It’s all about Drew Barrymore – Did You Hear? week of Friday, September 15th, 2023

Did You Hear? is a weekly examination of headlines in the entertainment industry and a take on what they could mean for the future of the industry and (often), the little geeky bubble that we occupy!

Drew Barrymore – Everything You Need to Know

Last Sunday actor and host Drew Barrymore announced via her personal Instagram that production of The Drew Barrymore Show (hosted by her, it may surprise you to learn), with non-WGA (thus non-striking), writers:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CxBeKAZJ4Og/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D

Beginning September 18th The Drew Barrymore Show will be back on the air as a scabbing production.

Unsurprising to me, though undoubtedly surprisingly to Barrymore, herself, members of the striking WGA and SAG-AFTRA Guilds – along with numerous supportive allies – exploded in outrage at the announcement.

If you’d like to read more in depth about public and prominent reactions I, personally, recommend Variety’s coverage of the backlash which I find to be a fair and balanced reflection of events as I experienced them as a striking actor in Los Angeles.

WGA negotiation committee member and striking SAG-AFTRA actor Adam Conover posted:

“This is incredibly disappointing. Drew Barrymore’s show employs WGA writers who are currently on strike. She is choosing to go back on the air without them, and forcing her guests to cross a picket line. Drew: This harms your writers and all union workers. Please reconsider.”

Conover has been one of the most vocal and public figures throughout the strife both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA have gone through. His words carry a lot of weight amongst our community, particularly for Los Angeles-based creatives.

Striking television writer Gennefer Gross posted the following statement:

“Drew Barrymore has always been someone who recognized her privilege and aimed to evolve, so I hope she will reconsider this hasty decision intended to pay her crew because it weakens both unions to openly endorse scabbing,” 

Gross’ comments also reflect the conflict many creatives feel about Barrymore’s controversial decision. Her grandfather, classic Hollywood actor John Barrymore, was instrumental in the protections the Screen Actors Guild affords its members. Her current actions certainly appear at odds with her family’s legacy.

In transparency – and in case any Spoilerites reading this don’t know – variety and talk shows don’t operate under the same rules as reality competition television series and they certainly don’t operate under the same rules as scripted fictional television. They employ different contracts and encompassing talent under separate rules. 

In her initial announcement Barrymore posted she touched on just this technicality:

“I own this choice. We are in compliance with not discussing or promoting film and television that is struck of any kind. We launched live in a global pandemic. Our show was built for sensitive times and has only functioned through what the real world is going through in real time.”

However, since more popular talk show hosts are members of either – or both – Guilds currently striking many shows have gone dark in solidarity with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA and the members of their teams currently affected by Guild rules. By contrast, Jimmy Kimmel is paying his staff from his own pockets in order to both keep them employed and keep everyone within Guild compliance – including, himself. If Barrymore were to make such a shift it may be too little, too late, but it certainly would reframe her choice to scab.

The Drew Barrymore Show’s head writer has no supportive words for the situation:

In an interview with The Daily Beast Cristina Kinon stated:

“I personally understand that everybody has to make the best decision for themselves. I know that this show has a crew of hundreds of people who need to be paid, and I understand the perspective of wanting to protect your cast, your crew and your staff.”

Backlash did not only come from fellow actors and writers. On Tuesday it was announced that Barrymore would no longer serve as host for The National Book Awards.

In a statement from the National Book Foundation, which hosts the National Book Awards ceremony we learned:

“The National Book Awards is an evening dedicated to celebrating the power of literature, and the incomparable contributions of writers to our culture. In light of the announcement that The Drew Barrymore Show will resume production, the National Book Foundation has rescinded Ms. Barrymore’s invitation to host the 74th National Book Awards Ceremony. Our commitment is to ensure that the focus of the Awards remains on celebrating writers and books, and we are grateful to Ms. Barrymore and her team for their understanding in this situation.”

Publishing – prose, manga, and comic books – is one of the only pieces of mass media not currently suffering under the WAG and SAG-AFTRA strikes and their choice to remove Barrymore as host is a stunning act of solidarity with writers across mediums.

Not for nothing there are other talk shows which have announced plans to return to the air in the autumn including The Jennifer Hudson Show. It’s worth considering why Drew Barrymore is carrying the brunt of the frustration over this exact issue while still feeling frustrated and even disappointed by what has transpired in the past week.

There are sure to be developments in the coming weeks and I’ll be sure to keep you updated with as much context as possible as the story continues to unfold.

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