Unveiling the Controversial Rule: Actors Guild Strives to Satisfy Fans and Stir Ryan Reynolds' Curiosity

Summary

SAG-AFTRA guidelines during the actors strike include refraining from dressing up as IP characters from struck productions, sparking mockery online.

Ryan Reynolds playfully mocked the guideline by humorously suggesting that he would playfully taunt his 8-year-old with the term "scab".

Regarded as an unintentional mistake and a vulnerability in SAG-AFTRA's communication strategy, the guideline has faced disapproval from both union members and supporters.

The recent guideline issued by the SAG-AFTRA Strike has been met with controversy. Since July 14, the Screen Actors Guild has been on strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), advocating for fair pay and addressing issues such as transparency in streaming viewership numbers, improved streaming residuals, and the regulation of AI usage. As part of the strike, actors are abstaining from participating in struck productions and promoting them, both past and present.

During the 2023 actors strike, a new SAG-AFTRA guideline has been introduced, which focuses on Halloween costumes worn by guild members. According to the guideline, in order to maintain solidarity, members should avoid dressing up as characters from IP productions that are currently struck, including popular figures like Barbie and Ken. Instead, they are encouraged to choose costumes inspired by non-struck content, such as characters from animated TV shows. However, this guideline has faced significant mockery and criticism online, with fans and union members, including Ryan Reynolds, star of Deadpool, expressing their displeasure. Selected social media reactions can be found below.

Ryan Reynolds playfully mentioned his anticipation of cheerfully taunting his 8-year-old child with the word 'scab' for the entirety of the evening.

Vincent Martella hilariously posted a picture of a Phineas and Ferb outfit, humorously remarking that in response to the union's directive, one must dress up in this frightfully amusing Phineas costume.

John Hoey said, "I am dead serious when I say I thought this was from The Onion."

Greg Grunberg joked, "I guess we’re all going as a poop emoji this year."

novamcneary97 featured pictures of Quagmire, Homer Simpson, the Scooby gang, and SpongeBob clad in various costumes. They excitedly expressed, "sag-aftra halloween 2023 gonna be amazing!"

Paul V. Rea pondered upon the guideline, deeming it as "an unintentional mistake within an otherwise effective messaging campaign."

Struck and Unstruck Productions, Explained

Peter Rizzo amusingly declared, "as a show of support, if any children in superhero or Barbie costumes approach my house on Halloween, I will playfully spray them with a hose. This is not allowed in my community, you interlopers."

Although this ruling significantly restricts the choice of IP characters that union members can portray this year, not all live-action productions are affected. Due to the specific parameters of the strike, certain productions are permitted to continue operating for various reasons. For example, popular shows like Saturday Night Live, talk shows, and late-night shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live! can still proceed, even if they feature guild members, as they are not bound by the disputed contract.

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The strike does not apply to HBO's House of the Dragon season 2, as it is produced with a predominantly British cast working in the UK under an Equity contract. This production is not affiliated with SAG-AFTRA. Creator-owned independent productions that are not associated with the AMPTP have also been permitted to proceed, including popular podcasts and online shows like Critical Role, a Dungeons & Dragons actual-play series on Twitch and YouTube.

Several productions have been granted waivers to proceed with shooting or promotion under interim agreements during the SAG-AFTRA Strike. Included among these exempted projects are The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2, The Iron Claw, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, and The Velocipastor 2. Despite the rule's restrictiveness, guild members still have numerous Halloween costume options available to them.