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What would Jack Donaghy do? Hire new strike negotiators, apparently

December

Another chink in the writers’ armor or the ramblings of a man who doesn’t know when to stop rambling?

I’m leaning towards the former when I read Alec Baldwin’s recent comments about the Writers Guild of America needing new strike negotiators (first made here).

…Calling a strike is sometimes a necessary thing.

Having the wisdom and guts and talent to get it over with expeditiously is even more so. The current WGA negotiators do not represent the best hope the WGA has right now and should be replaced. They should be replaced with more skillful negotiators.

Otherwise, the directors, who have typically fielded the most effective negotiators of the three guilds, will step in and, once again, school everyone. In our business, you start a strike knowing how to end it. Not when, but at least how. Otherwise, don’t strike.

You’ll have to click the link to read some of Alec’s more inflammatory rhetoric since his “rude little pig” tirade. A bigger beef with this piece might be with how little he says about why new negotiators are needed.

But combined with David Letterman’s unilateral deal two days ago with the WGA and the other late-night hosts’s writer-less returns, it does make you wonder which side has the stomach for a strike that eats up much of 2008.

I might seldom be enthralled with Baldwin’s public pronouncements, but I’ll shout from the rooftops my contention that his portrayal of Jack Donaghy is one of the best reasons for owning a television. And if you don’t believe me, ask Michael Ausiello. TVGuide.com’s scoop-meister named 30 Rock to his list of 2007’s top 1o shows.

Another show that skyrocketed in quality in its second season. And yes, Alec Baldwin is off-the-charts hysterical, but let’s for a moment bask in the comedic genius that is Tina Fey. If there’s a funnier straight man (or in this case, woman) on TV right now, I haven’t met him (or her).

Speaking of rankings, Whitney Matheson named Tracy Jordan #18 on her top 100 people of the year list. She caught up with Mr. Wereolf Bar Mitzvah at home for an interview that reveals a surprising bit of humility and maturity. Plus, Jordan’s got three sons between the ages of 16 and 21, and they’re all virgins!

Are you guys still worried about the future of the show at all?

I don’t think so. I think the ice was broken when we got the award for best comedy series. We don’t know about tomorrow, because it’s a fickle business, you never know. But we feel that when we got the Emmy that we had made a mark, and we feel good about that. We’re No. 1 right now.

Wonder if he’s taken that Emmy out behind the middle school yet.

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 30th, 2007 at 9:58 am by Brian Howard.
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