The writers’ strike has already been dominating the Hollywood conversation, which is fair enough when it’s cast a looming shadow over both the short and long-term future of virtually every high-profile production in the industry. However, Jenna Ortega being weaponized as a propaganda tool mere days into the picketing wasn’t on our bingo card.
As one of the most popular rising stars in the business, you’d have thought the Wednesday and Scream breakout would have been a largely adored presence among creatives, many of whom would love to have her on board whatever they’re working on. However, she’s been caught in the middle of a crossfire that’s seen jokes taken out of context and used as a means to deepen the division between both sides.
It’s all based on Ortega’s assertions that she was rewriting much of her Wednesday dialogue on set to better fit the character, which has seen a sign spotted on the picket line reading “without writers, Jenna Ortega will have nothing to punch up!” going viral. In return, many outlets offered that the 20 year-old was being roundly mocked for her taking on unofficial scripting duties, which has exploded into all-out argument after The Hollywood Reporter claimed the youngster was being ridiculed for her assertions.
One side of the divide believes that it isn’t fair to mock somebody who just finished their teenage years so brazenly, while others are adamant that it’s nothing more than a harmless joke being used to poke fun at the incredulity of the entire situation, pointing out the placards are made in jest, blasting THR in the process for inciting “anti-strike propaganda.”
Either way, nobody could have predicted that Ortega would have emerged as such an unexpectedly pivotal figure in the heated battle, regardless of where the truth lies.
Published: May 5, 2023 02:16 am