Jon Stewart is slated to be the official host of the 2008 Academy Awards ceremony. The only question that remains is who will pen his jokes.
According to the WGA Strike rules, writers will be prohibited from scripting any jokes for the satirical political pundit for the 80th Annual Oscar celebration. In which case, Stewart may have to work with Daily Show anchor Rob Riggle to brush up on his improv skills. The WGA has also stated that their comedy writers will not write content for the 65th annual Golden Globes awards on Jan 13.
WGA West President Patric M. Verrone said in a public statement that “writers are engaged in a crucial struggle to achieve a collective bargaining agreement that will protect their compensation and intellectual property rights now and in the future. We must do everything we can to bring our negotiations to a swift and fair conclusion for the benefit of writers and all those who are being harmed by the companies failure to engage in serious negotiations.”
The AMPTP blasted the union today by saying, “In the category of Worst Supporting Union, the nominee is the WGA. The union, which initiated the strike, continues day in and day out to make good on its commitment to, in the words of a leading WGA organizer, `wreak havoc,’ even though those being hurt include the WGA’s own working writers, the below-the-line workers and their families, the broader LA region - and now the creative artists who deserve to be honored for their work over the last year.”
