Neil Gaiman is advising everyone to refrain from boycotting streaming platforms for the time being, as watching content on such networks wouldn’t necessarily amount to “crossing a picket line.”
The ongoing Writers Guild strike is reaching a crucial point a month and a half after its commencement in May. Now, with the Actors Guild joining the movement, concerns are being raised over the direction of the strike and what the supporting public could do to help these creatives.
Fortunately, folks like Neil Gaiman — who himself is on strike — are here to guide us through this tumultuous period. When recently asked if people should start boycotting Netflix and the like in an effort to support the strike, Gaiman said that he doesn’t recommend it unless the WGA calls for it.
“The WGA has not called for anyone to boycott any of the streamers or to stop their streaming services yet,” he wrote on Tumblr. “It’s not ‘crossing the picket line’ to watch something on a network that we are striking against. (Crossing a picket line’ is a very real, specific thing with a real meaning). I’ve seen it being discussed, but until the WGA calls for it, I don’t suggest doing it.”
In this context, “crossing a picket line” is essentially doing anything that undermines the strike or weakens the position from which the WGA committee, and now the SAG, would negotiate for a better deal.
While Hollywood seems inclined to let this business model crash and burn, the writers would want people to watch their work. In fact, some are still getting paid tiny residuals from these television shows and movies, so continuing to tune in for the content might indirectly end up helping the WGA, especially amid reports that claim the studios have no qualms about letting writers go broke or homeless.