Hollywood Headlines
The week of June 16, 2024
IATSE Pivots Talks to ASA, No Deal Yet on Hollywood Contract
IATSE has shifted its focus to the Area Standards Agreement, with plans to revisit the Hollywood Basic Agreement in June, amidst ongoing negotiations about wages, safety, and AI protections. [Read More]
OpenAI to Meet With Hollywood Studios, Talent Agencies
OpenAI is set to hold meetings with Hollywood studios and talent agencies to discuss the integration of its AI video generation tool, Sora, which has sparked concerns within the industry about the future of traditional jobs. [Read More]
‘Diversity Fatigue’? Hollywood Loses 4 DEI Leaders in Less Than 2 Weeks
Top Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) executives from Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, Netflix, and the Academy have left their positions, raising questions about the industry's commitment to diversity initiatives. [Read More]
Is it time for DEI to finally DIE?
Are we witnessing the end of DEI initiatives? Hollywood companies like Netflix, Warner Brothers, and several others have recently dismissed DEI executives. While some companies like Disney and Target continue to march forward, seemingly oblivious to the effect on their bottom line and share price, other companies like Tractor Supply have decided to back off of DEI initiatives after vocal objections from their customers. Advocates of these programs from associations like GLAAD and BLM blast these decisions and continue to advocate for DEI policies to be incorporated into virtually every aspect of corporate America.
It's more than just pushback from conservative pundits online and elsewhere driving the abandonment of these policies. The fact is, they don't work, they cost a lot of money, and they lead to employees feeling less included and less happy about their work. During the summer of 2020, following George Floyd’s death amid the swirl of COVID fever, corporations decided to adopt DEI policies. Over the past four years, these initiatives have sown more dismay and discomfort among employees than the supposed equity and healing promised by DEI advocates.
There’s a saying: if you can’t spot the sucker at the table, you are the sucker. For the past four years, American corporations have played the sucker, with CEOs running smack into a wall of activists they let into their companies and then couldn’t control. Many of these companies lost sight of their purpose, which is to sell a product, deliver a service, perform a service, and make a profit.
I definitely do not want my values forced on me by any corporation, let alone one I buy tractor supplies or sweat socks from. Most of all, I don’t want the movies and television shows I watch trying to message me their idea of equity or pride or whatever the latest cultural fad genuflection virtue signal is. Speaking as someone who's seen this business from all sides, I can promise you that the audience cares very little in most cases which studio puts out a product. They just want to be entertained.
I, for one, say good riddance.
Hollywood 'Not Doing Enough' to Support Crews During Strike, MPTF President Says
Bob Beitcher, president of the Motion Picture and Television Fund, criticized the industry's lack of support for crew members financially struggling due to ongoing strikes, calling for more aid. [Read More]
Hollywood's Double Strike Continues to Impact Industry
The double strike by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA has surpassed 100 days, with significant financial challenges for crew members relying on the industry for their livelihood. [Read More]
IATSE, Teamsters 399 and Other Hollywood Union Contract Talks Explained
With ongoing contract talks, Hollywood unions like IATSE and Teamsters 399 are focusing on streaming and AI issues, with a potential strike on the horizon if agreements are not reached.