In following the ongoing Hollywood labor union standoff, Kevin “Boss” Ross adds his two cents to what he sees is the unfair scapegoating and “cancelling” of actress turned syndicated television host Drew Barrymore over her decision to continue airing her daytime talk show absent her striking WGA writers.
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Hi, I’m Kevin Ross. And this is The Podcast. Is Drew Barrymore, a Hollywood Picket Line Crossing Scab?
Drew Barrymore has been trending on social media for the last week. Why? Because her self-titled daytime talk show is now back in production with new episodes fresh out the oven.
All the while the WGA, the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTR, the screen actors Guild slash American Federation of TV, and Radio Artists continue to battle the big motion picture and television studios including Disney, Amazon
Netflix, Paramount over better pay and residuals, better working conditions. You get it right? Here’s what’s causing the drama since Drew’s daytime gig uses WGA writers. Many consider it to be in bad form that she would not remain in solidarity with the labor unions who represent an industry. Her and her family has tremendously benefited from over the years.
After all the ongoing strike is the reason the actress and producer turned daytime personality decided not to host the MTV movie and TV Awards that just aired on September 12th.
So why switch lanes now waving “the show must go on banner” is Drew Barrymore tripping or what? Perhaps not. Hear me out. Perhaps she’s taken the stance because the people associated with her show need
to have a job to go to. Now don’t jump down my throat if you disagree. I, I understand that many, many, many, many people are hurting as a result of these two strikes. SAG-AFTRA members are going into month three of being sidelined and the writers, well, they’ve been on the picket lines over four months now.
That’s putting a lot of stress on folks. We’re talking people’s mortgages and rents, necessities, tuitions, car payments, medical expenses. It’s likely taking a mental toll as well. Relationships are being impacted, Hey, I get all of it. Especially after just coming out of a pandemic, which by the way COVID numbers are up again, so be safe guys.
But this labor dispute marks the first time both actors and writers unions have been on strike since 1960. The last writer strike which started in 2007, it went on for 100 days costing an estimated $2.1 billion to California’s economy alone.
Now that said 97.91% of SAG-AFTRA members authorized this current striking and there are 160,000 of them in total 30,000 make up the WGA and 97.85% of their voting members also approved picketing,
Working in show business, can I, can I just tell you how beyond grateful I am to have been consistently employed over the last 13 years doing a job I love.
That’s not necessarily the case for most who choose a career in entertainment. For a lot of people it can be a very much a gypsy experience moving from one project to the next. But most do it because they’re passionate about creating art, they enjoy it.
But come on, people also gotta live, right, which brings me back to Drew Barrymore. She’s being picketed outside of CBS New York offices, CBS distributes the show. And has had two people wearing supportive WGA pins recently removed from being part of the studio audience.
None of which has stopped Barrymore from forging ahead with season four. She’s maintaining her show is quote in compliance unquote with strike rules because she’s not discussing or promoting film and television that’s being struck. Nor is she performing any writing work covered by the strike.
Moreover, other daytime shows including The Talk, The Jennifer Hudson Show, The View, Sherry Shepherd’s chat fest they’re, they’re not pumping the brakes either. They’re not facing any blowback but Barrymore is. Why is that?
I mean, truth be told production on all nine of the court shows from Allen Media Group, America’s Court included. My show has not been interrupted while these strikes have continued on. The reason
we’re not a union operation. Now, When it comes to union actors and performers, their theatrical TV contracts are actually separate from what SAG-AFTRA calls its network television code.
That code covers certain TV and digital media, meaning talk, variety shows, reality competitions, game shows, award shows, documentaries, unless they are being released theatrically, along with soap operas, they can all keep the cameras rolling.
Technically, Drew Barrymore isn’t doing anything wrong and in fact, she’s actually taking care of all those individuals, she’s responsible and accountable to as it relates to her show. Listen, just because your name’s in the title doesn’t mean it’s only about you. Given my understanding of the rules, I just explained regarding the issue of who can and can’t work. Honestly, I would be singing from the same hymn book, Drew is.
now. Can she make a generous donation to the SAG-AFTRA and or Writers Guild strike fund like many other high profile celebrities and industry bets? Absolutely. But let’s not put the woman on blast, Ok? How about we not cancel her quite yet for simply trying to navigate what’s clearly a thorny situation.
Ultimately, these, these strikes, they must be resolved. This can’t continue through 2024, that would be horrible. It’s gonna end, but it’s gonna, it’s, it’s gonna take the unions and the studios finding common ground through difficult but necessary conversations. Bottom line. I’m pro labor and I know people are suffering.
I just don’t want to see anyone be a scapegoat or have their empathy for the cause challenged merely because it’s convenient or that others are doing it. This is what I see happening to Drew Barrymore and I for one am not OK with it. And that’s my take.
I’m Kevin Ross and this is The Podcast powered by TheGrio . Follow me @IamBossRoss on Instagram and Twitter. Thanks for listening. See you next time.
