Why Actors Are Striking For The First Time In 40 Years
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- Опубліковано 22 чер 2023
- Hollywood actors have joined writers on strike and shut down the TV and film industry.
Streaming has broken the industry. Successful actors are working second jobs. Some received $0 in residuals from Netflix shows with millions of viewers. And many have no health insurance.
That’s why SAG-AFTRA actors have joined writers on strike for the first time since 1960.
#labor #actorsstrike #sagaftra #sagaftrastrike #hollywoodstrike #strike
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"I can't afford to keep doing my job" is not a thought that should occur to anyone. We need to normalize a living wage in all sorts of jobs.
The minimum wage was meant to be a living wage. In Texas, that’s 64k/yr. That’s what it cost for a single person to live a normal life.
@PeopleOverProfits777 Try California my dude.
why is this a thought all of a sudden? the impoverished have been saying this for years
And for some reason, it feels like that's rarer and rarer
and universal health care. you shouldn't be trapped at a job just because you're afraid to lose the ability to see a doctor
It's pathetic the "most powerful nation in the world" ties insurance and healthcare to employment. This country is sick.
The reason is simple, to make sure we have to keep working. Never stop working. Never stop being a part of the money-moving system. Pay us less, keep us tied to jobs we can't afford to leave because we can't get health care without the job, and we become the new peasants of neo-feudalism.
@@PaulGuy If everyone stops working, the money-moving system will stop functioning and have to listen to their demands for better rewards and job security, and face a serious punishment for mistreating the people who keep their businesses afloat. Also, I do not care what anybody says against those who want to have universal public healthcare in the United States. I want to learn how other countries manage to do it, especially Canada! They should not repeatedly use communism, marxism or socialism as an excuse for not having it, especially if they do not understand the definitions of those words or they already implement those forms of governance in other things, which would make them hypocritical to not apply it to health care and health insurance. I am sick of people who ignore reality and deny facts laid out in front of them, and it seriously disgusts me how much they want to repeat negative history by bringing back slavery for _everyone._
No it doesn't. You can pay for your health insurance and any medical care and don't have to be employed. You assume that you will not be able to receive medical treatment or care otherwise which is again untrue with public health and also emergency room which is used as they literally cannot turn away people from there.
@@lostboy8084Yes, for-profit hospitals do turn away patients and I've seen it. A county hospital refused to see a patient until she paid a $400 deposit (a house cleaner). Of course, this was in Texas, where business matters and people don't.
@@lostboy8084- OMG! I forgot that insurance takes “thoughts and prayers” and “experience” as forms of payment!!
My partner is getting laid off at the end of the month and to keep our current insurance it will cost 50% of what they normally made in a month. Sure, we can totally afford that.
When actors, writers, any creatives don't get compensated decently, only the very wealthy elites from privileged families are able to pursue the craft. Think about it.
Nepo Babies Nation
Just like politicians
You can't join the WGA unless you get into the good graces of the lib nepo babies in the first place.
Oh look. Another reason for universal health care. Go figure.
The fact that universal healthcare will SAVE Americans between 2-5 trillion dollars over 10 years and we haven’t done it, blows my mind away.
Exactly my thought as well.
You already have universal healthcare if you just don't pay the bill.
Oh look. Another person who thinks they know what they're talking about. Go figure.
@@MrYFM2if you’re so smart then you explain
Union strong! We should all be supporting the writers, actors, UPS workers, railway workers, teachers, doctors and other medical professionals and everyone else striking for their rights to just get paid fairly and live their lives. We should ALL be fighting for this right within our own respective jobs, support each other, stronger together.
Don’t forget visual artists especially VFX nowadays
Except police unions. That's a gang of thugs
never feel sorry for a millionaire
Big difference between railway workers and Hollywood stars. 🙄
@@vipermad358 problem is that we ain’t talking about holloywood stars here. We are talking about those that “don’t make it” people who take two jobs etc.
It's not just actors, it's most of the workers in this nation. Corporation greed is killing America.
It’s killing Americans
Corporate greed is what created America in the first place
Late stage hypercapitalism has become terminal.
Then move to putins russia north Korea or Xi Jin pings red China communist boot licker
America love it or leave it I love capitalism.
We should not have to rely on employment for HEALTH CARE!! Medicare4All! #medicare4all
You know. You’d think companies might want this. That way the government would pay for people’s healthcare instead of them.
@@viridianacortes9642 You mean the taxpayer, not the govt. Follow the money to the source, not to the receiver.
@@djjspec You might want to re-examine your perspective there.
The tax payers ARE the government; as in "We the People .."
I understand that the founding principle of our government does not currently apply here; and that our current system is, self-evidently, a government FOR the Billionaires & Corporate-interests, instead of "the People."
And, while recognizing that a corporately-captured government, dedicated to maximizing profits for the few, is antithetical to one dedicated to ensuring the common good; Reactionary, anti-government, flexing is such an obvious indication of Trickle-down syndrome indoctrination, that it generally disqualifies one from serious discussions.
