15 Aug Geeky Content Creators and the SAG-AFTRA Strike
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I am fairly new to the game and can’t even really call myself an “influencer” since my blog is only a couple months old. In fact, I launched right before SAG-AFTRA went on strike. Ironically enough, a lot of what would make up content for my blog and social media is tied to the studios and franchises being struck.
I am neither a member of the Union, nor do I see any future for myself in television or movies. This means that despite my support for the strike, the Writer’s Guild, and SAG-AFTRA, I have had to really think about my blog and the content I want to create during the Strike. It hasn’t been an easy thought process, especially this month. But I’ve made a decision about this blog’s content that will be supportive of those on strike. It will also keep my mind at ease for This Geeked Out Lifestyle blog and planned content.
What is the Writer’s and SAG-AFTRA Strike?
UPDATE: According to Vox.com, “Late in the day on Sunday, September 24 — after 146 days of labor stoppage, the second-longest strike in Hollywood history — the Writers Guild of America (WGA), which represents Hollywood’s writers, and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), an association of Hollywood’s largest studios and production companies, announced that an agreement had been reached. On Tuesday, September 26, the union’s leadership announced that they’d voted to end the strike and recommended the membership vote in favor of ratifying the contract.”
This Strike is huge in the news right now because of its impact on our television and movies. But in case you’re not quite sure what’s going on:
“On July 14, 2023, the American actors’ union SAG-AFTRA went on strike over an ongoing labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. It has coincided with a Writers Guild of America strike in a series of broader Hollywood labor disputes (Wikipedia).”
Time.com reports that “the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) went on strike, joining the Writers Guild of America (WGA) in calling for better pay and job security, and drawing attention to disparities in the film and television industry that have grown wider in the streaming boom. It is the first time in over 60 years that both writers and actors have gone on strike at the same time.
The SAG-AFTRA strike went into effect after the guild’s contract with the American Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) expired. The AMPTP represents Hollywood’s studios and production companies like Netflix, NBC Universal and Paramount/CBS.”
What is SAG-AFTRA and why do we care?
The Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is a labor union that represents about 160,000 people in the entertainment industry, including actors, recording artists, radio personalities and other media professionals. According to their webpage, “SAG-AFTRA represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other media professionals.”
Why are they on strike?
The strike comes after weeks of failed negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents major motion picture studios including Paramount, Sony, Netflix, Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros.
There is a long list of reasons why actors, writers, and others in the industry are on strike, but to sum it up: “Actors and other SAG-AFTRA members are fighting for better pay and working conditions, as well as contracts that include provisions on artificial intelligence.
Dwindling compensation is one major concern for the union, especially around payments called residuals. Actors receive residuals when their work is re-used beyond its initial performance, such as when a movie or show is re-aired or re-released on DVD or basic cable.
Actors receive residuals when their projects are shown on streaming services, too — but according to SAG-AFTRA, they are compensated at a much lower rate for streaming projects, and their pay is calculated differently (today.com).”
The Studios
AMPTP represents some of the biggest studios putting out our fan favorites. That means this strike affects geeky content creators just as much as it does actors, writers, and other SAG-AFTRA members. That includes This Geeked Out Life, where geek is literally in the name. I mean, geeking out over fandoms is what we do here!
My Feelings on the SAG-AFTRA Strike
I am grateful that hubs and I are able to afford health insurance and rent. I am also grateful that we can sometimes take a trip every now and then, or purchase manga or collectibles when we want. But there are so many strikers who can’t even afford health insurance for their families. That is baffling to me! We devour so much television. We run to the theater whenever a new movie comes out. Many of us create social media based on our fandoms. All this media is being created by machines – there are people working long hours behind the scenes. And they are not making executive-level money.
And what are the executives doing with those fat paychecks? Playing golf and denying fair compensation to those who keep them at the top.
Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.
With that in mind, it behooves me… no, I am honored to be able to show my support. I mean, if you can pay influencers, you can pay strikers, am I right?
