360: Writers Strike

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Writers Strike

Title text: He's just jealous because everyone's up in the attic listening to Stephen Colbert.

Explanation

From November 5, 2007 to February 12, 2008, the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West labor unions which represens film, television and radio writers working in the United States, went on strike as it sought increased compensation for its members work. Virtually all scripted American television shows shut down in mid-December, with many low-level production staffers being laid off.

In late December and early January, late-night talk shows did eventually return, most of them without writers. But as of the date this comic was written, the popular Comedy Central political comedy shows, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report, were still off-air.

Cueball and Black Hat both admit that they're pretty bummed about having to go through an election season without Jon Stewart's insightful commentary, but Black Hat has corrected that problem by kidnapping Stewart, putting him in the basement and occasionally soliciting hilarious opinions. Of course, Stewart is rather traumatized by this, and doesn't have anything to say aside from "Please let me go.".

The title text implies that Black Hat also kidnapped Stephen Colbert from The Colbert Report, and put him in the attic. As opposed to Stewart, who basically plays "himself" on the show and is surrounded by zany reporters playing characters, on his own show Colbert plays the character of a "well-intentioned, poorly informed high-status idiot". The reference to everyone listening to Colbert instead, is based on a general opinion that The Colbert Report, a spin-off of The Daily Show, is superior to the original program.

Transcript

[Cueball sits in front of a desk with a computer. Black Hat stands behind him.]

Cueball: This writer's strike sucks.

Black Hat: Why? You don't watch sitcoms.

Cueball: Yeah, but it sucks having political campaigns without Jon Stewart's commentary.

Black Hat: True. I finally got sick of it a couple weeks ago.

Cueball: And you quit following the campaigns?

Black Hat: No. I kidnapped Jon Stewart to do analysis for me.

Cueball: You what?

[Black Hat points at a door.]

Black Hat: He's locked in the basement.

Black Hat: Jon! Obama's leading in Iowa! Gimme a wry, witty comment on the situation!

Jon Stewart [Voice coming from door]: Please let me go. I have a family.

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Discussion

I wonder if "Please let me go. I have a family." should also be interpreted as the requested wry, witty comment on Obama's leading in Iowa. The Iowa Democratic Caucus took place January 3, 2008, so Obama was indeed in Iowa during the writers strike. Condor70 (talk) 14:55, 31 March 2014 (UTC)

Should the descriptions of the shows be changed to past tense, now that both are gone? 108.162.221.64 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

It's a free wiki. Go ahead. -Pennpenn 108.162.250.162 05:58, 15 September 2015 (UTC)