November 08, 2007
WGA Strike: Breaking Washington's Funny Bone
As protesting TV and film writers take to the picket lines in Los Angeles and New York, the atmosphere in Washington this week is unusually quiet. Perhaps a little too quiet.
On the surface, the Writers Guild of America strike hitting the entertainment industry would seem of little consequence in the nation's capital. But consider this: The first casualties in the WGA strike have been the late-night talk shows and comedies that constitute an unofficial system of checks and balances on Washington. Without those programs, this town is in serious danger of taking itself even more seriously than it already does.
That may sound overdramatic, but take, for example, the state of NationalJournal.com's own Play of the Day feature (subscription). The daily, two-minute segment usually includes clips of the best political comedy and commentary from the previous evening -- a bit of fun for readers of our otherwise serious-minded news site. Since the strike began, however, POTD has mostly comprised clips from cable news programs, which tend to favor vitriolic, partisan sniping over the kinds of equal-opportunity political satire showcased on "The Daily Show" and "Saturday Night Live."
Unfortunately, it will probably be weeks (but thankfully not months) before Capitol jesters like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert bring laughter back to Washington (and the news back to a significant percentage of young Americans). In the meantime, gaffe-prone politicians (here's looking at you, Fred Thompson and Joseph Biden) may be the only Americans hoping the strike never ends -- at least, not until after the first round of presidential primaries.
The Los Angeles Times, Hollywood Reporter and Variety have comprehensive coverage of the strike. Until the labor dispute is resolved, you can get your fix of political satire online here, here and here.
Photo Illustration: Reuben Dalke
