Writers' Strike 2023: Jennifer Coolidge And Celebrities Stage Protest In Their Style

In a pre-recorded statement that was aired during Sunday's MTV Movie and TV Awards programme, actor Jennifer Coolidge showed her support for the ongoing Writers' Strike organised by the Writers Guild of America (WGA).

Coolidge was collecting her Comedic Genius Award at the MTV Movie and TV Awards. While her joke about the golden popcorn statuette resembled her favourite food (she was later seen enjoying some real popcorn while accepting another award) won hearts, it was her support for the writers' strike that stole the show.

Writers' Strike 2023?

The writers' strike has been called to negotiate better pay and working conditions for writers, as well as to address issues such as creative control and intellectual property rights.

Not only are the folks who make TV and film artists and creators fulfilling their childhood ambitions, but they are also people who get up every day and go to work at their incredibly difficult jobs. Even for writers who are finding work, it's becoming increasingly difficult to make a living in this nation, as it is for many other professions.

Celebrities Show Support For Writers' Strike

Jennifer Coolidge speech

"As a proud member of SAG (the Screen Actors Guild), I stand before you today alongside my WGA sisters and brothers who are currently defending the rights of artists worldwide. Great writers are the foundation of almost all great humour," Coolidge stated.

Previously, other celebrities had also made their support for the writers' support clear.

Actor Joseph Quinn, best known for playing the role of Eddie Munson in Stranger Things season 4 said that being a writer is a "challenging career that should be respected".

While winning the best show prize for The Last of Us on behalf of the showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, actor Pedro Pascal also offered a shout-out to the writers. He declared, "We're standing in solidarity with the WGA, which is fighting valiantly for decent salaries."

Following the failure of the guild and the major studios and streamers to reach an agreement on a new contract, WGA members started picketing on May 2. The MTV Movie TV Awards programme, among other works, has already been impacted by the strike.

After the WGA West announced preparations to protest outside the Los Angeles event site, Drew Barrymore resigned from her hosting responsibilities in solidarity with the writers, and what was meant to be a live performance was instead replaced with a pre-recorded broadcast. The show alternated between award presentations, pre-recorded segments starring Barrymore, and remarks by previous MTV Movie & TV Award winners.

Along with Saturday Night Live, which cancelled this weekend's episode that would have featured Pete Davidson returning as host, all of the network late-night shows went silent on Tuesday as the strike got underway. The highly anticipated final season of Netflix's Stranger Things has been further delayed due to the strike, which was also announced on Saturday.

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