The Writers Guild of America (WGA), the union that represents the creative staff at most Hollywood and New York studios, has been on strike since May 2. The strike, the first of its kind since 2008, was called after the WGA and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) failed to reached an agreement before the current WGA contract expired. The 2007-08 WGA Strike lasted a little over three months.
According to the WGA, the contract offered by the AMPTP was not satisfactory. Issues such as writer compensation, residuals, and AI usage were not properly met by the AMPTP contract. This led to the calling of a strike beginning at 12:01 am PDT on May 2. The strike has shut down production at multiple Hollywood studios, as well as at the major East Coast television studios. Late-night talk shows and other shows, such as SNL, will halt their production and run re-runs until the conclusion of the strike. A number of famous faces have come out in support of the strike, including Snoop Dogg. Drew Barrymore can also be added to that list.
Barrymore Pulls Out As MTV Host
Drew Barrymore, the iconic actor and now talk show host, was due to host the MTV Movie & TV Awards on May 7. However, Barrymore made the sudden decision to step down as host on May 4. “I have listened to the writers, and in order to truly respect them, I will pivot from hosting the MTV Movie & TV Awards live.” Barrymore told Variety, “Everything we celebrate and honor about movies and television is born out of their creation. And until a solution is reached, I am choosing to wait but I’ll be watching from home.” Barrymore also called for others to boycott the services of the studios being picketed.
However, MTV has supported Barrymore’s decision to step down. “When this all reared its head, we started to prepare for what could be,” executive producer Bruce Gillmer told Variety. “She is not surprisingly, standing in solidarity with the writers, which we have full respect for.” Barrymore will instead host the awards in 2024. Meanwhile, the 2023 ceremony, which will still go ahead, will feature no host or red-carpet event.
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