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The NYT rehashes the details (i.e., Joey as serial rapist, etc etc) of the ongoing sexual harassment lawsuit by former Friends writers' assistant Amani Lyle against three of the show's writers, which everyone in town vaguely fears will curtail the fun of the sitcom writers' room. Among the quotes (from seemingly every current or former comedy staff writer) attempting to protect the sanctity of The Room for future generations of un-airable, pump-priming assfucking-and-dead-baby jokes, writer Rob Long offers this explanation of comments like The One About Breaking Courtney Cox In Half During Intercourse:

"Writers make fun of the cast relentlessly," Mr. Long said. "There's a huge status difference between writers and these gigantic, internationally known megastars. The cast of 'Friends' is beautiful and talented and funny and they seem really nice and in fact they are really nice and they did a great show and they all got really rich - and if you're a writer, these are the people you despise."

Indeed, the Hollywood class-struggle between bitter, $5K-30K per week writers and the $1 million per week actors who say their lines will undoubtedly prove perfectly reasonable to jurors on a $25-a-day vacation from their secretarial jobs.