SAG-AFTRA sets Halloween costume rules for flashy actors
Halloween is just over a week away, and parties for the annual holiday will likely take place next weekend. Normally, this year’s celebrations are like any other year: you dress up with your friends as your favorite characters and hang out or watch some horror movies, or you watch other People dress up as their favorite characters with their friends and hang on their phones. However, since it’s a Halloween that takes place during an actors’ strike, things are going to be a little strange for the actors.
Start of the week, SAG-AFTRA has released a set of rules for how flashy actors should behave when it comes to costumes this Halloween. Actors are not permitted to dress up as characters from popular media, such as Barbie (and Ken), Oppenheimer, Wednesday Addams, and so forth. Nor can they dress up as one of these characters and then post these images on social media. What is the alternative? Well, the actors’ union suggested that its members dress up as either characters from “non-animated content” (like an animated series or someone from…). Walking dead or Interview with the vampire?) or generalized characters such as werewolves, ghosts and zombies.
Speak with diversity, a SAG-AFTRA spokesperson explained that the guidelines were created to help actors “avoid encouraging strike work and are the latest in a series of guidelines we have issued.” They further stressed that it has no impact on the general public or anyone’s children. “We are on strike for important reasons and have been for almost 100 days. Our top priority remains getting studios back to the negotiating table so we can get a fair deal for our members and finally get our industry back on track.”
Nevertheless, the decision was heavily criticized by Hollywood actors such as Mandy Moore and others Ryan Reynolds. And Melissa Gilbert, a former president of the guild, called the move “the kind of silly nonsense that keeps us on strike.” Literally no one cares what anyone wears for Halloween. I mean, do you really think this childish behavior will end the strike? We look like a joke. Please tell me you will repeal this rule…and negotiate!”
SAG-AFTRA has not responded to criticism of its Halloween decision as of this writing, and it remains to be seen whether it will at all will will respond over the next week. Halloween takes place on Tuesday, October 31st.
Want more io9 news? Find out when you can expect the latest Wonder, war of starsAnd Star Trek Releases, what’s next for the DC Universe in film and televisionand everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
