Feeling our pain: More than a couple Emmy-winning actors were 'thankful to be working.'

There are still some people who do not get how tough the job market is right now. They have jobs themselves, so they are choosing not to think about what could happen to them and what has already happened to others.

And among those who have been able to choose not to notice are television and movie stars.

It is understandable really. They are wealthy -- much like professional athletes -- and they probably do not have to worry about where their next meal is going to come from.

At Sunday's Primetime Emmy Awards, however, more than a few of the award winners mentioned how grateful they were to be working.

Not surprising either, since acting, writing, directing and performing can be an ify career -- and certainly not one for the faint of heart.

But lately, it seems more and more of the entertainment industry is getting that perhaps people cannot pay outrageous prices for tickets anymore and that more and more people care less about their hijinks and more about their own futures.

Perhaps the references were simply superstitious -- or perhaps these were actors who have struggled for a long time to get a steady role and truly are grateful for their gift of fame and fortune.

But maybe, just maybe, some of the glitterati are getting it -- that their careers and their paychecks are tied more closely to the health of the American economy than they might have thought.

If so, it just might be the wakeup call some of them need.

Published in Editorials on August 30, 2010 11:27 AM