8 Responses

1. Jon says:

   May 5, 2009 at 3:02 am

   Wow, I had no idea people were still doing this. Using fax machines, that is.

   The above material is copyrighted and available for a fee at my website.

   But seriously, how does one get in on this free-market action?

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2. Dawna says:

   May 5, 2009 at 8:58 pm

   Much got left on the cutting room floor in that L.A. Times article, including that my time spent as a freelance joke writer was after I was already a known commodity as a staffer on various shows. I either wrote freelance in-between jobs, or after I went into the true crime writing career I now enjoy. My intention was to make things better for all joke writers, so I went on record to give an insider’s view of what is widely seen as a loophole that the Writers Guild of America should close.

   As a long-time WGA member who marched picket lines during the two latest strikes, I couldn’t help but wonder why there was a such push to get new members in the WGA—including reality writers who are arguably more editors than writers and were invited to organize (with their initiation fees waived, no less!)—when the Guild ignores the countless joke writers, many of whom toil all day in hopes of getting on staff at some late-night show. I never made a formal complaint about it, but I understand others have.

   As you know, topical joke writing requires a lot of research and keeping one’s skills sharp — which is why many writers fax or email in jokes, more than the scattershot money they’re making. But I suspect most joke providers are hoping to be added to a staff. Only current staffers know how often (or how little) that occurs; traditionally most new writers get hired away from other late-night programs. But the bigger question is what percentage of a monologue’s jokes come from freelancers. If it’s the majority, which I’ve been told it is, then these people are essentially staff writers without any benefits or protection.

   I love Jay Leno’s precision style of joke telling, so much so that I have on video just about every monologue he’s ever done on TV. I also have seen him a fair amount in concert. The jokes he uses in clubs have invariably gotten their first use on NBC — which dashes his explanation to the WGA that the freelancers are writing for his stage act. And if that’s Jay’s reasoning, what gives for David Letterman, SNL’s Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon and other TV comics who don’t do a live club act? Conan’s show is “pure,” as the article suggests, because he doesn’t do that many jokes per night — we’ll see if and how that changes when he takes over The Tonight Show. Arsenio’s show, which I worked on, did not accept outside jokes and he did a lengthy monologue each night.

   With upheavals coming in late night, perhaps this is the time for the shows to beef up their staff writers and for the WGA to organize these funny people. Let’s not forget that show business is a business. If writers have the skill to get jokes into broadcast monologues, they deserve to be hired as union members.

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3. Brian McKim & Traci Skene says:

   May 5, 2009 at 10:23 pm

   From Dawna’s comment:

   “With upheavals coming in late night, perhaps this is the time for the shows to beef up their staff writers and for the WGA to organize these funny people. Let’s not forget that show business is a business. If writers have the skill to get jokes into broadcast monologues, they deserve to be hired as union members.”

   If the WGA were to “organize” these funny people (freelance joke writers), then they would be unionized, but, ultimately, unemployed. Why? Because if there were any need for more staffers, the shows would hire them.

   There doesn’t seem to be a need for more writers among talk show hosts– there seems to be a need for more, higher-quality jokes.

   We suspect that, were the current staffers not the beneficiaries of union “protection and benefits,” there might be a slightly higher “churn” among such staffs and the necessity to cast about for extra gags might be minimized (and, perhaps, freelancers would be hired on as full-timers with more frequency).

   We are well aware that “show business is a business.” But the introduction of the guild into this particular business makes it extra cushy for a relative handful of writers.

   Dawna maintains that some freelancers “deserve” to be hired as union members. But were they to be so hired, they would be unemployable– the whole idea of using freelancers is that they’re not as expensive as staffers. The very fact that they’re not union is what makes them desirable. (And, were they to become union, they would be less so.)

   Dawna says that a majority of the jokes in many late night monologues are from freelancers.

   Hmmm…

   We have a situation here. Highly-paid (union) staffers are accepting healthy paychecks, in secure staff positions, with union all union “benefits and protections.”

   Their bosses have a reputation for seeking output from low-paid, non-union, freelancers via fax and email for a fraction of the price. These bosses subsequently use jokes instead of those written by the highly-paid, union protected staff writers.

   An objective observer might conclude that something is amiss here. Were the guild writers producing material that was regarded as worth the price of their high salaries, why ever would anyone solicit jokes “on the street” for a fraction of the price?

   Do we need a better example of the gross distortion caused by the intersection of commerce, art and unionism?

   The Guild isn’t for one moment seeking to “organize” anyone. They’re quite simply seeking to increase their numbers and compel networks to hire more writers. It’s not a good thing, it’s not a bad thing, it’s just a thing. The Guild is just doing what it is set up to do. But let’s not dress it up in fancy language.

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4. Dawna says:

   May 6, 2009 at 7:30 am

   You’re jumping to some odd conclusions here, but I’ll try once more…

   If the WGA stops the shows from exploiting freelancers, the shows will hire more joke writers on staff. It’s got nothing to do with needing “more high-quality jokes,” as all comics already choose the best of the batches they have to work with.

   We’ll be seeing an increase in hiring on certain shows soon. That’s when, hopefully, freelancers will need to join the Guild. They’ll welcome the chance to be organized and protected, and the WGA will increase its ranks. Win-win. There’s no point to the guild organizing writers who don’t have jobs or promises of them.

   While it’s a thrill to hear your joke on the air and be able to list the credit on a resume, it’s not really a job unless you’re paid as a staffer. If you’re connecting with a comic’s monologue on a regular basis—so much so that staffers expect material from you at a certain time each day and treat you as if you were already on staff—recognize your power and show some confidence. You’re doing something right. Now get paid for it.

