Go unions, go!

[rogueslayer452]

++ SAG-AFTRA has officially gone on strike, joining in with the WGA in the picket line, promptly halting any further production of the American entertainment industry. This will be SAG's first union strike since the 1980s (unless you count the 2016-2017 strike strictly by voice actors against video game producers), and the first dual strike with SAG and WGA since the 1960s. So yeah, this is quite historic to say the least, although it's unfortunate that it even needs to happen at all. It was preventable if the producers of the industry weren't so outrageously greedy and inhumane and their refusal to listen to the people they're attempting to screw over. I lived through the 2007-2008 WGA strike which was a huge deal at the time, and I have no doubt this will be equally as massive, if not more so especially when you take into account the deeply concerning issues and what is at stake that prompted both unions to strike. Unlike before, I do think this is going to really hit the entertainment industry hard because this is affecting everyone in the industry. Outside of shows and movies being delayed/on pause, cut short, or outright cancelled, people are going to be losing their jobs. And judging by the way the AMPTP completely disregards the livelihoods of the workers -- actors, writers, and everyone else in between -- y'all better buckle up and prepare to be in this fight for the long haul. It's most likely going to be long, and ugly.

To put it simply: support the SAG-AFTRA and WGA, and fuck the AMPTP.

++ The entertainment industry aren't the only ones striking lately, either. UPS workers are on the verge of a strike themselves, fast food workers in Los Angeles had a protest walkout recently, Los Angeles hotel workers on strike, among plenty others that I'm not mentioning. It's the summer of labor unions fighting in solidarity, and I'm here for it.

++ AO3 was hit by a DDoS attack recently, and while it seems that the site is back up they are apparently still being hit and are working tirelessly on counteracting these attacks and have given information and advice on how to navigate things on our end, including where to get updates (although I don't have Twitter so I can't access that, and the Tumblr page hasn't been updated since the 11th, so, I can only rely on what others say at this time until they make another official announcement on the site itself).

Comments

[author_by_night]

I feel for people who will be hit hard financially due to all of this, because yes, we look at all the celebrities with money picketing, but it's going to affect small-name writers and actors as well, who rely on these jobs to put money on the table. I know someone like that.

This is going to affect the industry big time. I'm not sure what will happen. I feel like the strikes in 2007 led to a lot more reality TV than anything else, as studios got desperate. It might just be me, but TBH I feel like 80% of shows were reality TV shows until maybe ten, even five years ago. So I'm concerned they'll do that, find quick and easy alternatives. They're already talking about AI. Scary stuff. But they'll also want to have their big box winners back, especially when it comes to movies.

What would help is if you could somehow separate art from industry, but that's... really difficult. Even a lot of the "indie" films aren't exactly independent in the romanticized sense, they're still made by companies with agendas, or so it seems anyway. YouTube might be the closest, and even YouTube seems to be largely "reality" based stuff, aside from satirical skits.

My hope is that they're eventually pressured, but yeah, it will take a while. They do not care about their writers and actors.

Also here for labor unions fighting. People are being paid for what they needed to live twenty years ago, not in 2023. Maybe even less than that. Workers are taken for granted in other ways.

lthough I don't have Twitter so I can't access that,

Yeah, I'm actually a little irked they only have twitter for that reason. You'd think they would update more on tumblr, considering so many AO3 users are there.

[rogueslayer452]

but it's going to affect small-name writers and actors as well, who rely on these jobs to put money on the table.

Yeah, people are going to be out of work and lose their jobs in the meantime. Watching some interviews with those picketing, they say that they love what they do, but they're not rich, they barely make enough for a decent living and oftentimes have to take on a second or third job just to pay their monthly rent and put food on the table. I think people often have this skewed image of those working in the entertainment industry, that all of them are rich or have enough money, when that couldn't be further from the truth. Unless one is an A-lister, many rely on these jobs to make ends meet. And, hell, even if they are an A-lister, fame is rather fleeting and they, too, can go broke and lose everything in an instant. I think we forget that sometimes because celebrities are viewed as unattainable and untouchable because of the image they present.

