Hollywood strikes! Americans weigh in on actors and writers hitting the picket line
Hollywood shuts down as actors and writers hit the picket line in the first industry-wide strike in over 60 years. Fox News spoke to Americans from New York, Texas, Tennessee and Wisconsin to get their thoughts on Tinseltown going dark.
Hollywood actors joined screenwriters in their months long strike against studios, streaming services and production companies represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) on Thursday, marking the first time in over six decades that the two unions have been on strike at the same time.
Many moviegoers and TV fanatics who Fox News Digital spoke to realize the impact the strike will have on their favorite shows and movies as production grinds to a halt.
Since May, writers, represented by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) have been on strike, asking for a guaranteed number of writers per room, increased pay, and regulated use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the writing process.
Actors, represented by Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) want increased minimum pay rates, increased streaming residuals and guarantees from studio and production companies about how, exactly, AI will be used.
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Fox News Digital asked moviegoers and fans in Texas, Tennessee, Wisconsin and New York about their thoughts on the writers strike and whether they believe their demands are fair.
One man in Texas, Oscar, told Fox News Digital outside a Cinemark movie theater that he doesn't agree with what is going on with AI in the entertainment space and sees the strike as reasonable.
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher speaks with members of the media outside Netflix studios on July 14, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
"It makes a lot of sense, because then when it comes to writers, when it comes to local artists, when it comes to the creators who put time and effort into writing out their pieces … all this stuff is AI generated and it's taking the value out of having someone else do it when the computer could just generate it all. I'm all for it. I completely agree, I mean, it's a good thing to fight for."
Another moviegoer, Morgan, agreed, arguing that the demands of the actors and writers are reasonable given recent advancements in AI technology.
"I think the writers are right in what they are asking for, that AI not create stories, because that's the human element to any story and I don't see how you could produce a good movie without having an actual writer. Also, if someone is as creative and talented as James Gunn is crossing the line, that should tell you something."
"They just ask that there aren't any AI generated stories, which I totally agree with … with the amount of money that's generated in Hollywood, why would you not want a good story so you could produce a movie, and so many of them are bad, you need the best writers to produce a decent product."
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A woman in Nashville, Doreen, said she sympathized with those taking part in the strike.
"It's important. It's a lot of people's jobs and they've waited long enough," she said.
Jason Sudeikis joins members of the Writers Guild of America East and SAG-AFTRA as they walk the picket line outside NBC Rockefeller Center on July 14, 2023, in New York City. (Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
"I don't know if they should get more money because I don't know how much they get paid, but they're important," Doreen continued. "All the TV shows that I watch in the morning at home, they have no script. They're winging it. They're doing a good job, but they're winging it."
"These folks are fighting for a living, not wanting to be replaced by computers," Terry, from Missouri, told Fox News.
But others, including Rachel, from New York, told Fox News that while she feels for the writers, she doesn't feel the same about the actors.
"I think the writers definitely deserve a lot more," she said. "They do 90 percent of the work and the actors should definitely get over themselves. They’re already overpaid in this economy."
Another Nashville local, Dexter, said it's difficult for Americans to relate to the Hollywood drama.
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"The average American is just tired of hearing about people that are making good money striking," he said. "The public is like ‘What are you guys tripping about?’ You're making a living with writing and acting and people would dream of having the life that they have and the guys that are running everything -- they have more money than they can spend anyway. So squash it. Let everybody enjoy their television and let it be."
Meredith Stiehm, left, president of Writers Guild of America West, and Fran Drescher, president of SAG-AFTRA, take part in a rally by striking writers outside Paramount Pictures studio in Los Angeles on May 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
On the writers and actors demands pertaining to AI, Dexter said it may be an unavoidable issue.
"Put this way, AI is coming," he said. "I don't really think we can stop that. I mean, it's going to come. I don't know if it's going to be 10 years from now, 20 years from now, but I think that's something they need to get ready for."
Another woman, Alfreda, said she supports the writers and actors, and thinks they will eventually come out of the stalemate on top.
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"The actors can't act, if the writers are not writing. The writers have nothing to write, if they are no actors," she said. "It takes everybody and everyone should be paid accordingly."