Just a thought.
they don't have to rely they are lying
@@djjspecimagine getting something in return for paying taxes. It's significantly cheaper for the government without a profit motive to organise healthcare.
It can be tough for fans but the entertainment industry needs this strike.
Absolutely and remember after the last strike we got some amazing shows, interesting changes to existing ones and uniquely written scripts as a result. Just because there is a strike doesn't mean that they're still not creating.
The whole country needs to strike.
It's tough for any demographic, but everyone needs to strike.
@@PaulGuy I was looking for just that comment -- thank you!
Yup the creatives in the industry whether it’s
Artists (vfx and costume), writers, and performers need to be protected. Without them we wouldn’t have entertainment
I'm really glad both unions stuck together
The Director's Guild stands with the both of them too.
I think this will show all the other unions that when they stick together, positive change comes.
@@Lady_Omnikind of but also not at first, some critical support but more needed
Empathy is LOST on some of you in these comments! These people are WORKING and not getting PAID! What is so hard to understand!? 🙄
I stand with them 100%!
Interesting when you hear those same people’s perspectives on unemployment and “not wanting people to be lazy”. But then when people are working and still not getting paid, it’s okay with them because their political affiliation doesn’t line up 🤔
@@tokyorift Not to mention that there are some actors etc. whose political affiliations DO line up with theirs---couldn't they at least have empathy for fellow partisans??
@@tokyorift it's because their political ideology is based on hated for and the suffering of others and inherently has no internal logic. they do not care about anything, they just want their strongman to protect them from the big scary world.
These actors sell their soul to satan in exchange for being rich and all the attention
@@tokyoriftNo, it's because they don't care about the products that Hollywood is offering. Politically it's a one-sided industry and it makes sense that people who don't line up with them, don't care. They have alienated a lot of people. Go woke, go broke.
It sounds like health insurance itself is a problem
Yep, usa in nutshell
Oh it most certainly is a problem in and of itself! Healthcare is a running joke in this country
You got that right.
The worst part is the insurance companies jacked up the prices on purpose so you literally cannot survive without it. It's a scam from top to bottom.
I literally was about to search for an update on the writer's strike when this popped up in my feed. I have been boycotting the "repeat-feeds" of shows whose writers are on strike.
I completely support the writers and actors, and look forward to them having their demands met. ✊✊✊Venture capitalists & Hollywood execs who profit off the sweat, labor and blood of others can GFT.
No matter the outcome of this shutdown, as long as profit is the guiding principle of the industry, this will happen again; and we won't have to wait 15 years either.
profit is the guiding principal of every industry, it's the nature of capitalism. it's designed to benefit people with capital, so they can make more.
@@ohiasdxfcghbljokasdjhnfvaw4ehr so? it just means it is a fucking bigger problem lmao this will happen not only again, but it will destroy all fields of societal life eventually
EXACTLY!!!!! That should be the point of the story
Yup, bc Capitalism is unsustainable
I am sorry that I do not know how Hollywood unions quitting their jobs, and then demanding to be paid more from streaming revenue, is supposed to deliver any meaningful punishment to who runs the greedy corporations, to not let this residual wage theft happen again!
The acting profession was righteously glamorized for a long time. Since corptocracy has taken hold the working people of every profession are being squeezed then left in the dust.
Actors in the past were considered as less trustworthy than prostitutes, because they pretend for a living.
That’s just a natural consequence of capitalism
@@The-Devils-Advocate deregulations from Reagan's era caused this, don't throw the baby out with the bathwater and stop falling for propaganda.
Corporatocracy! Greed
And it's long been UNACCEPTABLE! I am in total support of these workers.
The dependence on the almighty health insurance is half of the problem.
Medical should not be a for profit industry, it shouldn't even be an industry.
It was a profession that was highly regarded until it became corporatized.
We went from being patients to profit margins in the blink of the eye.
Any country with unregulated capitalism is doomed to fail by abusing their workers until they quit or get fired. If the COVID-19 pandemic causing many of the working class citizens who survived it to quit their jobs does not change this problem before Donald runs again in 2024, or even by 2030 if he does not make it, I do not know what else can save us. All I know is, everybody in a union right now needs to come up with a one-size-fits-most punishment for corporate greed that reaps their rewards and gives them unfair deals.
But then turn around and say doctors are underpaid.
@@jeong-ilkajokaya3849it's not the doctors that are the problem it's the insurance companies.
Oh hell yeah! I wanna see everyone strike against the big corporations. AI can't replace everyone all at once.
Yeah, just the ones that suck lol!
Employers should not be in charge of "their" employees' health care. MEDICARE FOR ALL ! ! !
Employers should not be able to decide compensation to "their" employees. It should be a percentage of the profits (current and residual), distributed according to the employees' time spent, and the consumer response.
If network media is more fair than streaming media, then all the creatives should, not just boycott but, divest from all streaming services, and contribute only to the network structure that supports them.