So I'm concerned they'll do that, find quick and easy alternatives. They're already talking about AI. Scary stuff. But they'll also want to have their big box winners back, especially when it comes to movies.

Everything surrounding the concept of using AI for an actor's likeness is deeply disturbing, because it's so dystopian.

Already there's been media using AI to do certain things (I think Secret Invasion has AI rendered opening credits, they claim that it's intentionally done to be disturbing to the viewer to fit in with the tone of the show, but that is still using something so controversial and one of the main reasons why the strikes are happening), and aside from pushing workers out in favor of AI, there's already been issues surrounding streaming cancelling and removing shows and movies because they don't want to pay the workers residuals, so by having entirely AI created media to ensure they don't "lose money" is most likely going to be a high possibility.

My hope is that they're eventually pressured, but yeah, it will take a while. They do not care about their writers and actors.

They really don't. It's no secret that they don't, but it was made blatantly clear with the leaked statement from a producer claiming that it's a "necessary evil" for writers/actors to go hungry and lose their homes until October. Both sides are stubbornly at a stalemate, but it's obvious that the unions are in the right here. You don't abuse your workers and threaten their livelihoods by pushing them out and refusing to compensate them for their hard work that they rightfully deserve and then point a finger at them saying they're the unreasonable ones by halting productions and making everyone be out of work. Just, the absolute audacity.

On one hand, I want this to be resolved as quickly and positively as possible in favor of the unions. On the other hand, should this be prolonged, as it most likely will be, it will expose the cracks and flaws of the industry and have it crumble once they realize that they really cannot function without their writers and actors and other workers they've hired. That they are nothing without them, no matter how many non-union, scabs, and AI generated shit they put out to replace them. Even if the producers can't see that because they are so full up their own asses, then everyone else will. We all know the industry is broken, in more ways than one, and if this is just the beginning we're in for quite a long, exhausting ride of exposing more of that.

Yeah, I'm actually a little irked they only have twitter for that reason. You'd think they would update more on tumblr, considering so many AO3 users are there.

Seriously.

[author_by_night]

Yeah, I know a film writer who has recently taken on other work because it wasn't enough to support him and his wife. It's still not really "enough" because it's very part-time, but it's better than nothing, especially right now.

ble. I think people often have this skewed image of those working in the entertainment industry, that all of them are rich or have enough money, when that couldn't be further from the truth. Unless one is an A-lister, many rely on these jobs to make ends meet. And, hell, even if they are an A-lister, fame is rather fleeting and they, too, can go broke and lose everything in an instant. I think we forget that sometimes because celebrities are viewed as unattainable and untouchable because of the image they present.

Yeah, exactly. Also, our idea of who is an A-lister can be skewed based on what we watch. Someone famous in nerd/geek circles, for instance, would be pretty unknown to a lot of other people. Or soap stars. I couldn't tell you one soap star, because I don't watch soaps. (Or reality TV. To be honest with you, if Kim Kardashian walked past me on the street, I'd have no idea why everyone was gasping and grabbing their phones.)

ETA: Okay, that's a jump, I do know what she looks like. No idea what Khloe looks like, though.

If you actually think about the number of movies and TV shows we watch, there are millions of actors in them. Only a few of them have two houses in Malibu, you know?

And you're right that it's fleeting. There have been actors of hit TV shows who later became homeless. Not quite what we're talking about here, just saying.

Anyway, I would say a lot of actors, including ones we think are super famous, probably make an average or even below average income. They're not living in mansions.


They really don't. It's no secret that they don't, but it was made blatantly clear with the leaked statement from a producer claiming that it's a "necessary evil" for writers/actors to go hungry and lose their homes until October.

... wow. You're right, the sheer audacity of it.

That they are nothing without them, no matter how many non-union, scabs, and AI generated shit they put out to replace them. Even if the producers can't see that because they are so full up their own asses, then everyone else will


I think you're right. We've already all known (there are ironically films and TV show episodes that even spell out how corrupt the industry is), but now it's really out there.