Jon Stewart is going to have the hardest and most pressurized job any host at the Academy Awards has ever had to endure when the 80th annual ceremony beams out in February.
The reason is of course the WGA strike.
You see he won’t be able to read his pre-prepared jokes from a team of writers from an auto-queue, the way I understand it is that he may have to be as spontaneous as possible. I’m not even sure if he will be able to take a piece of paper into the ceremony with him because that would be technically writing the script.
I could be wrong on that one though.
If the strike is to go on till February, then all those members of the WGA will be holding picketing rally’s outside the event on the 24th and a lot more empty seats will have to be filled in the audience. Technically, the WGA members won’t be allowed to attend… so again I’m not as knowledgeable on the strike as most but does that mean actors who write and direct, won’t be able to be there too.
People like George Clooney?
The ceremony beams out to god knows how many millions of viewers worldwide LIVE, it could quickly turn mighty embarrassing for the film industry if things started to go wrong.
source – rope of silicon
4 Comments
They’ll probably have to skip the Best Screenplay categories altogether.
That’s a really good point actually and something I had never thought of.
That award might just be brushed under the carpet and given to the winner before/after the event.
Really strange times ahead. The WGA really picked a smart time to do this strike because it is just about effecting everything.
Given how irrational the WGA members have become they’ll pull a Michael Moore for their acceptance speech–I’d bet money on that. In fact, seeing as the AMPTP is not hurting like the WGA is, and how NOBODY on earth is giving a sh*t about their faux-hard luck stories (and their pretending-to-be-blue-collar “picketing) they’ll see the Oscars as the ONLY chance they’ve got to get some attention.
Expect some drunk, irate “scribe” stumbling up to stage, and then going into a barely coherent rant about how evil the AMPTP is and how human civization as we know it wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for screenwriters, and how anyone who watches Leno, Conan or Carson is anti-Amercan.
What a bunch of douchbags.
You should read some of the crap on deadlinehollywooddaily and other sites. Sheesh! For a guild that has a f*cking monopoly on writing for TV and films these guys act like they’re SO helpless and put upon. What horsesh*t!
Just try and get a job writing in Hollywood if you’re not a member of the guild. NOBODY will deal with you, no matter how good your writing is. They’ll tell you, they can’t afford to run afoul of the WGA by hiring people who aren’t in the guild.
I’m still sympathetic to the cause of writers getting more money for internet-borne media but they need to admit to their power-mongering. The AMPTP isn’t the group screwing people over in tinseltown.
I know it’s horrible but GOOD. I don’t really like Jon Stewart’s comedic style, so I hope he has a damn hard time this year. He relies on jokes written by writers obviously, as many talk show hosts do today. That’s why I wish to god they would pick a natural COMEDIAN who can write his own stuff and entertain the crowd in a natural and spontaneous way(even tho I know many of the jokes are pre-planned)
I have a feeling this Oscars will be a bit stale and dull.