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This has caused, to put it mildly, no end of kerfuffle.
Barrymorereleased a statementindicating that she was complying with strike promotional rules, which went over like a lead brick.
Thereve beenviral tweetsabout audience members getting kicked out for wearing a WGA pin.
Barrymore was announced, and thendisinvited, as the host of the National Book Foundation awards.
Sometimes that question sounds pretty rhetorical (why would anyone do such a thoughtless … Id love a better understanding of what exactly might be happening to have caused this decision!
So my first question for you, Joe, is … wait, is Drew scabbing?
How much do we know about her contract and the contracts of the people who make her show?
But yes, lets start with the why.
Would the company sue her?
Is Drew just making it up as she goes, and does that count as an unscripted show?
Or are there non-union writers stepping in to do that work, in which case theyre the ones scabbing?
You mention that its unlikely CBS would sue Barrymore if she refused to return.
But is that the only form of pressure that could be acting on her?
Is it the kind of show that risks cancellation if it doesnt return?
Are there other big reasons why she might have felt like she had to come back now?
I dont say this to minimize the contributions of those writers at all, by the way.
(They are, however, hyping books, which is why Matthew McConaughey was on this week.
No show is returning without writers, WGA strike captain Andra Whipplewrote this week.
Someone decides & plans what people will talk about on screen.
To call it something else is a lie intended to devalue our labor.
Its disrespectful to the writers of these shows.
Its against our strike rules.
Unsurprisingly, the studios who make these shows and the talent whove returned to work disagree.
Someone is writing down whatever is on those cue cardsThe Viewhosts are reading.
Isnt that doing struck labor?
This is one of the things that feels like its changed quite a bit from 2007-2008.
That more expansive vision of writing is crucial from the perspective of the WGA.
JA:They are.
That resulted in many shows and movies being forced to shut down even when actors showed up.
And thats sort of whats going on here.
The WGA disagrees, and its picketing.
As noted earlier, they could claim breach of contract were Barrymore not to show up.
I dont think thats likely.
Theres also the undeniable fact that shutting down the show would put a couple hundred people out of work.
I am left with a difficult decision.
If my show were entirely scripted I would have no choice.
But the truth is that shows like mine are hybrids with both written and non-written content.
An unwritten version ofLate Night, though not desirable, is possible and no one has to be fired.
Thats doubly true with Hudsons show, going into year two.
KVA:Its a combination of a few things, I think.
Shes also a unique, perfect storm for a blowback narrative.
Her public identity is something between beautiful, delicate empath and motherrrrrrrr!!!
Our colleague Alex Jungprofiled her this year; we put her on the cover!
But the broader narrative of her over the past few years has not been all that complex.
Much like pride, the hagiography comes before the fall.
Whoopi also addressed both the WGA strikein Mayandexactly this Netcode elementin July, once SAG went on strike.
Its a circular effect.
Its understandable, but its also an incomplete picture of what the daytime talk landscape is like right now.
That total failure of communications on the studio/Barrymore side is what I find most surprising and most telling.
Itd still be crossing a picket line, to be clear!
Instead, its been bad news after bad news for days now.
Drews statement was a perfect example of why celebrities need good personal PR people … and writers.
They stayed out for a while in solidarity.
Then there were hints they might give a shot to get interim deals to return.
But they still, as you noted Drew did not, stuck it to The Man.
So everyone accepted it and moved on.
But also, I can understand why Team Drew might not have anticipated this level of blowback.
Any writing on The Drew Barrymore Showis in violation of WGA strike rules.
But if youre looking for villains, Id start in the C-suites of the major media conglomerates.
KVA: That feels completely right to me.
Whats that I see?Bill Maher has entered the chat?
A new villain rises.
