This week marks the primary Hollywood writers’ strike in additional than a decade.
On Tuesday, tv and movie writers who make up the Writers Guild of America walked out to the picket strains. The writers of all of your favourite reveals are holding the primary leisure trade labor motion in 15 years, per the Associated Press. They need higher pay and advantages, in addition to extra job safety and safety ensures, as main studios have pivoted in recent times to newly-launched streaming providers.
Related: Jimmy Fallon Has Already Been Called Out By His Own Staff Amid The Writers’ Strike!
According to CNN, greater than 11,000 writers concerned with the WGA walked out of labor this week after the union failed to achieve a long-term contract with the commerce affiliation that reps main Hollywood studios and manufacturing corporations.
The WGA needs some easy stuff, per the AP: increased minimal salaries, extra writers per present, and shorter unique contracts for launched content material. They additionally wish to be certain artistic jobs aren’t overtaken by AI, as that may dramatically lower the standard in content material. These circumstances, the WGA says, are vital after streaming upended the trade. Makes sense!! Sadly, the studios have to this point balked on the writers’ calls for. But there’s some excellent news — so many Hollywood stars are exhibiting their help for the writers!
Ch-ch-check out the lengthy checklist of celebs who’re supporting tv and movie writers because the group strikes for higher working circumstances (beneath)!
Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston wasn’t afraid to voice her opinion concerning the strike. In a collection of Instagram Stories posts on Wednesday, the Friends alum took goal at tv executives and backed writers for his or her unimaginable work. In one in every of two slides she shared to IG, Aniston poignantly quoted Snowfall author Sal Calleros:
“The Shield put FX on the map. Mad Men put AMC on the map. House of Cards put Netflix on the map. Writers did that. Not some CEO. Know what you get when you put CEOs in creative lanes? You get Quibi.”
Amen!!!
She additionally re-shared a quote from author Justin Halpern concerning equitable profit-sharing, as you’ll be able to see (beneath):
Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg all the time tells it like it’s!!
The rapper had some very selection phrases concerning the writers strike whereas showing on a panel at an leisure trade occasion this week. The panel was held on the Milken Institutes‘ Global Conference on Wednesday. During the chat, the 51-year-old celebrity known as out streaming fashions as being “f**ked up.”
He defined:
“[Artists] need to figure it out the same way the writers are figuring it out. The writers are striking because [of] streaming, they can’t get paid. Because when it’s on the platform, it’s not like in the box office.”
And Snoop continued:
“I don’t understand how the f**k you get paid off of that s**t. Somebody explain to me how you can get a billion streams and not get a million dollars? … That’s the main gripe with a lot of us artists is that we do major numbers, but it don’t add up to the money. Like where the f**k is the money?”
He’s not flawed about that!
Rob Lowe
On Tuesday afternoon, as writers took to the picket strains in Hollywood, Tommy Boy star Rob Lowe joined them. And the longtime movie and tv persona had a quite simple cause for supporting the writers throughout this labor motion: they’ve made him look excellent over his lengthy profession on display screen!
When requested about why he was on the picket strains, the actor name-dropped a few of his favourite writers and stated:
“We [actors] are only as good as the writing we get.”
Rob Lowe on the picket line outdoors of the Paramount lot in LA right this moment: “We’re only as good as the writing we get” #WritersStrike pic.twitter.com/x7UASNi1af
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) May 2, 2023
We know that’s true!
Drew Barrymore
The MTV Movie & TV Awards are set to occur on Sunday night time, however they gained’t be taking place with out their host! Initially, Drew Barrymore was all set to host the always-zany awards present. But with the strike cropping up this week, she has backed out of her settlement and walked away from the position!
On Thursday morning, the Blended star shared an announcement with ET confirming her determination to step again kind the gig
“I have listened to the writers, and in order to truly respect them, I will pivot from hosting the MTV Movie & TV Awards live in solidarity with the strike. Everything we celebrate and honor about movies and television is born out of their creation. And until a solution is reached, I am choosing to wait but I’ll be watching from home and hope you will join me. I thank MTV, who has truly been some of the best partners I have ever worked with. And I can’t wait to be a part of this next year, when I can truly celebrate everything that MTV has created, which is a show that allows fans to choose who the awards go to and is truly inclusive.”
Now, per Variety, the present will go on with out a host. Interestingly, there can even be no purple carpet or expertise interviews earlier than Sunday night time’s present. Lots of adjustments there!
Stephen Colbert
On Monday night time, hours earlier than the strike truly grew to become official, Stephen Colbert used an extended phase on The Late Show to deal with the pending potential of main labor motion disrupting the leisure trade.
He defined that he was hopeful a deal may very well be reached (after all, that didn’t occur), after which stated he was backing the writers it doesn’t matter what occurred:
“I hope both sides reach a deal. But I also think that the writers’ demands are not unreasonable. I’m a member of the guild. I support collective bargaining. The nation owes so much to unions. They are the reason, unions are the reason, why we have weekends.”
Well spoken. And a humorous phase, as well!
Seth Meyers
Just like Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers is standing in solidarity with the writers! During final Friday’s episode of Late Night, Seth addressed the then-possibility of a writers strike:
“I am deeply proud of the fact that I get to be a professional writer. I bring this up because, as of Monday at midnight, there might be a writers strike. And if a writers strike happens, that would shut down production on a great many shows.”
Meyers, who was a author on Saturday Night Live over the last WGA strike — which lasted for 100 days starting on the very finish of 2007 — added this:
“It doesn’t just affect the writers, it affects all the incredible non-writing staff on these shows. And it would really be a miserable thing for people to have to go through, especially considering we’re on the heels of that awful pandemic that affected obviously not just show business, but all of us.”