Good luck with that, no one is using tv anymore
@@mr.x2567 45% still are; and more can; and public broadcasting can be reimagined and rejuvenated, as we, directly and fairly, fund the content creators, and reuse airways that belong to the people. If all the quality content is there, and all the AI trash is streamed, the public / the people will follow the best, and leave the rest. It's up to humans to make and keep life humane.
To anyone who is saying "look at those greedy rich celebrities who just want more money."
Not all actors are wealthy. If streaming is causing them to become so poor they can't even afford a basic standard of living that is an issue.
The majority are barely scraping by, often supplementing their acting career with various other jobs.
Oh absolutely.
They making 400% then the average Middle Class citizens. I got no bones people making good money but let's be real they're AZZ is overpaid including Journalists 300k a week ridiculous.
even wealthy rich celebrities should be entitled to residuals
@@jkim-ph1ds Agreed.
Most labourers building the sets make less than these guys, and now they're stuck without a job and without even a voice.
If this entire debacle is about health insurance you should be aware that the real labourers get less than nothing. Sometimes they're tasked to do dangerous things which they have to do to meet unreasonable targets and once they get hurt they get fired and replaced.
The real labourers, building the sets only have the job at hand to provide for them. And they destroy themselves in order to earn a measly living in most cases not even offered a chance to work overtime to earn something extra.
If writers had it as bad as the labourers building their sets, then what sort of protest would be held? A million man march?
Didn’t know the rot was this deep in Hollywood. We don’t hear about this side in the media.
Of course not. The media doesn't want the bad stuff it does getting out. Luckily for them, they're also in charge of telling the story to most people. It's the same reason why regardless of which cable news station you watch, they all treat universal health care like it's a ridiculous idea, and that regulating the stock market is a bad idea. Because the stations themselves are part of the same corporate system.
@@PaulGuy So youtube is not a media then according to you...
@@redstarchrilleit's not UA-cam that put out this video, it's A More Perfect Union. UA-cam is a platform as corrupt as any other, but being as large as it is they can't keep everything secret forever because the public has access to posting their own stuff.
The same corporate system that pays you so well.@@PaulGuy
this should be standard for EVERY worker, not just actors and writers.
Actor and writers are feeling what us lower class citizens been dealing with for years
@@avrylgreen6937 wholeheartedly agree
It's great to have that inner look at everything going wrong. There really isn't a working person that shouldn't be on strike right now.
What we need is universal health care, and not to have it connected to employment.
That would take a tremendous amount of stress off jobs in the arts.
AND we need to pay actors and writers enough for them to continue in those careers.
Of course, Danny Devito would be out there striking. He's got good politics.
So does Ed Asner! He did a lot in his lifetime to help actors get health insurance in SAG-AFTRA, and people today are still carrying his ideals 2 years after he passed away. Did you read the news about that 15 million dollar lawsuit that was filed against SAG-AFTRA for violating retiree labor laws?
i wish Danny Devito didn't do tax prep commercials, considering the predatory nature of the entire industry; but in general the little homie is as based as they come.
lot of trolls in the comments, who clearly didn't watch the video
Those actors who have raised these issue for years, were denounced & ostracized by the go-along-to-get-long crowd which runs SAG-ATRA.
The SAG-ATRA union has been a compliant poodle for the Corporate-Studio system for over a decade; and now their cozy collaboration is reaching it's inevitable conclusion.
Here's to all those "Good" people, who remain so dedicated to ensuring that "Nothing Fundamentally Changes" for their Corporate-owners & Wall St. interests.
New president started in late 2021, this is the first new contract with the union since her arrival. So it does matter who is president of your union.
Since I read about the Writers Guild of America strike from 2007, I used to think it was just the writers and behind-the-scenes people who needed to strike since 1936. Little did I know, actors in Hollywood have also had to strike for the same kind of fair pay negotiations and residual pay since 1952, and most of them, even the A-list actors, are not as Uber-rich as we think they are. Until last year's HBOmax purge by the Warner Brothers Discovery merger, I did not know that streaming services, even if they did not start out this way, became a scam to deny residual pay. Nobody should have to suffer a job they can not afford to work. Employment must not be synonymous with slavery! June 24, 2023, 5:51pm
Actors have a huge voice and I'm glad they're using it to support unions. One union victory is a union victory for all workers
What I don't get about the studios' behavior is why would you enact policies that make the 'circuses' worse when the bread already costs so damn much? Did they not read history in the over priced private schools they all attended?
They do not think like We do Rosemary. That is how "We, the Real People" operate, that is our thinking. They do not; it is opportunity for them to step on peoples' heads to advance themselves. They are mentally ill...sociopathic, at least.
Unfortunately, this neglects that most of these firms are NOT solely controlled by singular oligarchs, but rather by hedge funds and other groups that are fixated to an absurd extreme to maximize short term profits at all costs. They aren't even doing effective prudent management of the empire precisely because they are cannibalizing themselves. When privatization reaches its extremes, this is what seemingly always happens. It becomes a force unto itself. This ain't Jack Warner or Lucille Ball running a studio. It's people who only know how to obey and further cannibalize for maximum short-term gains.
