In this edition of Lon Harris’ weekly Passionfruit column, we’re exploring how to navigate the blurry distinction between fan, influencer, and spokesperson during the SAG-AFTRA strike.
With the Screen Actors Guild—American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) joining the Writers Guild of America (WGA) TV and film writers on strike, we’re now looking at the widespread shutdown of many sectors of the American entertainment industry. This could have significant long-term impacts beyond just a lack of new “Stranger Things” episodes. A new piece from The New York Times suggests that unless production starts gearing back up around Labor Day, U.S. movie theaters could run out of new films to screen sometime in 2024.
But it’s not just movie theaters, streamers, and studios that will feel the impact here. An overall pause in movie promotion has major network effects for all kinds of workers.
These creative laborers may not be SAG-AFTRA or WGA members in good standing but nonetheless engage with studio and streaming content as part of their everyday jobs. Many digital creators, particularly those in the “geek culture” or entertainment journalism-adjacent spaces, are themselves members of one of these guilds or hope to become one someday.
And the strike has drawn attention to just how vague some of these distinctions between digital content creators have become in the world of online media. …
