has no intention of doing so (a la Jay Leno).

Plus Marc doesn’t pull in about $60 million a year which he BANKS because he makes more money doing his shitty “comedy” routine on the road.

Jay isn’t game to show up on the picket lines anymore.

By: Francine Fishpaw

Francine Fishpaw — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 04:27:59 +0000

The fact is that if Jay hadn’t gone out of his way to assure his staff that they wouldn’t have to worry about money then there would be no backlash. Personally, I don’t think he should have had to pay them. But he opened up his big mouth and said that he would. Then he changed his mind. And now he’s changed his mind again. It must be like working for Sybil.

By: Waiting for TryFacts' facts

Waiting for TryFacts' facts — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 03:27:41 +0000

Try facts wrote — “You have no basis for your rantings against Conan and you are in fact 100% wrong about how his staff will be paid next week.”

Try Facts, how do you know? And how WOULD you know unless you worked for Conan or NBC? So there goes your credibility already. But that said, Conan’s lack of support has been glaring. A ten-year member of the WGA, he has not been to the picket line once nor has he said one word of support. Not one word. Letterman has shown his support, Leno has, Kimmel sent burritos. Where’s Conan? You say we have no idea what Conan is doing behind the scenes. Unless you tell us otherwise, since you’re on the inside, we have to assume he’s doing nothing other than figuring out how to scab.

By: Wnats to hear facts

Wnats to hear facts — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 03:19:32 +0000

Try Facts 5:35pm:

What exactly have you heard that Conan is doing behind the scenes to help the WGA?

By: Try facts

Try facts — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 02:35:46 +0000

To “Talk Show Writer”:

I liked this better when you posted it the other night as “Gimme A Break.” You have no basis for your rantings against Conan and you are in fact 100% wrong about how his staff will be paid next week. It’s fine, even admirable that you’re loyal to Jay. There’s just no reason for you to slag Conan in the process. Conan is just trying to keep his loyal employees afloat while the show is off the air. Is it his fault that he handled the situation with grace and smarts while Jay fumbled the ball?

Also, you have no idea what people are doing behind the scenes so spare us the “I haven’t seen so-and-so on the picket lines” crap. What are you, the Hall Monitor of the WGA? Maybe you’d have more respect for Conan if he planted himself in front of Carson Daly’s Escalade and then sent a breathless account to DHD.

By: crewmember

crewmember — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 01:26:28 +0000

Why is all the fuss about Jay Leno?? What about Jerry Bruckheimer, Dick Wolf, Marc CHerry, Shonda Rhimes —etc…. all have multimillion dollars deals and we don’t hear of them helping their out of work crews?

Any comments????

By: Pete Parker

Pete Parker — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 01:20:58 +0000

Let’s make one thing perfectly clear: Jay Leno is no friend of the WGA. Over half of his show is written by non union freelancers from all over the country who fax in the material used on the program. SNL, Conan, the Letterman show, Jon Stewart, Colbert, Kimmel, are written entirely by their staff writers, but Leno’s writers, despite making around $500,000 per year (per the Reporter) aren’t up to the task. Leno already uses scab writers. Refusing to pay his non writing staff until he was shamed into it it just typical Leno. He thinks he’s above the rules. If you’re a wga member, next time leno offers you a doughnut, smash it into his face.

By: writer

writer — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 01:13:53 +0000

I’m a former talk show writer and I know people who work at most of the talk shows currently on the air.

Jay Leno may not always be the guy who’s labeled the “edgiest” and some people may not even feel he deserved the “Tonight Show” over Dave. But all of that being said, Jay has stood by his writers and the Union since day one of this strike. Better yet, he’s shown no sign of straying from that.

Jay’s taken care of his staff quietly, but he’s taken care of them nonetheless. Just as importantly, he’s publicly and privately stood by the union.

Dave’s done the same. Dave & Jay have had a rocky road in the past. It’s nice to see the two of them setting the example for the next generation of hosts.

Pay attention guys. Everyone else is watching.