And regarding "the classics", no. Unfortunately, for those oligarchs, even *_their_* educations have likely been washed down because each generation of ruling oligarchy fears ideas getting out that may criticize them. That's why it's taken people like economist Michael Hudson to claw back the absurdity by rediscovering our own collective histories. We genuinely don't know it and so many generations of bullshit have been pushed that often times (with exception to an EXTREMELY limited few), most members of the "management class" don't know or are so co-opted that they enact downright stupid policies just because the board/shareholders demand it (even if it destroys the long-term viability of the firm and destroys long-term profitability. They are eating themselves because that is more important to the rentier capitalist financiers-the parasites ruling the top.).
They think they can stay safe this time. They always think they can stay safe this time. They never think we might come for _their_ cake.
As an Actor, Singer and Poet, I am a steadfast supporter!
Stand your ground, folks!!
Damn, you know shit's getting serious when a bunch of actors you recognize are standing up and saying "Hello! I need to get paid here!" I know Andrew Leeds from Bones. He was excellent as the serial killer Christopher Pellant in that show. I've seen every episode. I love the series so much, I bought the whole damn thing digitally on UA-cam Movies and TV. Great acting! By far the most challenging, brutal, and gruesome killer that the protagonists ever faced in that series. I didn't ever watch much NCIS but my Dad watched tons so I've seen Renée's face many times on my family tv. Where the Hell is our money going if we're paying all these monthly fees and now our favorite actors are struggling?? When does the worker abuse end??
Welcome to America. Everyone gets exploited. Actors are just the ones who know how to talk to cameras. It's the capitalist utopia you all wanted, with almost no regulations.
This kind of communication has never being so important, helps dismistify this fantasy that writers, actors and staff have all the money, all the control and easy life but is the big companies that actually live in this paradise of no worries and endless money
Write something I agree with or are entertained by and maybe I can stand by you.
@@colorocko1 oh, I'm so losing sleep over that lmao
just lose money lol@@will420high4
As an European: Maybe a big part of the problem is the American healt care system.
As a college student in America, taking Healthcare Administration, I have to write about this ALL the time for assignments.
That and capitalism
Look at the UK see there healthcare 😭😭😭.
@@jeong-ilkajokaya3849The UK is failing because of the tories.
Look at Cuba and their healthcare system
@@riztiz Nah, yall want government to be responsible for your healthcare. It’s great unique government fails or turn against you.
Cuba? You want to compare to cuba? Cuba is great until you realise that doctors get paid less than taxi drivers. Also do they make any groundbreaking research? Cuba sounds great but they but cuba is barely functioning county.
This was what Monique what talking about when promoting precious. Contracts set up beforehand and pay to the actors don’t reflect nowhere near what the movie made or studio.
We need Medicare for all. Our future economy is not properly structured for the way we pay healthcare. It’s especially brutal for freelancers & creative types.
The studios and producers that are represented by AMPTP have been raking in record profits, yet all of the people that actually do the work, on and off set, that make these shows possible are being ground down under the heels of the wealthiest people in the industry. The producers need to pay what they owe, now.
Perfect screen name...lol cuz I don't!
Good job being a key part of our show! Heres like a months worth of groceries now never talk to us again
They’re not asking for anything different from what everyone else is asking for. It sounds to me like these actors are not even being paid minimum wage! This isn’t right. It’s time for change.
Does anyone else feel like these executives and the Fortune 500 etc and the ultra rich have put us in a cast system? Why is someone who writes and or acts in a multi million/billion dollar movie or tv show getting checks for 1 cent?
Yes. The capitalist class has total control over the lives of the working class. They don't do any of the work but reap the benefits.
1 cent? show me that check
The life of the vast majority of musicians, actors or writers is so destabizing it's surprising any good art gets made.
Glad to hear the actors may strike too, I was just hoping for an update about the writers strike. We really just need a general strike, this entire country is unlivable.
I'm glad that they brought up "servers in restaurants" as a comparison. People forget that a sustainable life should be from EVERY job, not just these high profile ones.
My first thought upon seeing the thumbnail was "who cares"?? After viewing it though it does make you think that America could have a real renaissance in a lot of things besides just arts and entertainment if medical care was not tied to employment.
how did this even happen in the first place? if residuals were not negotiated, how did the shows were sold to streaming, legally? this looks like an egregious misstep for the industry
Residuals were negotiated, and there was very specific working to define them, which is replaying on network television, no wording was in contracts talking about "well what if this gets sold to a non-broadcast format". Shows were sold, and now we have a situation where you're not paid for reruns because technically nothing is being rerun, it's all individuals deciding when and where they watch. Who knows maybe they start negotiating a new situation where they get residuals based on the number of times a show is watched, but that's a tricky situation too because the streaming income model isn't based off how network TV works.
