As SAG-AFTRA told its members not to dress up as characters from struck companies this Halloween, former actors guild president Melissa Gilbert is speaking out.
“THIS is what you guys come up with? Literally no one cares what anyone wears for Halloween,” Gilbert wrote on Instagram in response to the union’s Halloween suggestions. “I mean, do you really think this kind of infantile stuff is going to end the strike? We look like a joke. Please tell me you’re going to make this rule go away… and go negotiate!”
Gilbert then tagged president Fran Drescher and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland writing, “For the love of God, people are suffering mightily and this is what you have to say… c’mon guys… This is the kind of silly bullshit that keeps us on strike. ‘Let’s enact a policy that makes us look petty and incompetent at the same time.’”
Gilbert led the union from the years 2001 – 2005 and was the third woman to be elected president of SAG-AFTRA.
As of late, SAG-AFTRA urged its members to “celebrate Halloween this year while also staying in solidarity” with the ongoing strike.
Instead of trick-or-treating as characters like Barbie and Ken, the guild recommends to ‘choose costumes inspired by generalized characters and figures.’ This has also been met with a mixed response on social media.
A number of SAG-AFTRA members chimed in on the Halloween guidelines on social media, with Ryan Reynolds saying, “I look forward to screaming ‘scab’ at my 8 year old all night. She’s not in the union but she needs to learn.”
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SAG-AFTRA also suggested actors “don’t post photos of costumes inspired by struck content to social media.”
This statement was given to not give any additional publicity to studios.
SAG-AFTRA met with the AMPTP last week to negotiate, but talks fell apart.
Meanwhile, Drescher is working to hold the actors guild together and convince members to stay the course. “This too shall pass,” she said Thursday. “But this is the moment where we don’t succumb to pressure. This is the moment where we stand tall and we hold firm.”
