Former president of SAG-AFTRA, Melissa Gilbert, has criticized the organization’s Halloween costume guidelines, calling them “silly bullshit” and “infantile.” SAG-AFTRA recently advised its members not to dress up as characters from struck companies this Halloween. Gilbert expressed her frustration on Instagram, stating that these rules won’t end the strike and will only make the union look like a joke. She called on SAG-AFTRA to repeal the guidelines and focus on negotiating.
Gilbert, who served as the actors guild president from 2001 to 2005, directly tagged current SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland in her Instagram post, criticizing them for prioritizing such “silly bullshit” instead of addressing the real issues causing suffering in the industry.
SAG-AFTRA’s Halloween guidelines encourage members to celebrate Halloween while staying in solidarity with the strike. Instead of costumes related to struck content, the guild recommends opting for generalized characters like ghosts, zombies, or characters from non-struck content. The guidelines aim to prevent the promotion of struck work and give members a way to support the strike during the festive season.
Responding to the criticism, a spokesperson for SAG-AFTRA clarified that the guidelines are not intended for children and that the union remains focused on negotiating a fair deal for its members.
Several other SAG-AFTRA members, including Ryan Reynolds, also expressed their views on the Halloween guidelines. Reynolds humorously commented that he looks forward to calling his non-union 8-year-old daughter a “scab” throughout the night.
SAG-AFTRA’s ongoing strike involves members refraining from doing press for struck shows and films and aims to pressure the studios to return to the negotiating table. Despite talks falling apart, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher is determined to hold the actors guild together and urges members to stay firm.
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