@@Mike__B yeah! I think it should be something like UA-cam where every view gives Maney to creators. I'm not anyone who is close to the industry but seems pretty straight forward logically. But again we are dealing with ppl who want to horde all the profits and not divide it equally
@@realshehrkhan It does seem straight forward, however it really is a matter of the haves and the have nots and both of those groups are actors. The stars/focus of a show aren't having these problems, it's the actors who are "background character X" and wanting to continually get paid for something like this is hard to fathom. Kind of like the guy who decided where the power charging port on the iphone goes, he got paid to do that particular job he doesn't get paid for every iPhone that is sold.
@@Mike__Bwhen the pay is based around residuals for all individuals, yes.
If you are working as an actor and cannot afford to live in the city, that's a pay structure problem, whether you're the lead or a background extra. If you want shows to have a cast of 4 people and no background, it'll be some pretty shitty television.
The same way OpenAI trained its LLM on the world's intellectual property. We create content with a reasonable expectation of compensation and protection. Nobody ever said some mega-computer was going to suck up our thoughts and work and we wouldn't have a legal leg to stand on.
CA is too expensive. Its now a fantasy to think that you can live in the same city you work or grew up in CA. Just reality.
There’s nothing wrong with stealing from rich people.
@@mr.x2567It's morally correct
Employment and healthcare need to be divorced.
Than god the moderna world is nothing like the developing country US :D
I may have to go back to reading more books. It's ridiculous you hear the head of Netflix, who does no acting or writing, getting 10s of millions yearly but wants to pay actors and writers $500 and no residuals. Without them, there is no product. They need to get paid. If anyone thinks that this will "increase our monthly subscriptions" you haven't been paying attention. They're going up anyway. Executive compensation does more to increase our fees than paying actors and writers what they're due.
Well put
"We should be able to afford to live a life in the city where the work is taking place".
Dear heavens, that is an amazing quote!
Musicians, composers, and songwriters should be next. CEO’s in all industries always get the most money. Workers unite!✊✊
I'm happy that actors are starting to catch on that this system hurts people unjustly. I am not surprised they only catch on when it effects them.
Oh look at that.
Actors are getting a taste of basically every manual labor/"lesser job" out there.
I hope they do well.
And I hope they somehow manage to use the momentum of their strike to adress also a broader net of labors who historically struggle with the same exact issues, but without the same type of weight their voices carry by virtue of being famous.
After we sort this part out, if we do- we should start taking a long look at fame and celebrity culture and how much of a privilege it is. Modern day royalty.
@@Maelstromme I love how this comment and reply amounts to "Wow, celebrity should be used to give a voice to the little man," and the response was "Yeah, after celebrities get what they want, we should immediately go back to just fantasizing about celebrity."
If that ain't the whole thing summed up.
I totally support the writer's strike, and if actors need to strike I support them, too. I'm sick or corporate greed destroying everything corporations touch.
Actors are not shutting down Hollywood, the Studios are doing that all themselves
Just awful how these people are being treated💔😱😿
All the performers, writers, voice actors, and everyone else that actually makes shows & movies happen should band together and form their own cooperatives. Y'all are the ones that actually do the work, what do the studios actually bring to the table that you couldn't just do yourselves?
The great corporate greed of our time is also impacting actors. Who would have thought?
One more reason we need single-payer, vocation, independent healthcare for all citizens. While it would not erode the concerns about people being paid fairly in entertainment, it would remove one of the inhuman concerns.
A system of massive profit for those at the top, while those who contributed to that success become less sustainable, will implode at some point! I don't understand why corporations don't fight for Universal Healthcare, which while it might drive up their taxes a little, will also remove their responsibility for health coverage, which is a primary concern, and with one system for all, the costs can be negotiated more successfully driving down the cost of the whole system.
Employers are only in charge of healthcare to begin with, because the government placed a temporary ban on employee raises during the strained economy of world war two, so employers had to start offering benefits as raises to their employees instead. Then they got in a stable relationship with insurers, more regulation and corruption ensued as a result, and now we have the broken system we have today.
A government regulation caused this problem, another one won't solve it; at least not without causing more unintended problems in the long run, like the first one did. Basically, the freer the market, the freer the people.
@@hagoryopi2101 The freer the market, the freer the (rich) people.
Companies will do anything they can to reduce costs. They don't care about actual people.
@@hagoryopi2101 Your synopsis seems to forget to include corporate greed in the analysis.
@@riztiz government regulations are an easy way to avoid accountability for stupid practices like cost cutting. It prices a lot of potential competition out of the market, which protects them from the natural free-market consequences of their actions. If they need more protection from competition, they can just lobby for more and different kinds of regulations; ones the government will say are meant to protect us, but which only exist to protect existing corporations' bottom lines, because they have the money to afford it or circumvent it, small businesses attempting to grow don't. And if that's not enough to save them, the government will just bail them out anyways, because they're in bed with one another...I mean, "too big to fail!"
