Calling All Fandoms: Unite for Solidarity and Action in the #WhatArentYouWatching Entertainment Abstinence Campaign
Los Angeles, [July 12, 2023] – In a powerful response to the AMPTP’s calculated anti-labor tactics, Rich Talarico, WGA West Presidential Candidate, and SAG-AFTRA member launches the #WhatArentYouWatching campaign, a one-month boycott of television and film from September 1 to October 1. This critical initiative aims to shed light on the studios’ attempts to prolong the strike, force writers into financial hardship, and dictate terms of any potential deal.
The recent revelation that the studios have no plans to resume negotiations with the Writers Guild (WGA) for several more months, regardless of SAG-AFTRA’s possible strike, demonstrates their intent to break the WGA and secure an outcome that would devastate writers and actors and lower the quality of TV and film for years to come. Industry insiders warn that the studios are determined to let the strike “bleed out” and continue until most writers face dire financial circumstances.
“The endgame is to allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses,” a studio executive told Deadline. Acknowledging the cold-as-ice approach, several other sources reiterated the statement. One insider called it “a cruel but necessary evil.” https://deadline.com/2023/07/writers-strike-hollywood-studios-deal-fight-wga-actors-1235434335/
“If TV and film fans around the world can stand with us for this month-long Entertainment Abstinence, it would send a message by creating a significant loss of revenue for the studios.” Talarico points to the words of former WGA Board Member David Slack from Twitter, “It only takes one bad quarter for their (studios) stock price to plunge, putting the company and the CEO’s job in jeopardy.”
Talarico says, “A phase two of #WhatArentYouWatching entertainment abstinence could include a national tour of theaters where TV and Film stars perform live on stage for the fans who are eschewing TV and film for the longer duration. A prolonged campaign of entertainment abstinence would deprive studios of revenue and strengthen the cause of the creative artists and have an immense impact on the future of the industry.”
The success of the #WhatArentYouWatching entertainment abstinence campaign relies on the collective effort of fans, who play a crucial role in amplifying the writers’ and actors’ message in showing their unwavering support of artists. Talarico urges fans to use the hashtag #WhatArentYouWatching on social media, sharing their experiences during the boycott and spreading awareness about the challenges faced by writers and actors.
Find out more about Talarico’s campaign and #WhatArentYouWatching by visiting his WGA campaign site: https://elections.wga.org/2023/rich-talarico
#WhatArentYouWatching
#EntertainmentAbstinence
