X-Files Stars Rally at Reunion Amid Hollywood Strikes
The SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes have crossed their fourth and seventy-seventh days respectively, and influence from Hollywood isn't waning. This has most recently been embodied in an X-Files reunion taking place outside Fox. Stars like David Duchovny, Annabeth Gish, and Thomas Schnauz who contributed to the iconic sci-fi series both on-screen and off have come together to voice their concerns over occupational issues such as Artificial Intelligence and streaming residuals.
Duchovny, drawing from experience, rightly observed how increasingly opaque streaming platforms decide what constitutes success or failure, shedding light on the lack of transparency in this era of booming online media. But he's not alone in his concerns; he was joined by not only Gish, a fellow X-Files alum, but also Schnauz who is known for his work on Better Call Saul.
Speaking to Deadline, Gish pointed out the changing dynamics of the entertainment industry, especially the decline in residual earnings that were once a significant source of income for artists. Schnauz weighed in with similar sentiments, explaining how the evolution of writers’ rooms into more compact and transient entities has made it challenging for newer writers to earn a sustainable living.
In these challenging times, solidarity isn't just limited to industry veterans. Heartening videos showcasing local schoolchildren chanting in support of the strike have been making the rounds on social media, demonstrating widespread communal backing for the strike.
While thousands of people have joined the picket lines in Los Angeles, the heat has been a troubling factor, with temperatures soaring close to 100 degrees. Bob Odenkirk, Kaitlyn Dever, Michelle Monaghan, and Kevin Sussman are among those braving the scorching weather. Sussman, in particular, raised concerns over the precarious state of residuals, predicting potential detrimental effects on the entertainment industry if the strike prolongs.
On the eastern coast, stars like Rosario Dawson, Kevin Bacon, and Hillary Duff also expressed their concerns over outdated contracts and called for a "livable wage".
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At an X-Files reunion under such circumstances, one would be forgiven for expecting something alien, something outlandishly extraterrestrial. Instead, it morphed into a rallying point for a workforce facing extraterrestrial issues of their own: opaque algorithms, artificial intelligence, streaming residuals. It's rather refreshing to witness these celestial figures become the voice of us, the mere earthly pedestrians. A kind of irony Mulder and Scully would appreciate, perhaps.
Duchovny's concern over AI and streamers made me ponder over the very essence of success and failure. What an intriguing world we live in, where these fundamental human experiences are contextualised by a nameless, faceless algorithm. It feels as though we're living through a streaming version of The Truman Show. Someone hit the pause button, I need to process this!
Gish's commentary about residuals paints quite a gloomy picture of the industry - imagine this, you make a timeless gem of a show, then decades later, it starts streaming on a popular platform and earns massive success. However, due to outdated contracts and shifting industry tides, you, the creator, make barely anything from the soaring viewership. It's like pouring your heart into painting the Mona Lisa, only for someone to make millions selling the cups featuring your work, while you get a free cup. Some deal, huh?
Now, let's not forget our young chanters. I say bravo to the striking schoolchildren lending their support to the cause in a way only they can - through the timeless schoolyard tradition of chanting. I mean, who wouldn't trade a seasoned legal advisor for a bus full of cheerleading minors? It’s grassroots advocacy at its finest.
So here we are, on the picket fence of progress, a surprising turn of events in a direction Duchovny, I'm sure, wouldn't deny is... uncannily extraterrestrial.