In a free market, a business answers directly to us. We control their income, exclusively, so they have to at least provide us a better service than their competition. They can't manipulate our tax money into being used for their interests. That means they will fail if they aren't offering a better service than competition, or if competition arises to stop them. That means they will actually compete with one another. That means we will actually be able to afford things, like housing and healthcare and higher education! Rather than the unaffordable, excessively regulated markets those are now.
The rich will always be greedy. But in a free market, we control their access to greed. In a regulated market, they can use taxpayer money to protect, enable, and even directly fund their greed, without our consent (because we don't consent to paying taxes). Which one sounds more accountable?
If only humans cared about each other.
Most people do. We just happen to live within an economic system which rewards greed over basic human empathy
@@riztizkeep living in that false reality. Humans should have gone extinct years ago
Great👍👏🌹 news! Blue collar working people are not alone in their struggle for fair wage😢
Rich people : “You wanna know the best part about the free market? - I can watch poor and desperate people claw each others eyes out for the opportunity to shake their buts in front of MY cameras”
☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️
“Even better! I can use that toxic competitive landscape to suppress the wages of the talented and get free work from them!!”
Accurate
Decades ago almost all writers and other staff were employed full time by the studios. What happened?
Greed won
✊🏽 Keep up the good fight.
Here it is. The cost of taking rights away from the average Joe filtering up, and up. Wish we could start by slashing those golden parachutes before slashing pensions and healthcare.
Let them strike the lack of wealth sharing is passing the decency limits. We viewers can read books, go for a walk, talk to each other for a while
Acting is like every other business. You have the big fish on top. The Leo's, The Brad's, etc. that are making millions on one role, and they get to star in the movie. And there's more and more people below in the pyramid, who get to make a living doing this. Then you have everyone else. They aren't famous. Nobody recognizes you from that one speaking role you had on Stranger Things episode 15. But there's this perception that they are rich and famous, because if they go to a red carpet, of course they're gonna dress up, and put a big smile on their face. But it's no different when you go in for a job interview at a minimum wage job. Obviously, you have no money, otherwise you would not be applying for a minimum wage job. But you still dress nicely, and put a big fake smile on your face, and lie your ass off. And the employer knows you're broke, your smile is ingenuous, and that you're lying your ass off. And that's what they expect. They won't even consider hiring you if you don't do those things. It's the same for red carpets. There's an image and a perception that needs to be maintained when you're at a red carpet. Obviously everybody wants to go to red carpets and say "This is meaningless" like Jim Carrey did. But the same reason why you can't go to a job interview and say "This is meaningless" is the same reason they don't. They can't afford to. They don't have FU money like Jim Carrey. They have to play the game just like everybody else.
We need a Boycott Corporate Day in America .... we need to bring the corporate wheela to a hault TOGETHER- nation wide and demand the change we deserve. Show the power of the people over the profiteers
They need to lose billions of dollars in revenue. They hold too much power in the system.
Not a single person should be against a strike. If you watch any TV or any movies, you should want -everyone- involved to be able to live their life without worrying if they'll be able to eat or pay rent. How could you not?
Maybe it's because I'm early, but lots of folks in these comments seem to be showing contempt for the interviewees under the assumption that all actors are rich and I want to dispel that. I've been working in the entertainment industry for a few years now and since I entered in late 2020, the change in only three years has been astronomical. Most of my friends struggle to make ends meet. I'm in a group chat where we compare recipes to make meals for under $4. Minimum wage in CA and NY is $15/hr. I have a friend right now taking a job that pays a salary of less than $7/hr to survive, and that's from a reputable network cutting corners due to the writer's strike. They do this because they know they can get away with it.
The reason residuals are a thing is that networks made money every time they aired your labor. Advertisements made them money every time they aired your work. What we do is considered an art form for a reason, it takes hundreds of people behind a project to not only come on time every day and put in sometimes up to 16 hours of work, but to also share a singular vision while doing so. That is not insignificant. And networks made money every time they showcased that work, so everyone involved made a little bit of money in that process, and rightfully so. It was their intellectual property. With that gone due to the massive adoption of streaming platforms over cable, it has decimated what was once a manageable job for most into a manageable job for the already wealthy.
Since I started I've witnessed so many talented people leave the industry because they can't afford to pay for housing and the luxury of feeding themselves. These are humans who just wanted to tell stories. And they were forced out because executives bought their own stock to artificially make themselves more wealthy while ignoring the people who made their companies worth anything in the first place. The unions stick together for a reason. When ordinary people are no longer allowed into this line of work, the stories being told suffer. The art itself suffers. While the merit of different shows and films being considered art may be contested, in my mind they are all art. Everything after is just taste. And when the art suffers, so does our culture. And that matters more than we want to think. Our stories are one of our greatest exports, and when they suffer, so does the strength of who we are as humans.
