With the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes in full swing and ready to hold out until companies compromise, many of the striking workers’ predictions are coming true. Without writers or actors willing to come forward and participate in projects, studio executives are looking to other sources of talent. And in the age of social media, it’s content creators on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube who are being tapped to keep the production line moving. TikTok personality @Straw_Hat_Goofy was one of the first creators tapped during the freeze, and though the public backlash was swift and cruel, it doesn’t seem to have put other creators off of the potential superstar life. Now, @Collinurmrom has found himself in hot water after accepting a contract during the strikes.
Who is @Collinurmrom?
@Collinurmrom, also known as Collin Everett, is a TikTok and YouTube personality known for his facial expressions and PG humor in videos. A devout Christian, he believes in spreading the word of God without coming across as preachy, and labels himself a conservative without being a Republican. With a BFA in Cinematic and Media Arts, Everett has worked to build an audience – he has over 9 million followers — over the last few years in hopes of launching a career as a screenwriter and producer. He recently finished a Christian horror trilogy, which he launched on his YouTube channel, where he also does movie reviews.
Everett was tapped to star in his own TV show, which will allegedly appear on a yet undisclosed platform set to launch in September. According to Everett, the next few months will see him flying to Las Vegas to start making guest appearances on “other projects” his new benefactors are producing.
What is the controversy?
While the WGA strike has been in full swing since May 2, 2023, it’s been less than a week since SAG-AFTRA joined its ranks. Writers and actors alike are protesting for living wages during a period defined by the increasing cost of living, stagnant wages, and the largest wealth disparity the United States has ever seen. While Hollywood is well known for its wealthy elite, there are far more members of Tinsel Town that lack access to proper healthcare or are struggling to make ends meet on median salaries while living in one of the most expensive cities in America.
When SAG-AFTRA joined the writer’s strike, they posted a list of dos-and-don’ts for their brothers and sisters on social media. Those in the entertainment industry who wish to support the striking workers have one simple rule to follow: don’t work for struck companies. The union encourages workers to pursue contracts with companies outside of the list and to complete any ongoing contracts, but to deny service to any company outside of those parameters. The reason being, as long as content is withheld massive corporations will have no choice but to acquiesce to worker demands and improve conditions for thousands of writers and actors.
Unions work because of the power of collective bargaining. Every day that companies go without working toward their next big release takes the striking workers one step closer to financial stability and improved health care. Those creatives who accept contracts under these companies are what is known as a Strikebreaker, more commonly called Scabs. And though plenty of guidelines have been posted, shared on social media, and written about in articles, there are plenty of online stars who show aggressive disinterest – or misunderstanding – in solidarity.
Is @Collinurrmom a scab?
A common misunderstanding about what makes a scab seems to stem from whether or not someone is a member of the union. We’ll make it easy to understand: it doesn’t matter if they are a part of the union, accepting contracts from these companies makes a worker a scab. And if someone is disinterested in ever working in Hollywood, or for a company that is part of the union, or even working for someone in the union, then they should, by all means, accept these positions. It’s the long-run implications for crossing the picket line that should give potential scabs pause. Jobs may be ripe for the picking right now, but in the future, fellow writers and actors who did strike will see the move as a betrayal and work will be harder to come by for those who break the line.
While Everett’s first video did indeed make him look like scabby scum, it doesn’t seem the creator actually understood why what he was saying was ignorant. He seemed to believe that anyone non-union was considered a scab, rather than a title given to those willing to cross the picket line. He uses logical fallacies, saying, “People would be so happy to take the places of all these actors.” It’s not that these actors don’t want the work, it’s that they demand pay commensurate with the work being done.
Some users claimed he was “doing a bit” after Everett listed a slew of movies made under the SAG union, whose actors and writers have spoken publicly about how important unions are. Others claimed the creator lacked the smarts to reach such highbrow humor. @Collinurrmom has since deleted his initial video, but it still doesn’t seem like the TikToker understands exactly why scabbing is counterproductive in his several-minutes-long follow-up.
In his statement, Everett said, “I’ll be the leader of the Scabs! People don’t understand that I’m a rebel at heart, but I’m a rebel for God; not for man. My agenda opposes Hollywood directly. I love the power of cinema, but I will not use it’s power for evil or pure entertainment. I’m in this to make a SPLASH!”
His follow-up video had TikTokers pulling no punches while mocking Everett. Viewers stitched it with classic vines, mocked his leadership skills, and shredded him for letting the “fame” go to his head. Everett never mentions what studio had approached him, but he did make it sound like a small production company, headed by a married couple and working out of Las Vegas. Union internet sleuths were well on the case at the time of writing, but regardless of who is funding the project, Everett has made his intent clear, “let’s just say that since the writers are striking, I might have an in.”