Editing 360: Writers Strike

{{comic
| number    =360
| date      =December 21, 2007
| title     =Writers Strike
| image     =writers_strike.png
| titletext =He's just jealous because everyone's up in the attic listening to Stephen Colbert.
}}

==Explanation==
From November 5, 2007 to February 12, 2008, the {{w|Writers Guild of America, East}} and the {{w|Writers Guild of America, West}} labor unions that represents film, television, and radio writers working in the United States {{w|2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike|went on strike}} as they sought increased compensation for their members' work. Virtually all scripted American television shows shut down in mid-December, with many low-level production staffers being laid off.

In late December and early January, late-night talk shows did eventually return, most of them without writers. But as of the date this comic was written, the popular {{w|Comedy Central}} political comedy shows, ''{{w|The Daily Show with Jon Stewart}}'' and ''{{w|The Colbert Report}},'' were still off-air.

[[Cueball]] and [[Black Hat]] both admit that they're pretty bummed about having to go through an election season without {{w|Jon Stewart|Jon Stewart's}} insightful commentary, but Black Hat has corrected that problem by kidnapping Stewart, putting him in the basement, and occasionally soliciting hilarious opinions. Of course, Stewart is rather traumatized by this, and he doesn't have anything to say aside from "Please let me go."

The title text implies that Black Hat also kidnapped {{w|Stephen Colbert}} from ''The Colbert Report'' and put him in the attic. As opposed to Stewart, who basically played "himself" on the show and was surrounded by zany reporters playing characters, on his own show Colbert played the character of a "well-intentioned, poorly informed high-status idiot." The reference to everyone listening to Colbert, instead, is based on a general opinion that ''The Colbert Report,'' a spin-off of ''The Daily Show,'' was superior to the original program.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball sits in front of a computer, Black Hat behind him.]
:Cueball: This writer's strike sucks.
:Black Hat: Why? You don't watch sitcoms.
:[Cueball is off-panel.]
:Cueball: Yeah, but it sucks having political campaigns without Jon Stewart's commentary.
:Black Hat: True. I finally got sick of it a couple weeks ago.
:[Black Hat points at a door. Cueball is still off-panel.]
:Cueball: And you quit following the campaigns?
:Black Hat: No. I kidnapped Jon Stewart to do analysis for me.
:Cueball: You what?
:[Black Hat is shouting at the door.]
:Black Hat: He's locked in the basement.
:Black Hat: Jon! Obama's leading in Iowa! Gimme a wry, witty comment on the situation!
:Jon Stewart [Voice coming from door]: Please let me go. I have a family.

{{comic discussion}}
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