SAG-AFTRA issued a statement, and even a clarification, regarding its Halloween costume rules for high-profile actors, which has since been widely discussed online. The Hollywood Reporter first posted about the rather strict-sounding guidelines on Wednesday.
No, the guild is not backtracking on the rules, which require actors with cards to stick to generic costume ideas (such as “ghost, zombie, or spider”), rather than specific characters that could inadvertently promote an affected studio’s content ( for example, most of cinematic pop culture).
Late Friday, the guild sent the following explanation/clarification: “SAG-AFTRA has issued Halloween guidance in response to questions from content creators and members about how to support the strike during this holiday season. This was intended to help them avoid promoting strike work, and is the latest in a series of guidelines we have issued. It doesn’t apply to anyone’s children. We are on strike for important reasons and have been for almost a hundred days. Our first priority remains to get the studios back to the negotiating table so we can get a fair deal for our members and finally get our industry back to work.”
The statement follows some celebrities mocking the rules, like this one Ryan Reynolds tweet, which specifically mentioned the kid’s corner: “I’m looking forward to yelling ‘scabies’ at my 8 year old all night long. She is not a member of the union, but she has to learn.”
While Mandy Moore wrote on her Instagram Stories: “Is this a joke? Come on @sagaftra. This is what is important? We ask that you negotiate on our behalf in good faith. So many people in every aspect of this industry have made enormous sacrifices for months. Get back to the table and get a fair deal so everyone can get back to work.”
The SAG-AFTRA strike is approaching its 100th day after talks with studios broke down without a deal on Saturday.
The original creepily restrictive guidelines for your personal time with your friends and family are below. “Let’s use our collective power to send a loud and clear message to our affected employers that we will not promote their content without a fair contract,” the guild said.
