April '00 Acting Journal

SUNDAY, APRIL 16, 2000

STRIKE! STRIKE! STRIKE!
Randleman ponders walking the line.

Early this morning the email came!

The strike is set for this week. Prepare to be involved. It is important to find the locations of non-union shoots and disrupt them!

And so, for the first time in my life, I am on strike. It is not a good feeling.

Now, you may be wondering gentle reader what and who is striking? And why? Well, in a nutshell. The members of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and AFTRA are going on a strike for better pay in commercials. Quite frankly, the whole thing is very complicated and sends me running for the industrial-sized Aleve bottle. But, this I know. The current contract is a joke and a rip-off for actors and I will be protesting. Look for Norma Rae Randleman. Union! Union! (See the SAG website for the complete saga--bring alcohol).

I have to admit though, I am not to keen on the whole idea of disrupting. I keep envisioning in my mind the play by Clifford Odets, "Waiting for Lefty." The play takes place in the '30s and these guys in the union are deciding if they should go on strike for better wages. They talk and talk, but everyone wants to hear from Lefty. Finally, at the end, a guy runs in and says "Lefty ain't comin'." "Why not?" cry the guys. "'Cause Lefty's dead." Turns out management offed ole Lefty. And lately I have been feeling very Lefty.

Now, I am sure that a lot of people who push steel for a living or sew pants in factory, don't give two hoots in hell which panty-waist sissy boy is trying to sell them this light beer or that. And, if they knew that on a good commercial that runs nationally, an actor could make four times their annual salary, I don't think the collection bowl would be passed. But, with the incredible amount of money that is being made and spend on advertising, (see ad rates for the Super Bowl and Oscars), the talent in those spots deserve to be fairly compensated. They are not. Now, for a nominal set fee, an ad agency can run a commercial on cable as many times as they like for a 13 week period. It takes an actor 7-8 commercials a year to bring in what they used to make on a couple. That leads to one of the commercial actors worst fears--overexposure.

So even though I only do a commerical every couple of years, I am preparing to walk the line. Just like the brave men of decades gone by. Standing up for my rights as an American worker and hoping that those Pinkerton boys don't cave my skull in.

Till next time, Batter Up!

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