HOLLYWOOD—Some big news recently came to light in the recent week where SAG-AFTRA could possibly strike if a deal is not reached with AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) by June 30. On Monday, June 5, nearly 98 percent of members authorizing a strike if the deal is not met and that is major people. Why? Well the Writers Guild of America is currently on strike, and have been since May 1, meaning we’re getting ready to enter week five or six, at this point, and I don’t see an end in sight.

The writers are asking to be paid more, and as writer myself, I have to agree. Why? Writers are the foundation for the creation of a lot of content and we don’t always get the respect that we deserve. You might say how so? Um, when it comes to entertainment, it all starts with the writers. Rather it is music, television, film, theater, comedy, news, magazines, writers contribute that content. It begins with them.

I recently saw someone utilizing AI (artificial intelligence) to craft a paper and I couldn’t believe it. I stopped and said, “What the hell are you doing? Are you using AI?” Their response, “Of course” and it stunned me. I didn’t realize people have been using this for months maybe longer because it seems like actually using the brain is just too hard for some Americans.

However, if the actors and performers strike, you’re looking at some serious issues in the entertainment realm. For starters, you have already seen late night TV and comedy sketch series disappear as a result of the writers’ strike. In addition, you have the production on some TV and movies stop as a result of the WGA strike; I’m looking at you “Stranger Things” and “Blade 4.” In addition, if the actors strike, guess what, you cannot film a TV show or a movie without those performers.

What does that mean? That means you will literally see a stoppage of all forms of entertainment that includes scripted TV and cinema. Soap Operas forget about them, your weekly dose of cinema, if it hasn’t already been shot or movies that are currently in production will be halted. That will become a big problem for the cinematic universe because films that are slated to come out later down the road based on production schedules, will be significantly pushed back even longer.

I don’t know how the residuals and compensation for actors/performers work. Based on what we see and hear about in the TV realm, plenty make a pretty penny. Then there are those who are just starting out, and the pay is not as high, but they’re making something, but with streaming SO POPULAR nowadays we are seeing the studios and production companies cutting back costs as much as they can so the writers and actors don’t make as much.

Hmm, if a movie or TV production is making big bucks, why can’t that wealth be shared across the board people. It is very greed driven if I’m being honest, and it makes you wonder if money is the root of all evil. Yes, it really is. If I can keep more of my money and give less to others it’s a win because your bank account gets fatter, while everyone else stays the same.

Hollywood has always been this way, the big moguls, the heads behind the studios, the producers, the directors, the big names control and wield the power, while everyone else gets a piece of the crumbs. This is a situation I am watching very closely, because you could see the fall and winter TV season full of repeats or a ton of reality series or no content at all.

I’m already livid that my summer guilty pleasure “Big Brother” is not premiering until August 2. That’s a problem because there is some fall TV I look forward to and I don’t want to have to decide between a reality competition series I’ve watched for more than 20 years and something more intriguing on TV.

I don’t want to see reality TV 24/7. It can be entertaining for a while, but reality TV is not real TV people. Why? Hello, when you place a camera in front of someone, they are going to behave different than if the camera was not there. I don’t care what anyone says. You can only take so much ‘real’ TV before you want something with a bit of an edge and intelligence to it.

We’ve seen the writers striking outside some of the major movie studios and streaming giants in recent weeks, with some actors showing support. It looks like we could soon see actual actors on the picket lines fighting for more rights when it comes to pay and treatment, and if the writers and the actors align Hollywood could see an earthquake like we’ve never seen before people.