No political satire for the primaries, perhaps the entire election season, thanks to Nick Counter

[Simeon Salus]

No The Daily Show with Jon Stewart until after the primaries.

No Colbert Report.

No Letterman.

No Weekend Update.

No Leno.

No Conan.

No Kimmel.

No political satire until after in the next few months we Americans decide which two human beings will contend for the leadership of the free world.

Unless we count Tucker Carlson and Bill O'Reilly.

Perhaps inadvertently, James Nicholas Counter III, president of http://www.amptp.org/">The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers since its inception in 1982, has almost singlehandedly silenced political satire for the duration of the primary season. If the Writers Guild strike continues as long as previous similar labor disputes, the United States will have settled on both major parties' presidential nominees by April with no nightly political fun being made about them.

By holding resolutely to a set of positions regarding guild members' rights to compensation for newer long-tail sources of revenue for his alliance, Counter has put the http://www.wgaeast.org/">Writers Guild of America in a position that virtually guarantees the only daily media segment sympathetic to the writers' strike, the daily comedy shows, must remain silent. How long this silence will continue is up to exactly one person, Nick Counter.

The writers clearly would rather be working this holiday season, and while the networks' news divisions have been regurgitating alliance talking points verbatim, it's clear that producers would rather be producing too this Christmas. Seasonal advertising money will never get collected, the ads unplaced. But St. Nick Counter likely plans a private holiday this year.

It's not going to be a funny election season. Thanks St. Nick!

[spanone]

1. the writers deserve their share...i'm 100% behind the strike

[Simeon Salus]

3. I agree that the writers deserve just compensation

But my point is that IMHO it wouldn't make any difference what the points of contention might be. Counter, as a lawyer and president of a very influential lobbying organization, is unduly influencing the process, and perhaps with intent.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Who needs comedy writers, considering the Republicans who are running?

The material writes itself.

[Simeon Salus]

4. If a majority of the younger voters get their news from these sources and those are silenced...

Then political dissent amongst those younger voters is reduced, both in national forums and eventually local forums.

[Simeon Salus]

5. 33 days without political humor

If you don't count dumbass stuff that the incumbent does every freakin' day!

[Richard Steele]

6. Wow, TRANSPARENT much? Lamest...anti-union post....EVER.

[Simeon Salus]

7. Judgemental much?

I happen to be a lifelong member of IATSE (since college) and a member of SEIU since 1996. I support the WGA strike.

My obvious (headlined) point is that one attorney has manipulated the situation into defacto silence from political comedians on television.

And that action may have an impact on the world order.

And nobody is talking about it.

Except us.

[Simeon Salus]

9. 34 days with no political satire, thanks to St. Nick

No new SNL with Weekend Update tonight.

NYPD can walk Rudy's girlfriend's dog, and we're not allowed to laugh about it as an entire culture.

Mitt can require a religious test for all politicians, but that's not funny either.

Fred can posture in front of a rented red pickup, but nobody gets the joke.

No political humor for Hanukkah this year everybody. The echo chamber has been removed. And now you can't say someone didn't try to tell you.

Blame Nick Counter.

[chelaque liberal]

8. I was thinking about that too.

The Daily Show is one of the few news sources I trust. If it weren't for Keith and DU I'd be lost.

I support the writers strike, but political satire is sorely missed now.

[riverdeep]

10. I don't know if I really need Jon Stewart making fun of Dennis cause he's a leprechaun

or some other nonsense. Real original. Or that Hillary has 'cankles'. As far as SNL, that hasn't seen funny even in it's dreams in years. I haven't seen any of the other shows.