WGA/SAG-AFTRA Strike! Is It Time To Decentralize Hollywood?

In this episode of the Brown and Black Podcast, hosts Jack Rico and Mike Sargent discuss the profound impact of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes on Hollywood, highlighting the existential threat posed by AI and streaming services to creators, especially those of color. They critique the dehumanizing practices in the industry, likening it to a game of chess where studios exploit talent for profit. The conversation features Fran Drescher's impassioned speech against corporate greed and explores potential future scenarios, including a decentralized Hollywood model that empowers creators to bypass traditional studios and directly engage with audiences.

• Hosts Jack Rico and Mike Sargent introduce a special episode of the Brown and Black Podcast.
• The podcast focuses on race and pop culture through a brown and black lens.
• This episode is unscripted and focuses on a significant topic affecting creators.

"Welcome to a special episode of the Brown and Black Podcast. My name is Jack Rico."

• Introduction by Jack Rico, setting the stage for a special discussion.

• Streaming and AI have revolutionized the entertainment industry.
• These changes pose existential threats to creators, especially those of color.
• The episode discusses the potential collapse of Hollywood due to ongoing strikes.

"The inflection point of streaming and AI have completely changed the landscape for entertainment."

• Streaming and AI are pivotal in transforming entertainment, creating new challenges.

• The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA strikes highlight industry tensions.
• The strikes are seen as a doomsday scenario for Hollywood if unresolved.
• Fran Drescher's speech emphasizes the urgency and seriousness of the situation.

"A historic existential threat for any creator, especially of color, with the WGA strike and the SAG AFTRA strike creating a form of a doomsday scenario."

• The strikes are critical moments for creators, affecting the future of the industry.

• Fran Drescher, president of SAG-AFTRA, delivers a passionate speech on industry issues.
• She criticizes CEOs for prioritizing profits over fair compensation for creators.
• Drescher warns against the threat of being replaced by machines due to digital advancements.

"If we don't stand tall right now, we are all going to be in trouble. We are all going to be in jeopardy of being replaced by machines."

• Drescher's speech highlights the existential threat of technology replacing human creativity.

• The proposal to digitize actors for perpetual use without compensation is dehumanizing.
• The industry shift from art to profit maximization undermines cultural values.
• The discussion reflects on the loss of artistic integrity in favor of financial gain.

"It's just hearing you say it like that, Mike, it's just so dehumanizing."

• The industry's focus on profit over art is seen as a dehumanizing shift.

• The film industry's history includes systemic exploitation of actors.
• The creation of United Artists was a response to exploitative studio practices.
• The current situation echoes past struggles for fair treatment and creative control.

"When the studios became a system, when it became an industry, these actors, they were just players."

• Historical exploitation in the film industry mirrors current challenges faced by creators.

• The episode emphasizes the importance of standing up for fair treatment in the industry.
• The hosts call for a return to valuing art and creativity in the face of technological advancements.
• The discussion serves as a rallying cry for creators to demand respect and fair compensation.

"We are labor and we stand tall and we demand respect and to be honored for our contribution."

• The call to action for creators to unite and demand fair treatment and recognition.

• The conversation highlights the historical exploitation in American industries, emphasizing how this is a systemic issue that has persisted for decades.
• The discussion critiques the pattern of exploiting workers, particularly focusing on the entertainment industry as a microcosm of broader societal issues.
• The narrative explores the idea that America's economic foundation is built on exploitation, with a particular focus on marginalized groups.

"This is every industry. This is my point. My point is this is America. This is how America was built. America's always built on somehow exploiting somebody, some worker, somebody who does all the work, exploit them."

• This quote underscores the pervasive nature of exploitation across various industries in America, highlighting it as a foundational issue.

• The writer's strike is discussed as a significant challenge facing the entertainment industry, with a focus on the unrealistic expectations set by industry leaders.
• The conversation critiques the lack of empathy and understanding from CEOs towards the writers and their demands.
• The strike is portrayed as a battle against the increasing reliance on AI and digital technologies, threatening traditional roles.

"There's a level of expectation that they have that is just not realistic. And they are adding to a set of challenges that this business is already facing that is, quite frankly, very disruptive."

• This quote reflects the perspective of industry leaders who see the writer's demands as unrealistic and disruptive, highlighting the disconnect between management and creative workers.

• The discussion addresses the corporate mentality of viewing people as resources rather than individuals, emphasizing a lack of empathy.
• CEOs are depicted as being disconnected from the realities of everyday life, focusing solely on financial gain.
• The narrative criticizes the dehumanization of workers, comparing them to expendable resources.

"These CEOs, they don't think like regular people. There is no empathy. I'm not sure if they see people as people. I think they see them as like coins or currency or."

• This quote illustrates the perception of CEOs as lacking empathy and treating individuals as mere resources, emphasizing the dehumanizing nature of corporate culture.

• The discussion touches on the importance of storytelling in the entertainment industry, with a call for fair compensation and collaboration.
• The narrative emphasizes the industry's potential to impact culture positively through storytelling.
• There is a call for unity and fair treatment of creatives to maintain the industry's integrity and cultural influence.

"In order to create great storytelling, we need great writers, right? And we need the whole industry to work together. And everybody deserves to be paid fairly."

• This quote highlights the necessity of collaboration and fair compensation in the storytelling industry, advocating for the recognition of writers' contributions.

• The conversation critiques industry leaders, describing them as sociopaths due to their lack of concern for the consequences of their actions.
• The discussion references studies suggesting a high percentage of CEOs exhibit sociopathic traits, which contribute to their success but also to unethical practices.
• The narrative calls for greater accountability and ethical considerations in leadership roles.

