The Writers Guild of America resurfaced its 2023 strike in a comedy bit that unfurled on the union’s Los Angeles awards ceremony on Sunday evening.
Greater than half a yr after the union ended its 148-day strike, the union spoofed the highest negotiator representing studios and streamers throughout these talks, Carol Lombardini, in a raunchy and at occasions brutal routine on the Hollywood Palladium. Practically an hour into the union’s annual awards ceremony and between awards displays, host Niecy Nash-Betts started interacting with a picture of “Lombardini” on a display behind her. (Solely the mouth of the picture moved, and the remaining was static.)
When Nash-Betts requested why “Lombardini” was there, the picture responded by congratulating the co-chairs of the WGA’s negotiating committee through the 2023 strike, David Goodman and Chris Keyser, for successful the Morgan Cox Award for service to the union. “To start with, I need to congratulate all of the nominees and winners, particularly David Goodman and Chris Keyser for getting the Morgan Cox Award, as a result of after I consider David Goodman and Chris Keyser, the primary phrase that involves thoughts is ‘cocks,’ ” the picture responded.
“Lombardini” continued: “I gotta say, kudos to WGA government director Ellen Stutzman. You have been one robust negotiator. You remind me of that present Beef, besides meaner and fewer Korean. And all of you writers remind me of The Crown since you assume you’re so excessive and mighty, however you’re actually only a bunch of inbred crybabies.”
The bit earned groans and occasional laughter from the viewers, and it didn’t finish there. After Nash-Betts jokingly admonished “Lombardini,” the picture continued, “I like that film Could December. Could December additionally occurs to be how lengthy I used to be planning to maintain the strike going. Simply three extra months, and also you all would have misplaced your homes. Suck on that, overpaid a**gap content material creators.”
In closing, the picture made a touch upon the summer season 2023 field workplace phenomenon created by the simultaneous releases of Barbie and Oppenheimer. “I simply need to say yet another factor. Barbenheimer — genius movie. I do know it’s two movies, however I feel enterprise affairs counted it as only one in order that they solely pay half the residuals.” When Nash-Betts informed “Lombardini” goodbye, the picture said, “See you on the picket line in 2026 beyotches, Lombardini out” — referring to the following yr the WGA’s principal labor contract is up for negotiation, and round which period members may theoretically once more go on strike.
Lombardini, the president of the Alliance of Movement Image and Tv Producers, has been the highest negotiator for Hollywood studios since 2009. As THR defined in a narrative in regards to the largely opaque AMPTP in September 2023, Lombardini’s function includes guiding her constituents (executives at high studios and streamers) towards consensus on bargaining targets and representing their positions throughout the desk to the union. Although Lombardini tends to maintain a low profile, she was thrust into the highlight in 2023 on account of the historic writers’ and actors’ strikes that shut down mainstream Hollywood manufacturing for months, and was the topic of a well-liked spoof account on the social media platform X.
With the 2023 strike, the second-longest work stoppage within the union’s historical past, the WGA sought to put in guardrails on the usage of AI in scriptwriting and enhance compensation for its members in an age when streaming is the dominant platform, by way of the regulation of so-called “mini rooms,” greater wage flooring and residuals that reward profitable streaming titles.
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to the AMPTP for remark.
View the entire bit within the video beneath.