It's brilliant how new voices are being brought into the spotlight to represent untold stories. It marks a genuinely good shift in how we portray the fabric of our country. But it is disgusting and beyond insulting how little they are compensated for the stories that reach millions of subscribers who pay $9.99+ every month to see them. We truly are not asking for much. I'm young and in my twenties and perhaps have too much of a naive love for what I do, but I feel that passion deserves to be compensated when people who have no involvement in what we make earn so much more than the people who make it for them. They are human just as much as we are. What makes them worth so much more than us?
I'll leave it on this note. I was on a set for a commercial the other day (they aren't impacted by the writer's strike) and I overheard one of the producers complaining about his rent to the line producer. He was paying over $8k/month for his apartment. $8,000.00. And this is a younger producer in his forties and likely has a paycheck that pails in comparison to what executives earn. It's hard for me to fathom. Last week I chose not to eat anything except for egg tacos I made in the morning and at night to save money.
I think these two quotes summarize perfectly how I and many people feel nowadays about the state of our work:
"When a man is in despair, it means that he still believes in something." - Dmitri Shostakovich
"if I can't survive peacefully, it is not survival I will give up on."
Wow, this really need to be heard. The fact that they're not getting paid for their work and the execs are profiting is very sad.
Maybe their "work" isn't something people want to pay for?
Americans are suffering more than ever before without it being their own fault more than ever. People are suffering, going homeless, and dying more than ever - NOT their own fault....
And our most famous celebrities are using their massive platform NOW!? FOR FIRST TIME IN 40 YEARS - TO BRING AWARENESS TO THIS ONE ISSUE IN THEIR OWN INDUSTRY. I'm all for strikes and writers and whatnot - but that aspect of it makes me f*cking sick
This coming week is going to be CRUCIAL.
I know it hurts, but a part of me wants SAG-AFTRA to go on strike. Everything will be shut down, make the execs feel some pain.
The bottom line - Writers and actors should be treated like any other corporate business....That is, when you are hired for a role, you negotiate your pay for that role, and that is it....
As an example, - If an employee writes a service manual while working for a company, that manual belongs to the company. (100% of the time)
If that employee quits or is fired, the company still owns that manual, and can continue to use it for as long as they want. They can also sell it to another company, which might put it online and charge a fee for others to look at it.
In those two cases, it would be ludicrous for the employee to think they should be getting a residual payment for the manual, when they are no longer with the company. It would be even crazier for the employee to think they should be paid by the new owners.
Actors should be the same - negotiate a fair salary for the role, and perhaps work in residuals that stay in place as long as the actor is under contract with that series, but if and when the series ends, or is sold to a streaming service, that actors claim to financial gain for it should end. The studio puts up the 100's of millions of dollars for the project, and as such, they own it and should be able to do whatever they want to with it.
Now on the topic of AI - this really should not be allowed. If it is used, then a compensation target that is in line with live jobs should be mandatory every time the likeness/audio voice is used. In other words, if a studio uses AI to put together a film that pulls old video of a star and makes it into a new movie, then the star should be compensated just as if he did the performance live. (every time it is used, since AI is not a studio, and it is not able to sign a contract in advance.)
So, in summary, here is the best strike outcomes that should be settled on.
1. Negotiate for a higher baseline salary. (This would allow the elimination of residuals)
2. Forbid the use of AI unless the pay is the same as the in-person performance. (for every occasion it is used)
3. Eliminate residuals unless the actor is still on a production set, doing the same show. Once the show is cancelled the residuals should stop.
4. Allow actors to merchandise their roles/characters and themselves, even if they are no longer on the set or with the studio. If they fund it, they keep 100% of sales. If the studio funded the merchandising, then they should split 50%-50% for as long as merchandise is sold.
We need an economic bill of rights like FDR was proposing when he died.
That is why Marianne Williamson put together an updated Economic Bill of Rights, which is based on FDR’s plan.
This is happening because of streaming but also, maybe more so, because no one wamts to pay actual actors and actresses with talent what they deserve. Ever since the reality tv era became popular, its cheaper to get "regular" people who dont understand how pruduction and tv work, so they dont understand how they should be paid. Which means they dont know how much they are worth or how to for negotiate it. Just another scheme by rich people to pay workers less for the same job.
what doesnt makes sense to me is how they just don't assume streaming as part of residual payout? if people are watching, what arent the networks paying?
Didn’t know “Repeat Streams” can be an issue on shows folks are striking on, wow!
Also, strikes are possible not only through solidarity and continued public education on demands like this video but we also need strike funds! Mutual aid is the only thing that can keep us afloat as corporations attempt to delay, delay, delay.
To anyone contemplating strikes, please build systems of mutual aid and communal funds! It makes all the difference in keeping spirits high and communities healthy without a standard paycheck. It’s why union dues matter! Then systems can stay moving even once strikes are complete.
Take care, yall! Sending love!
2:52 this is why I have time sympathizing. In my mind, I just see these actors as just whining. Hopefully their union can get the W.
I stand by the writers, actors, and everyone involved who makes the creative content that allows the fat cat execs to get wealthier. Streaming has changed the game and they need to fix things. In the meantime, there is so much content out there currently that they can strike for two years and people will still have something to watch. The audience is also getting fleeced by having to pay for additional streaming services on top of cable, satellite, premium channels, etc.
