It’s not just Netflix’s $900K AI jobs, it’s the hypocrisy
TechCrunchAug 07, 2023
The Facts
On Tuesday, Hollywood's Writers Guild of America (WGA), which alongside the SAG-AFTRA union is striking for better pay and to curb the use of artificial intelligence (AI), filed a grievance with the US National Labor Relations Board against NBCUniversal for allegedly blocking a picket area.
The WGA says NBCUniversal endangered its members by obstructing the public sidewalk immediately abutting the studio during an ongoing construction project.
The Spin
Narrative A
This strike is bigger than just the TV and movie industry, as it's brought people together from all walks of the entertainment world. While movie and TV strikers are mostly showing up in front of the major production studios, the SAG-AFTRA has specifically also barred its members from attending San Diego's Comic-Con event. Writers and actors keep the entirety of Hollywood running smoothly — from blockbuster films to promoting smaller comics — and this strike proves that.
Narrative B
These writers may have picked a fight they cannot win. The streaming boom is over, and the once cash-flush platforms are feeling the pinch. Platforms are in no rush to spend money or greenlight another prestige show as investors bear down on them to turn a profit. Everyone in the industry is grappling with this slowdown, and writers shouldn't receive special treatment.
Narrative C
While the WGA/SAG strike is a historic moment for the industry and must continue, they should be cautious not to let certain high-profile actors turn it into a political stunt. Actress Susan Sarandon, for example, has a history of staining the industry through her controversial politics. If actors like her are able to hijack the movement, it will allow the industry to paint it as a wacky group of grifters using the hard work of writers to push their own agenda.