Only 7% Of Americans Sympathize With Studios Over Striking Writers and Actors

Yesterday, the Los Angeles Times released the results of a survey gauging U.S. consumers’ opinions on the SAG-AFTRA strike. The survey sampled 1,000 respondents, and most of the results indicated a lack of comprehensive knowledge by consumers regarding the dual strikes by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA.

While 72 percent of those surveyed indicated awareness of the strike, only 60 percent were even somewhat aware of the issues involved with the strike. 

Maybe this lack of awareness explains the fact that only 38 percent of those surveyed indicated sympathy for writers and actors over the studios. While only 7 percent sympathize most with the studios, producers, and distributors, 29 percent are equally sympathetic to both parties, and 25 percent are unsure which party they favor more. 

The survey also asked respondents whether they’d be willing to spend an additional dollar per movie ticket or streaming service subscription to end the strike, which resulted in a relatively even split of responses. 

However, since the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers rejected the Writers Guild of America’s proposal for streaming-based residuals, it is unclear whether increased streaming costs could result in increased pay for writers and actors. It’s also a shady tactic to put the onus of parity on consumers when these corporations are hoarding hundreds of millions of dollars thanks to the efforts of the writers and actors who created their content.

The chief negotiator for the WGA, Ellen Stutzman, is set to formally meet with the AMPTP for the first time since the WGA strike began on May 1. However, the WGA’s negotiating committee does not anticipate that this meeting will result in a deal.

The committee released a statement calling the meeting a tactic. “Every move they make at the bargaining table and every rumor away from it needs to be evaluated through the lens of their attempts to get us to accept less,” they stated in their message to WGA members.

In response, the AMPTP released a brief press release reading, “Tomorrow’s discussion with the WGA is to determine whether we have a willing bargaining partner. The WGA Bargaining Committee’s rhetoric is unfortunate. This strike has hurt thousands of people in this industry, and we take that very seriously. Our only playbook is getting people back to work.”

To learn more about the SAG-AFTRA, WGA West, and WGA East strikes, you can visit each guild’s respective website. In turn, AMPTP press releases can be viewed here.

(via LA Times, featured image: David McNew/Getty Images)