"Over 80% of the CEOs of companies are sociopaths, okay? Sociopathic people can become very successful because they do not have to care about the consequences."

• This quote points to studies indicating a high prevalence of sociopathic traits among CEOs, critiquing the ethical implications of such leadership.

• The discussion highlights the perception of actors and writers as expendable commodities, similar to interchangeable parts in a machine.
• There is a comparison made between actors and characters like Batman and Superman, who are frequently recast without concern for continuity or fan attachment.
• This reflects a broader trend in the entertainment industry where individuals are valued less for their unique contributions and more for their replaceability.

"Because that's. Because it doesn't matter. You are, again, expendable, replaceable commodities. That's what actors have become. That's what writers have become."

• This quote emphasizes the notion that actors and writers are seen as interchangeable and not valued for their individuality.

• The conversation references a science fiction film, "Looker," which predicted the digitization and replacement of actors with digital copies.
• This technological advancement is not a surprise and reflects the ongoing shift in the industry towards digital solutions.
• The implications of such technology extend beyond actors, affecting the entire production process and those involved in it.

"This is what's starting to happen. They're digitizing these actors and then replacing them with their digital copies."

• The quote underscores the reality of technological advancements in the entertainment industry, where digital replacements are becoming more prevalent.

• The strikes by actors and writers have a cascading effect on the entire industry, impacting not only those directly involved but also service workers who support productions.
• The socioeconomic impact is particularly significant in areas with a high concentration of Latino and Black service workers, such as California, San Antonio, and Atlanta.
• The discussion highlights the potential long-term consequences if the strikes prolong into the future.

"There's an impact that goes all the way down to the service people, which are mostly Latinos and blacks."

• This quote highlights the broader socioeconomic implications of industry strikes, affecting marginalized communities who rely on these jobs.

• The halting of production affects various facets of the entertainment industry, including journalists who rely on celebrity interviews and press events.
• The absence of press junkets, red carpet premieres, and award shows signifies a significant shift in celebrity culture.
• The conversation explores the potential for boycotts and the necessity for individuals and communities to choose sides in the ongoing conflict.

"Phase one, all that part of celebrity culture, dead, gone, gone."

• This quote illustrates the immediate impact of production halts on celebrity culture and related events.

• A worst-case scenario discussed is the potential decline and closure of movie theaters, leading to their transformation into vacant spaces.
• This reflects a broader concern about the future of traditional movie-going experiences in the face of industry challenges and technological changes.

"This is one of the worst case scenarios that I also think will happen, which is the death of the movie theaters. These places will become dust bowl warehouses."

• The quote conveys the fear of traditional movie theaters becoming obsolete due to ongoing industry challenges.

• The traditional Hollywood model is becoming unsustainable for both creators and distributors.
• A new business model is proposed that decentralizes Hollywood, allowing for fair equity among creators.
• Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's initiative with the Actors Equity Studio is highlighted as an example of equitable distribution.
• The idea of a Hollywood 2.0 is proposed, where creators and actors unite to form an independent streaming platform.
• The potential for movies to be funded through crowdfunding and distributed directly to viewers via digital platforms is discussed.
• The role of augmented reality and new technology like Apple Vision Pro in viewing experiences is mentioned.

"Only way to really kind of look at the future of Hollywood. Because at some point this just isn't going to work for either party. And we're going to have to look at a new business model that helps everybody."

• This quote underscores the necessity for a new business model in Hollywood as the current system is failing both creators and distributors.

"Matt Damon and Ben Affleck created a show. It's called the Actors Equity Studio. They did air that went on Prime Video and they split all the money with Fair Equity, with every single creator in the film."

• This example illustrates a successful model of equitable revenue distribution among creators, suggesting a potential path forward for the industry.

"Imagine the guys from South Park and the guys from Stranger Things getting together to do a project. I would watch that all the movies would be funded by crowdsource."

• This quote highlights the potential for collaboration across different creative teams and the use of crowdfunding as a viable method for financing films.

"We don't need a movie theater anymore, Mike."

• This statement reflects the shift towards digital and augmented reality platforms for movie consumption, reducing the need for traditional theaters.

• The history of independent film releases is discussed, highlighting Melvin Van Peebles' pioneering efforts.
• Steven Soderbergh's new platform, extension765.com, is mentioned as an example of innovative film distribution.
• The role of film festivals like Sundance and South by Southwest in experimenting with new distribution methods during the pandemic is noted.

"Melvin Van Peebles was one of the first to do it. He pioneered it when he did Sweet Back's Badass song. No studio wanted to touch it."

• This quote provides historical context for the independent film movement, showcasing Melvin Van Peebles' innovative approach to distribution.

"Steven Soderbergh has just got something coming out that you can only see on this new platform called extension765.com."

• This quote illustrates current innovations in film distribution, where traditional promotion is bypassed for a more direct-to-consumer approach.

"During the pandemic, they put a lot of these ideas that we're talking about as the future. They already implemented them as experiments."

• This statement emphasizes how the pandemic accelerated the adoption of new distribution models, serving as a testing ground for future practices.

• A strong criticism is directed at Hollywood elites who prioritize profit over the welfare of others.
• The notion of karma and consequences for wishing ill on others is discussed.

"There's a lot of ways to lose your house. Some of it is financial, some of it is karma."

• This quote suggests that those who act unethically, especially those in power, may face consequences beyond financial loss.

"You wish that families starve while you're making $27 million a year for creating nothing."

• This quote criticizes the disparity in wealth and the lack of empathy among Hollywood elites who profit immensely while others suffer.