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5. Brian McKim & Traci Skene says:

   May 6, 2009 at 4:11 pm

   Dawna says she’ll “try once more” to explain this.

   Thanks for your patience, as we are dullards.

   On second thought, don’t bother.

   We’re not convinced. Your logic is horribly flawed.

   Your first dubious claim:

   “If the WGA stops the shows from exploiting freelancers, the shows will hire more joke writers on staff.”

   To which we reply: If the WGA was at all capable of stopping the practice, they would have. Obviously, they can’t.

   Even if they could, the producers would find it too expensive to hire more writers.

   Your second dubious claim:

   “They’ll welcome the chance to be organized and protected.”

   This is mind-reading, plain and simple. There’s nothing to back it up.

   You say that “there’s no point to the guild organizing writers who don’t have jobs or promises of them.” Which is about as close you come to reality.

   Obviously, you think a freelancer here or there is being heavily relied upon to provide material on a regular basis. If this person is as productive and as competent as you imagine, this person will eventually get hired when a spot opens up– if that person uses his/her connections. It does happen.

   The occasional competent freelancer doesn’t need a guild to “recognize his power.” (After getting hired, however, he’s told that he needs the guild. Rules are rules.)

   The WGA is always interested in increasing its ranks. But they’re also just as interested in protecting those already in the guild. Protection, however, doesn’t always lead to a happy conclusion– What else are we to think if, as you say, some freelancers are providing a majority of the gags in a given monologue?

   Ostensibly, they want to “increase the ranks” or “protect freelancers” but as we said in our previous comment, that won’t work, as the newly protected will be unemployable in their previous capacity.

   It’s a catch 22.

   The only solution would be to somehow create higher churn rates among staffs. (And, since their jobs are “protected” by the union, that probably won’t happen.)

   If this protection of freelancers occurs, there will be no practical way for anyone to gain the valuable experience that freelancing affords those just beginning. How else will a writer find out if he can crank out topical jokes on a regular basis?

   The practice is… practical.

   When The Male Half was still in journalism school, he worked briefly as a “stringer,” writing stories for a local newspaper at a fraction of the money that full-time reporters (full-time GUILD reporters) commanded. It was a time-honored tradition– stringers learned how to gather facts, assemble them into a story and take it like an adult when an editor totally re-arranged it (or it didn’t run at all).

   If someone were to come along and demand that stringers be paid comparably to full-timers, with benefits and “protection,” that person would be laughed out of the newsroom.

   If the publisher were forced to hire full-time substitutes (instead of stringers), he wouldn’t hire anyone just coming up, he’d hire someone with a lot of experience– Why not? He’s paying a fortune!– and the opportunity to learn as a stringer would be obliterated.

   This is also why intern programs got started.

   We hope the guild doesn’t wipe out this particular “stringer” program.

   Stringing, says The Male Half, was invaluable.

   When The Halves of the Staff freelanced for some network shows, the experience was invaluable. We learned that we were capable of cranking out material– good quality material– for someone else. And we learned that we had the discipline to do so on a regular basis.

   That experience got us a gig as the writing staff for an afternoon drive radio show. It gave us the confidence to ask for the job and the confidence to muddle our way through the first few days of the job– when were figuring out how to structure our work day and how best to serve our host.

   And it gave us credibility when seeking and landing other paid positions– freelance and otherwise.

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6. Dawna says:

   May 6, 2009 at 9:00 pm

   I think you are more interested in promoting your own half-baked theories than hearing the facts from a veteran with experience.

   Your readers who know better will understand what I’ve written here. That was my chief motivation for adding my commentary.

   Good luck with your endeavors.

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7. Brian McKim & Traci Skene says:

   May 6, 2009 at 9:30 pm

   Half-baked theories?

   Like… supply and demand, perhaps?

   We’ve each been in the business for more than a quarter-century. We’re not cooking up half-baked theories– just applying real-world principles like supply and demand.

   If we obliterate the practice of freelancing (which is the inevitable outcome of giving some of them the “protection” of the guild), then there will exist no opportunity for anyone to freelance.

   If there exists no opportunity for anyone to freelance (and no opportunity for a show to train writers at low or no cost), then there will be no mechanism for writers to learn the discipline that is comedy writing and there will be no opportunity for entry.

   It’s not a half-baked theory at all.

   Such programs or informal arrangements exist in dozens of other disciplines. By its actions, the guild threatens the existence of this one– under the pretense of “protecting” writers who are neither in need of such protection nor asking for it.

   Your chief motivation was not to present facts from a veteran with experience, it was, rather, to present the union’s side of the story. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

   Our chief motivation is to preserve a method for comics (from Cleveland to Miami to Anchorage and all points in between) wherby comics can bulk up the resume and get good experience writing for a network television show.

   You have clearly demonstrated that you don’t care much about that. And you have prove that your main concern is the guild and its members.

   There’s really no need to insult us… again.

   Your use of the “half-baked” epithet might imply that you’re out of any cogent arguments.

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8. DrEx says:

   May 7, 2009 at 5:42 pm

   I would love to have the opportunity to submit jokes to a talk show for fair consideration. (writing a few jokes during my commute with a possible pay check would be nice!) I believe I have the skills, but will likely never get the chance because it is a closed system. (the people presently doing it apparently don’t like the idea of having more people in the joke pool; I guess it’s somewhat understandable) And now to read the comments of the union hack…wow! Apparently afraid of the existing joke submitter competition, let alone anyone else.

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