Is the Hollywood dream job a myth?
Is the Hollywood dream job a myth?
The Reality Behind Hollywood’s Glitz and Glamor: Workers Speak Out
The surface of Hollywood may be all glitz and glamor, but behind the scenes, many of the workers who actually create the blockbuster movies are on strike. The recent strikes by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) have effectively shut down the entertainment industry, revealing the basic workplace problems and need for change.
Hollywood, often celebrated as a land of beauty, art, and wealth, is showing its true colors as just another workplace, where workers face exploitation, abuse, and discrimination. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of on-screen actors do not have access to the fabled wealth associated with the industry. In fact, more than 85% of those represented by SAG-AFTRA do not make enough to qualify for health benefits. Actors on shows like “Orange Is the New Black” have revealed that they were paid so little that they had to take second jobs to make ends meet.
“There is this huge cultural myth that, because people are pursuing artistic or creative goals, Hollywood has some higher purpose and a better reputation,” says Maureen Ryan, author of “Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood.” But the reality is far from it. Hollywood has used this false perception as a cover-up for a multitude of workplace sins.
The financial disparities between executives and workers have been a major issue within the industry. The average CEO in corporate America makes several hundred times what a typical employee earns. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has faced criticism for his leadership decisions, including layoffs, and his overcompensation. As he orchestrated the merger of Warner and Discovery, Zaslav was awarded a compensation package worth $247 million, making him one of the “overpaid” CEOs on the ANBLE 500 list.
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However, Hollywood has been stockpiling fuel for these labor disputes for years. The industry has faced reckonings over inequality, discrimination, and harassment through movements like #MeToo and #OscarsSoWhite. The striking workers have laid bare the fundamental workplace problems that had always existed, despite the initial belief that these issues were being addressed and fixed.
Maureen Ryan, a veteran reporter and TV critic, has been covering the tensions and problems within Hollywood for years. In her book, “Burn It Down,” she addresses the ongoing systemic problems that have plagued the industry. Ryan combines her larger thesis on the industry’s problems with a high-minded version of Hollywood gossip, diving into the nuanced examples of how toxic workplace behavior has thrived and been rewarded across Hollywood. Some of her case studies include “Lost,” “Saturday Night Live,” and powerful producer Scott Rudin, whose abusive behavior was widely reported.
Ryan’s reporting went viral and shed light on the ongoing issues within Hollywood. It served as a reminder that moments of bias and abusive behavior are far from gone in the industry. Hollywood is not just the wellspring of beloved movies and TV shows, but a workplace with familiar problems seen across various industries. The struggle for fair treatment and basic workplace protections extends beyond Tinseltown.
As the entertainment industry continues to grapple with labor disputes, it is becoming evident that the dream job, if it ever existed, is endangered everywhere. The reality beneath the shiny myth of a creative utopia is increasingly hard to ignore. The revelations coming out of Hollywood’s labor disputes have exposed the need for change and a reevaluation of the industry’s practices.
For Maureen Ryan, the Hollywood dream has long been deflated. Rather than working on a Hollywood set, she would prefer her son to work as a teller in a bank, where he may find a more stable and secure career.
The striking workers have shattered the illusion of Hollywood’s perfection and have brought to light the industry’s deep-rooted problems. It is up to the industry to reckon with its demons and make the necessary changes to provide a fair and equitable working environment for all.
