30 Rock” writer Tina Fey and “SNL” writer Seth Meyers, Writers Guild of America members, picket NBC headquarters in New York on Monday, Nov. 5, 2007. (AP Photo/Gary He)
by Rick Pearson
Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama declared himself standing firmly with the Writers Guild of America in its strike against TV and movie producers, though a statement from his campaign raises questions about whether his own writers have walked off the job.
The Illinois senator said the Guild’s effort will determine whether “corporate media corporations” will compensate writers fairly. The statement didn’t define exactly what “corporate media corporations” are and, as of now, no formal Department of Redundancy Department exists in the White House bureaucracy.
Ironically, Obama was one of the last beneficiaries of the Guild’s pre-strike work during his cameo that opened NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” over the weekend. The Guild went on strike Monday, seeking a greater cut of DVD sales and online programming ventures. During their 1988 strike, writers were off the job for five months.
Here’s the entire statement:
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“I stand with the writers. The Guild’s demand is a test of whether corporate media corporations are going to give writers a fair share of the wealth their work creates or continue concentrating profits in the hands of their executives. I urge the producers to work with the writers so that everyone can get back to work.”