Editorial: Why I’m watching the writerless shows

I feel as though I’ve explained myself ad nauseum over the past couple of months, so please forgive me if this seems redundant. Nonetheless, I’ve been getting feedback from various people questioning how I can say I support the writers if I’m then going to watch the shows, so I’ll give the explanation business one more try.

In the past, I have only ever claimed to have spoken for myself, posting as “Ms Interpreted” and not as NFZ. I am only one of a team of bloggers, but after extensive offline discussions with my colleagues, it became evident that feelings I express below are shared by those of us who blog here. The following represents our consensus view on the ongoing strike and the writerless shows.

I do not live in a Nielsen household. I do not TiVo or DVR shows. My viewing habits are, effectively, invisible to the studios and marketing people. My viewing or not viewing the shows meant nothing to them before the strike and, as far as I know, it means nothing to them now. In other words, no one but me is directly affected by my decision to watch or not.

The only way I can make my viewing habits measurable in the context of this strike is to express them in some more concrete, proactive fashion. As a result, I have educated myself as best I can about this dispute (and shared many of those sources here on NFZ); I have bought the pencils asked of me on UnitedHollywood, donated to the strike funds when I could, signed petitions, and called/e-mailed various studios and sponsors explaining that I would not be purchasing the products advertised during their shows until the strike ends. And I have, in fact, refrained from purchasing the products advertised on their shows (this extends to my refusal to visit the Comedy Central sites, which I would normally check on a regular basis). I have done what I feel I can realistically do, and I have done so willingly. I will continue to do so to the best of my ability.

Given this, I feel comfortable that my watching the shows is not, by itself, a betrayal of the writers. Others with more staunch union backgrounds may disagree, but I am comfortable with the decision I have made regarding my own actions.

I support the writers’ aims. I think they’ve gotten screwed on residuals in the past, I think they rarely get the respect they deserve, I think their requests (as I understand them) are reasonable, and I think they are absolutely right to see new media as a critical component of their future well-being. They tried to negotiate and were ignored, but writers are an essential part (maybe the most essential part) of the creative process. I support their right to withhold their talents until the corporations recognize and compensate them fairly.

I oppose the moguls. I think they are being greedy, I think they are talking out of both sides of their mouths, I think their counteroffers have been insulting, and I think that they are more interested in “winning” this standoff than in resolving it. I think they are reprehensible for so callously depriving huge numbers of people of their income.

I support Jon and Stephen. They have earned my trust over the years, as much as any people I don’t personally know can ever do so. Their writers have been quoted repeatedly expressing their appreciation for the two of them, both before and during the strike. Both Jon and Stephen have reportedly looked out for their staffers during the strike, in small ways (buying them lunch) and in large (working with Comedy Central behind the scenes to ensure that people weren’t being laid off). I think that their efforts may well have eased — however slightly and temporarily — the minds of their writers on the picket lines, who then had one less thing to worry about (their co-workers’ livelihoods) while they were walking the line. I think Jon and Stephen tried like hell to make a deal. I think they miss their writers sorely. And I think they must have had a darned good reason for coming back on the air under these circumstances. I am willing to trust that they made the decision they thought was right.

And ultimately, I have missed seeing Stephen and Jon on my television. Having them back, even in their limited form, has brightened my days more than I can say. Having them back with their full contingent of writers (when those writers get the contract they deserve) will bring me even more joy, and I can only hope that that happy day is not far off.

I know that this opinion will be controversial. Nonetheless, we ask you to accept that this is the position of the blog at present. We want people coming here to feel a sense of camaraderie and friendship, and participation with the other fans in the comments helps to foster that. But we do not and will not tolerate the continued bashing of Stephen or Jon for the decisions they have made in relation to the strike, and we will moderate the comments accordingly. Are we biased? Hell, yes. Unabashedly and unapologetically. Our purpose at the site has always been to celebrate Stephen and The Colbert Report. Period.

Until the strike ends, please assume that the above expresses exactly why I am both watching the shows and saying I support the writers. In my humble opinion, the best target for any outrage over this situation is the AMPTP.