After 146 painful days, the WGA strike finally ended this week. The strike lasted from May to September.
When the strike began in May, comedian/host/actor Drew Carey tweeted:
"Ateention [sic] #WGA Folks! Show your WGA card at Bob's Big Boy in Burbank or Swingers Diner on Beverly (near Fairfax) and your meal is free. For the duration of the strike. Dine-in only, Tip included."
When he sent that Tweet, I wonder how long Drew thought his offer would last. With a net worth of $165 million and annual salary of $12.5 million to host "The Price is Right," perhaps he didn't care. Either way, his generous gesture ended up being valid for 146 days. He was reportedly spending $10,000 per weekday at the strike's peak.
The final tab for his gesture?
$600,000
This week Drew took to Twitter to cheerfully announce that the gravy trail was rolling to a stop:
"Yoooo @WGAWest members!! Congrats! … If the strike is officially over tomorrow you'll have til midnight to have one last meal at Bob's Big Boy or Swingers! GO CELEBRATE! Love you all!"
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
The Burbank Big Big Boy became a sort of unofficial headquarters for striking writers, with, as one writer put it, a "'Cheers' atmosphere," thanks to Carey picking up meals for card-carrying writers during the work stoppage.
Carey made a similar show of solidarity with striking writers back during the last WGA strike in 2007-2008.
What a guy!
