SAG-AFTRA has begun handing out waivers for movies to continue shooting, or to allow for promotion, during the strike. This is semi-controversial, and I agree — even as someone who has a vested interest in said promotion — that maybe the existence of such waivers de-incentivizes the AMPTP from hard negotiations because it softens the bottom-line blows a bit. But it’s my understanding that independent films are the ones getting wermaivers to film, at least, and possibly also to promote themselves? And a LOT of people not in these unions worked on the new content coming out, and if movies and TV die on the vine, that can have an even worse broader economic impact… It’s complicated. And I have no idea whether Greta/Barbie has such a waiver, as it is certainly not independent; Greta did direct the film as well as write it, and THAT guild is not on strike, so maybe she… is… compartmentalizing? I don’t know the deal here, but she was exiting Good Morning America — which is also apparently not shut down; I guess they’re allegedly just improvising every day — and Greta does NOT seem like a person who would flout the strike or the union rules just to get in one more interview. So let’s… assume she had permission and is acting within the scope of the rules?!? People are being real quick to yell “SCAB” right now — even in the direction of journalists, for writing about any of this, despite them not being in any of these unions — and I don’t want to do that without being totally sure. So I’m laying it all out instead and hoping that everything was on the up-and-up. Greta may ALSO have been hoping people would not be mad at her, as she popped on a bright, sunshiney yellow suit that screams optimism and cheer… if also perhaps washing her out a bit. It’s hard to tell if that’s just a trick of the blinding light, or if it’s true. Maybe it’s a Rorschach of sorts; maybe whatever you see depends on what you think of the waivers.
