Starting on Friday, the Screen Actors Guild is on strike, after contract negotiations fell through after four weeks of back-and-forth with Hollywood’s biggest studios, streamers, and TV networks. This essentially grinds the entertainment industry to a halt, and guild members won’t attend premieres and events. This turn of events has led to Disney CEO Bob Iger chiming in on the matter, and his statement has not helped his case.
Iger commented on the ongoing strikes and claimed that the demands surrounding them were “unrealistic.” This was widely considered to be an out-of-touch take, especially since Iger has a two-year $27 million deal with Disney for his tenure as CEO, via Fortune. Not to mention, Iger has a net worth of $690 million as of 2019, per Forbes.
People called on the CEO to take a pay cut if he couldn’t afford to pay his writers and actors fairly. At the same time, people were shocked at the CEO for having the audacity to make such comments, especially since he earns more than what writers earn in a year during a single day.
Comedian Adam Conover responded to Iger’s remarks by stating that the Disney CEO made his comments “during a billionaires retreat with Mark Zuckerberg and David Zaslav on their private jets.” He later left a message for Iger, emphasizing that actors and writers can no longer afford to pay their rents and make a living. Conover stated that CEOs like him “won’t make another dollar” using their talents unless they “face reality” and return to the negotiating table.
“Here’s a dose of reality for you, Bob: Writers cannot afford to pay their mortgages. Actors are not able to make a living in Los Angeles anymore. That is reality to us, not flying around on private jets. And until you accept that reality, we are gonna be out here on the picket lines, withholding our labor, depriving you of your product. And you will not make another dollar off of us until you come back to the table and face reality and negotiate with us as you have refused to do.”
Protesters have a list of demands that studios have not agreed upon. Some of the main topics include the use of AI in the writers’ room (or to replicate one’s likeness), better working conditions, and a livable wage.
Iger’s comments are just one example of various out-of-touch statements made by CEOs as the writers’ strike reaches the halfway point of its third month. One executive admitted that their endgame was to wait it out, to the point of protesters losing their homes. Now, with actors joining the picket line, the pressure is on, especially since actors will no longer be allowed to promote their work or attend premieres and conventions.
Protesters are urging influencers and online content creators not to accept offers from these companies, especially if they have aspirations to be part of the entertainment industry. Those found ‘scabbing’ roles during this difficult period will be barred from joining the respective guilds once the strikes are over.
The last time the Screen Actors Guild struck alongside the Writers Guild of America was back in the 1960s, for similar reasons in 2023, which involved residuals for home media.