Influencers, Content Creator, Bloggers, and the SAG-AFTRA Strike
I will admit that I have searched and scoured the interwebs in search of decisive guidelines for bloggers, specifically. I found that it’s mostly influencers who are covered. But I still have a hard time finding exactly what we can and can’t do. I observe that there are more ‘shoulds and shouldn’ts’, or ‘we encourage’ and ‘we discourage’ than actual do or don’ts. I guess it’s because this influencer role within SAG-AFTRA is new. Or maybe no one really wants to draw a line. But there is a picket line, so one has been figuratively drawn. We just need to know, definitively, what we can and cannot do in order to not unknowingly cross that line. No one wants to be blasted online for doing something they didn’t know they couldn’t do. Bloggers like me just want to know what’s okay and not okay. I think it’s been kind of difficult to find an actual answer.
Confusion among Content Creators and Influencers
I think this is where I would have complaints against the Union. If the idea is to be as vague as possible so that no one can do or say anything just in case they break the rules, then you are doing exactly what you set out to do. This way there is a bigger impact because more people are forced to halt all content indefinitely. But as a Union, it behooves you to better communicate, define, summarize, and describe what exactly it is you expect from everyone affected, not just the actors. This ensures that you are as transparent as possible so that those ho fall under your umbrella can both stand in support and find a way to continue working. After all, you want to punish the studios, not the creators, right?
The need for defining the roles is also key – are bloggers influencers? Are influencers always bloggers? Yes and no – so when are bloggers influencers? And do they fall under the SAG-AFTRA umbrella? What are the metrics that indicate which is what? When will we know these details? Many of us have planned content and want answers so that we can make changes in our schedules where necessary. Just a few questions…
What does SAG-AFTRA say about Content Creators?
I also reached out to SAG-AFTRA at the email address they provide on their webpage for questions. I’m going to guess that many people have similar questions and concerns, so the workers on the other end of that email address are more than likely swamped. I will wait for a response and just err on the side of safety and respect for the strike.
UPDATE: As of October 4, 2023, I never received a response. Not even an automatic message. I don’t think I really expected to.
As an influencer, you can actually become a member of SAG-AFTRA. And although I do not qualify to be a member right now, would I ever be given the opportunity in the future as a blogger? For influencers, SAG-AFTRA (according to the FAQs on their website) instructs that “Influencers should refrain from posting on social media about any struck work regardless of whether they are posting organically or in a paid capacity.” Even if it’s as a fan and not as a sponsored partner, SAG-AFTRA discourages influencers from promoting films and shows on their platforms. That seems straightforward enough – but what constitutes social media? And, again, do bloggers fall under this umbrella?
To be clear, I stand in solidarity with the Writer’s Guild and SAG-AFTRA. This means that I will avoid promoting struck films and TV series by the industry’s top studios on this blog. I will also pause any content related to struck work until SAG-AFTRA announces that the Strike is officially over.
How the SAG-AFTRA Strike will affect this blog
So for now, I have decided to focus more on geeky home decor, anime, manga, and video games, as well as other geeky lifestyle topics. At least until the Strike is over and an amicable arrangement has been made. Full disclosure: I am disappointed about having to pause this month’s content. I had an entire line-up of Ahsoka Tano posts ready to go. I am a huge fan! But I hope you’ll stick around and geek out with me on all the other things we can geek out about. And I hope that the end of this Strike will bring better working conditions for all Union and Guild members.
Everyone should have the opportunity to earn fair pay and work without the stress of having to make ends meet. It’s a country-wide problem that spans across all jobs and companies, but a problem that greed and power allow to persist.
More Information on the SAG-AFTRA Strike
I’ve provided many links throughout this post. I hope you’ll check them out so you can learn more about the SAG-AFTRA Strike and how it affects some of the things you love. Here are the FAQs for Influencers. And here is SAG-AFTRA’s statement on why they strike.
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