When the writers’ strike began on May 2, there were plenty of Hollywood executives who assumed they would have an easy go of starving out writers and resetting the status quo rather than figure out a solution. After talks collapsed last week, studios are starting to feel the pressure as more than 160,000 actors and performers joined the striking writers. With the solidarity of some of Tinsel Town’s biggest names, studios are starting to feel the heat as movie production grinds to a halt and A-listers walk off set.
The sudden exodus of talent has left a power vacuum that executives are desperate to fill, and their solution appears to be the internet-famous social media influencers fresh from the screens of TikTok. But TikTok superstar @Straw_Hat_Goofy has already found himself in hot water for deigning to cross the picket line. And for good reason.
Who is Straw Hat Goofy?
Juju Green — or @Straw_Hat_Goofy as he is known on TikTok — started his social media career as a movie commentator. Described as charismatic and charming, the influencer gained notoriety for his detailed movie breakdowns and for his videos pinpointing obscure iconography linking Pixar films to one another. His account took off after his breakdown for Avengers: Endgame went viral, and before long his account had millions of subscribers and Straw_hat became known as “The Movie Guy on TikTok.”
Once his account blew up, the TikToker was quickly swept up as prime promotional material by companies like Marvel, Sony, Disney, and Universal Pictures. He is frequently invited to red carpet events and has hosted interviews with some of Hollywood’s megastars – from Zendaya to Tom Cruise.
What is the controversy?
The video, which has since been deleted, was a bit in which Straw_hat played both halves of a two-part skit. The influencer asked himself questions on how he would manage his upcoming appearances, and then he answered his interview questions. What could have been just another skit turned large swathes of the internet against the content creator due to his callous and self-serving views on an issue that affects thousands of workers. In his video Straw_Hat claims that — since he isn’t a part of the union — he had no reason to postpone any work in the coming months. In a gross misunderstanding of what a scab is, Straw_hat said, “Bottom line is I can’t be a scab for a union I’m not part of for a job that I was already doing.”
My brother, in capitalism – that’s exactly what a scab is.
After an absolute boatload of criticism from other creators, Straw_hat pulled his original video and attempted to explain himself a little better. While his follow-up video contains the nuance that his first video lacked and explained his stance more succinctly, the damage was already done. Members of the union were quick to respond to the creator, emphasizing exactly how his comments were wrong. Others chastised him for cashing in on the strikes, and for ignoring the reason for the strike in the first place. With the majority of actors sidelining themselves for the foreseeable future, content creators will be the first replacements tapped by studios. Content creators like Straw_hat will be the A-list go-tos, and any of those who choose to take that money are without a doubt strikebreakers, or as they are more commonly called – scabs.
What is a scab?
A scab is a non-union worker crossing the line to do the work not being done by the union members. They typically weren’t employed by the company before the strike, but are brought on during the strike to keep a company functioning as before. Even if someone was employed before the strike, that doesn’t mean they’re exempt from scab status. Once the line has been drawn, anyone that crosses it is essentially agreeing with the companies that are being disputed, and tacitly endorsing the poor pay, bad benefits, and whatever else the striking workers are trying to change.
Moreover, anyone who participates in scab work during the strike will be banned from ever joining the unions. Now, to be clear, this only applies to the companies that are being “struck” – those mega-corporations that make billions a year, pay out massive bonuses to executives, and yet have employees that struggle to make ends meet. While all of this is straight-forward and a 15-minute Google search would have saved Straw_hat some serious heartache, there should be minor concession given for his faux pas.
This is the first writers’/actors’ strike that has occurred during the age of social media, and this strange new world has plenty of unknowns for creators to work through. Luckily for anyone confused by how all of this will work during the digital age, the SAG-AFTRA website has a handy FAQ for anyone unsure how they should pursue work during the strike. The list of struck companies is extensive, but any job offer outside of the list is fair game for those out of work.
Creatives are free to explore opportunities with smaller companies, use materials from other countries, or past blockbusters, and are certainly free and encouraged to fulfill any prior obligations to contracts that applied before the strike began. Any new offers, however, are absolute no-nos. It takes very little for outsiders to stand in solidarity with the unions, and for many involved in the strike, the very Hollywood writers and actors that Straw_hat utilizes for content creation and his tacit compliance will blackball him for years to come.
Other controversies
Well before this misstep other creators have noticed a selfish streak in Straw_hat’s demeanor. The TikToker has been blocked by more than one black female creator, and one of them says this latest controversy matches a pattern in behavior for the film critic creator. Her basis for this criticism comes from the premiere of Ms. Marvel, during which she alleges Straw_hat gave herself and a number of other attendees Covid-19. While it may seem innocuous, the creator summarized why this casual disregard for other people’s safety shows Straw_hat’s true colors. “It’s easy to invalidate the grief and experiences of other people when you navigate the world with yourself as the priority.”