Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers Take Sides In WGA Writer’s Strike
The WGA (Writer’s Guild of America) went on strike today and two of late-night talk shows’ biggest hosts have taken sides in the dispute. Both Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers have made it clear what they feel about the entire situation.
Here is a look at what Meyers and Fallon said and what they are doing about the new strike.
Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers take sides in WGA Strike
The WGA went on strike after midnight on May 2 when negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers failed before the recent contract with them expired. This means all writers, from movies to television, have stopped work and this also means that most scripted projects will go dark, and this includes nighttime talk shows.
ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” CBS’ “The Late Show,” and NBC’s “Tonight” and “Late Night” all head onto hiatus with repeats shown. Not only that, but two of the hosts have announced they are standing by the writers. Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers are both members of the WGA.
Originally, Sarah Kobos, Senior Photo Research Coordinator on The Tonight Show, called out Fallon for not attending a meeting when the staff learned the network would not pay them after this week. However, she later responded that Fallon finally showed up for the next meeting and spoke to the staff. He announced that NC will pay the writers until the end of next week, and Fallon himself will pay them for one additional week. The staff writers will also keep their insurance through September in case this lasts longer than expected.
As for Seth Meyers, he came out and openly supported the WGA in this strike. “No one is entitled to a job in show business. But for those people who have a job, they are entitled to fair compensation,” Meyers said. “They are entitled to make a living. I think it’s a very reasonable demand that’s being set out by the guild. And I support those demands.”
Why did the WGA go on strike?
The WGA went on strike because of the changing landscape in entertainment. There are several concerns for writers when it comes to streaming services. With studios not having to pay writers for certain shows and movies that earn more on streaming, the WGA wants provisions added to contracts for streaming service residuals.
There is also a great concern about AI. Some producers mentioned entire scripts could be written by AI. This eliminates the need for screenwriters for some projects. Avengers: Endgame director Joe Russo believes “what you could do with [AI] is obviously use it to engineer storytelling and change storytelling.” This has the WGA wanting AI dealt with at a contract level.
The WGA also wants a hike in guile weekly minimums in compensation. They also want changes to working conditions and a guarantee of a minimum number of weeks per show signed on to write for.
As for the studios, they just want a “fair and reasonable agreement” although their specifics are unknown. However, it seems the studios are not ready to negotiate the streaming residuals. Reportedly, they consider the viewership data of each show as top secret.
What are your thoughts on the WGA strike and both Jimmy Fallon’s and Seth Meyers’ support? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
- Todd Hoffman Concerned With Rick Ness On ‘Gold Rush’ - November 24, 2024
- Jennifer Coffey Leaving Shopping Network, Final Show Very Soon - November 24, 2024
- ‘Jeopardy!’ Fans Tell Ken Jennings To ‘Read The Room’ After Joke - November 24, 2024