CGI is not Ai.... confusing the two will hurt your argument and I'd rather you not lose.
Wishing the actors and actresses on strike all the best. I hope a successful outcome materialises for everyone.
Stay strong ❤❤❤❤❤ we love you and support the fight!
I get their point but if Hollywood shut down for good I think the world is a better place.
I back you guys 100%. I am in SEIU2015. One day I may have to strike against the state of California....your strike is far more likely. That is sad. As one who lives with a chronic illness in my hubby, we depend on streaming, cannot go to movies anymore. It saves us from murdering eachother 😂😂 thank you for your craft, one and all!! Do whatever you gotta do......we will always have your backs....
A fight for labor anywhere is a fight for labor everywhere.
I for one stream because of the fact there's Nothing worth while to watch on network TV, these garbage "reality shows" take up too much space on the network's, and don't get me started on the commercials, I completely understand and support that these people truly deserve to be able to make a Living wage and have benifits for their work that greedy corporations are making billions off of.
I’ve unsubscribed from all the services until the strike is off. Screw these greedy billionaires hoarding everything in our society
Health insurance should not be tied to employment period. These actors absolutely deserve to be paid more and get residuals, but the bottom line is the USA is built on the exploitation of labor.
This is so normal across industries (e.g., I have to have a day job to be able to use my PhD teaching) - which is a huge problem. I hear people shrug these complaints off because it's "normal." Why do we accept this version of the world that has been deliberately built to benefit the few on the backs of the many?
Yea this system isn't different from feudalism if you think about it
I just don't get why these studio executives, CEOS, and shareholders don't see the benefits of paying their people -- not just actors and writers, but everyone involved -- livable wages!
Now, I get the simple math of minimizing your expenses in order to maximize your profits, especially when public equity and the stock market is involved. I do. I get it!
But it also doesn't take a genius to to know that if you pay your people so they can afford their basic needs, their healthcare, their reasonable levels of comfort, and anything else to eliminate the typical stresses of the modern world, those same people you rely on to deliver your revenue-streaming products won't be too sick, too exhausted, too stressed, or too poor to make the drive to the studio lot that would otherwise prevent them from doing their best, top quality work!
Plus, you can avoid strikes like this altogether after you inevitably push them too far!
I hate to reference this guy, because of how cartoonishly evil and bigoted he was, but even Henry Ford knew the importance of paying his people well and giving his people enough time off -- consequently giving birth to weekends as we know them today -- because he knew tired workers make mistake, and if they spent all their time here and were always broke, they wouldn't be out there buying his cars.
The same applies here: Movies and shows -- as much as I love them -- are luxuries, and no one's gonna be able to buy tickets to your next blockbuster or keep subscribing to your platform if they can't even afford to feed their families or pay for their doctors!
I hope the actors go on strike as well, there are those that think they can get away with AI writers for their shows, but they can’t fill in the blanks without the actors, so I hope the writers, the crew, the actors, and those who are lifting the weight of this field continue to give the top dogs of media conglomerates hell.
If only all these actors and writers would only pull themselves up by their bootstraps!
together we're strong, divided we're screwed
The fact that these people still feel like they have to acknowledge their privilege when they GET EXPLOITED? The fact that they feel like they have to do this tells you how horrible the conditions truly are. I like to watch shows on Netflix and other streaming services. I want the people that work on these shows to be compensated fairly. Pension. Health Insurance. Stable income. It’s not just because it’s right and these people simply deserve to eat and not get sick and get bankrupted because of that - they are SO MUCH MORE vulnerable if the course continues the way it has. We all remember MeToo. If people get as desperate as they are describing, the climate is ripe not just for simple labour exploitation (already terrible), but a lot of abuse of power.
Solidarity.
We are stronger together.
I don't think anybody knows about this. But when you're a singer or an actor in an entertainment industry, you are self-employed. This business is always all about money. No matter how famous you are. I don't know about this but I do know that when you do a television series such as different strokes. Gary Coleman was making $1000 per episode the following season. He was making $7000 per episode, And sometimes when you do a television series like Gilligan's island you get paid a certain amount per Episode but you don't get any residuals. Asked the girl that played mary ann on gilligan's island Of course she passed on
This strike is so important. Good on you guys, the workers that come after you will stand on your shoulders and be grateful. This is an issue all over North American, just a few fat cats at the top crushing the backs of the workers that make them rich. No talent, bonuses even if they fail. I think unions are going to make a major comeback. In solidarity ✊🏼💕
At least they had health insurance at some point of their lives. I've never had such thing, like ever. This country is fucked to the bottom
I like bonding, I love seeing Chris Colfer’s long lost brother is speaking out :) ;)
In all seriousness, I’m glad that actors are joining the writers’ strike
More industries need to strike, I'd prefer a strike on utility to bills too, but ehh...keep it up!