And on Monday night time, once more simply hours earlier than the walkout was made official, Meyers added:
“[If a deal can’t be reached], this show will be interrupted and we won’t be here to spend time with you. … No one is entitled to a job in show business. But for those people who have a job in show business, they are entitled to fair compensation. They are entitled to make a living. I think it’s a very reasonable demand that is being set out by the guild, and I support those demands.”
You can see extra from Seth (beneath):
Amanda Seyfried
On Monday night time, Mean Girls alum Amanda Seyfried spoke concerning the (then-looming) writers strike whereas being interviewed on the purple carpet. She herself admitted she wasn’t near the negotiations and didn’t absolutely perceive the scope of the problem, however she stated one factor that ALL enterprise homeowners ought to comply with: individuals deserve honest compensation for his or her work!!
The actress acknowledged:
“I’m not in the room [for negotiations], so I don’t get what the problem is. Everything changed with streaming, and everybody needs to be compensated for their work. It’s fucking easy. I don’t get it. Whatever. Fingers crossed.”
Amanda Seyfried shares her ideas on a possible WGA strike: “Everything changed with streaming, and everyone should be compensated for their work. It’s f-cking easy.” pic.twitter.com/T21n5f188K
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) May 2, 2023
Seems easy sufficient, proper? Sadly, this strike proves studios and streaming giants don’t see issues the identical method…
Bowen Yang
Current SNL star Bowen Yang spoke to the Hollywood Reporter concerning the strike on Tuesday afternoon. Of course, Yang’s colleagues on SNL had been all set to have alum Pete Davidson again on set this coming weekend for a highly-anticipated episode. But that’s not taking place now with the strike in full impact.
And in his feedback to THR, Yang laid out his response:
“I’m really disappointed. We had a few good shows left, I think. We all came back rested and ready to work on Monday. Pete was very excited to host, even though he knew there was a big asterisk on the week, and there was a looming possibility it might not happen. I think we were all ready to give it our all for the next three weeks before the season ended.”
The 32-year-old actor and comedian went on:
“[I feel most for] the new cast and the new writers who started out [this season]. They didn’t get a chance to ring in the end of their first season, which is always a big milestone.”
Seriously!
Yang additionally shared his dismay at studios reportedly not even contemplating WGA proposals for a brand new contract right here within the earliest days of the strike:
“The fact that most of the points were just outright rejected is really devastating and concerning. So I’m here to join with the rest of the union to try to put pressure on the studios.”
James Austin Johnson
On Wednesday, proficient comic and famous Saturday Night Live star James Austin Johnson took to Instagram along with his personal supportive commentary geared toward WGA members. The comedian — recognized for his unimaginable Donald Trump impersonations — shared footage of himself on the picket line in NYC and wrote partially:
“Standing in solidarity with @wgaeast & @wgawest as a @sagaftra member. What the writers are asking for is not unreasonable, the companies’ responses at the negotiating table however were very unreasonable. May everyone reach a fair deal soon. Union members standing together is a beautiful thing.”
Of course, SNL is without doubt one of the reveals that stands to be very a lot affected by the continued strike. Great to see actors supporting writers!
Jay Leno
Jay Leno determined to repeat historical past this week when the picket strains went up. The former Tonight Show host drove over to the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank with a pair packing containers of Randy’s Donuts in hand on Tuesday afternoon.
As writers had been picketing and protesting the dearth of a brand new contract with studios, the 73-year-old late night time present veteran handed out donuts and supplied his help to those that had simply gone on strike:
Here he’s doing the identical factor in the course of the 2008 strike. pic.twitter.com/lTClcyxsWC
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) May 3, 2023
As you’ll be able to see from the second image in that Twitter thread, this was not the primary time Jay has opted for the donut transfer! Back in late 2007 over the last WGA strike, Leno confirmed up on the picket line outdoors Universal Studios close by this current-day one and handed out Krispy Kreme donuts to putting writers.
At the time, his Tonight Show was one of many reveals most affected by that 100-day labor motion. And now, though he’s out of the late night time sport, he figured he’d supply an analogous present of help. Good for him!
Cynthia Nixon
There’s no query about who Cynthia Nixon helps right here. The actress and activist — who ran unsuccessfully to develop into the Governor of New York in 2018 — has been out on the picket strains this week supporting the writers.
When the Hollywood Reporter caught up along with her about it, Nixon additionally referenced the 2007 strike. She informed the outlet that “no one’s budging” on this one, and the writers are ready to combat exhausting for his or her calls for:
“They were long strikes, and I think that that is one reason everybody is pouring onto the picket line to try and make as much noise as possible right at the beginning. We’re here. We’re not going to be broken. No one’s budging. We’ve got to negotiate.”
Plus, with the second season of And Just Like That… set to be launched in some unspecified time in the future subsequent month, Nixon informed the outlet that she hopes her promotional push there’ll preserve the strike within the entrance of individuals’s minds if it lasts that lengthy:
“I certainly feel like I’m going to make statements about supporting writers anywhere and everywhere I go. I’m interviewing [And Just Like That… writer] Samantha Irby in a couple of weeks at Symphony Space [in New York City], and we’re going to spend some of that time talking about the writers strike and her thoughts on it.”
So there you’ve gotten it!
What do U make of all this star energy backing the writers, y’all?!
Great to see actors, comedians, writers, hosts, and others all stand in solidarity!!
[Image via FayesVision/MEGA/WENN]
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