The Actors’ Strike Is Already Changing TikTok. Here’s How

When SAG-AFTRA joined the WGA in striking against the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers, there was immediate action. The cast of summer blockbuster Oppenheimer immediately left their screening, SAG president Fran Drescher delivered a fervid speech blaming the AMPTP for Hollywood’s halt, and SAG was quick to release a notice spelling out exactly what actions were banned — like filming, acting, or even sending in audition tapes to a struck company. But you don’t have to be union to cross a picket line. And with the consequence for doing “struck work” possibly being no future in Hollywood, the strike has been especially confusing and stressful for an unexpected class: influencers.

Online, especially on TikTok, the most immediate result has been a creator community that has immediately pivoted to self-policing. The first example was popular movie creator JuJu Green (@Straw_Hat_Goofy), who posted a skit saying he planned to keep taking brand deals because he wasn’t in the union. The video was widely derided by dozens of content creators who supported the strike, enough that it led Green to issuex an apology. “I removed that skit and apologized for any hurt it caused,” Green told NBC News. “Once clear, official information was released from SAG, I complied with all regulations and will not be taking any new work from struck companies until the strike is resolved and the union gets a fair deal. I stand with SAG-AFTRA.” (Green did not respond to a request for comment.)

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And it hasn’t stopped there. Dozens of creators have begun keeping public lists of influencers who have appeared to cross the picket line by attending premieres — all of which have ended with public apologies. Andra Gogan, a TikToker with 10.8 million followers on TikTok, recently deleted several videos of herself attending the premiere of Disney’s Haunted Mansion after people accused her of scabbing. Gogan’s manager told Rolling Stone that Gogan, who is Romanian, confirmed her attendance before the strike was announced and was unaware that she would be perceived as crossing the picket line. And content creator and comedian Collin Everett made himself one of TikTok’s characters of the week after posting a series of videos saying he would take advantage of the strike to help launch his dream career of developing his own television show, referring to himself as the “leader of the scabs.”

“I don’t care if Hollywood is striking right now,” Everett said. “I’m gonna work. There are a lot of people who would be so happy to take the places of all these actors.” Everett, also known as @collinurrmom, has 9.3 million followers on TikTok. But in a statement to Rolling Stone, he said the stance was poorly stated. “ Taking work from union workers is not my intent,” Everett said. “I was unintentionally misleading in my video, and people understandably got upset based off what I said.”

While SAG is encouraging non-union content creators to join the fight, new guidelines, issued last week, also show Hollywood isn’t underestimating the future influencers could play in the entertainment industry. According to the union’s official FAQ, just like actors and writers, creators shouldn’t accept new paid promo work from any of the top-name studios. While this obviously affects appearing on red carpets or posting ads, a much larger deal for many creators with budding platforms is the banning of doing content, paid or otherwise, like commentary videos or recaps, that promotes a struck company. And according to the FAQ, creators who cross the picket line can be banned from joining SAG later in their career — a heavy threat for influencers who hope to cross over into traditional media. For creators who focus on pop culture, film, and television content, this has severely impacted what they can post. Rolling Stone spoke to several nonunion entertainment influencers who say they’re more than willing to pivot — even though they’re not sure what that looks like at the moment.

While film influencer is a nebulous term, it’s the best description the entertainment business has at the moment for how TikTok and YouTube have changed studio interactions with content creators. In the three years, a rise in the popularity of pop culture influencers has seen a major push in paid creator content from studios, creator Riddhi S. tells Rolling Stone.

“Traditional studios have really noticed how big influencing and content creation is and how valuable it could be to them in terms of marketing,” Riddhi says. “There [has] definitely been an increase in involving influencers, whether that be a promotion or going to something as big as a premiere and interviewing actors and actresses as official press.”

So as the strike continues, influencers believe they might be the next targets of studios desperate for any kind of promotion. Simone Umba, a pop culture and lifestyle creator, tells Rolling Stone that as soon as the strike news broke, she and other mutuals began preparing for a major uptick in studio invitations to red carpets and other promotional events — including trying to enforce clear rules that will protect the striking workers.

“A lot of times studios see creators as free promotion without the consideration of ‘Let me partner with them and build a relationship,’” Umba says. “And with this strike happening and actors essentially being out of the office, [studios] are trying to lean on creators in regards to pay partnerships and invitations to premieres and fan events.”

While the past seven days have shown just how wide a strike’s impact can spread, they’ve also proven that SAG most likely won’t have to worry about enforcing the strike rules with influencers. The community is already doing that — and well. Each of the creators who have flagged potential picket line crossing behavior have indicated they’ll continue to monitor as the strike goes on, meaning it’s not just SAG watching.

“For fellow creators, a lot of us are quite stressed at this time,” Riddhi tells Rolling Stone. “Specifically people who are full-time creators and rely on partnering with studios to make income. But I think the most important thing here will be collaboration and community as this strike goes on.”

Bobbi Miller is host of the podcast The Afternoon Special, a pop culture show that explores the backstory and historical context of some of the most popular films and tv series— as well as new releases from major studios. (Miller was also one of the influencers invited to walk the pink carpet at the recent Barbie premiere in Los Angeles, California.) She also tells Rolling Stone that she’s focused on finding ethical ways to continue to do her job while not crossing the picket line. But while she and other creators are concerned about how the strike will impact them financially, she believes all film and entertainment creators have a responsibility to support the WGA and SAG.

“We frankly wouldn’t exist without the writers who write the stories and the actors who bring them to life,” Miller says. “So as creators, if we’re going to talk about the strike, we have a responsibility to do that research to support the creatives. And not complain about the fact that there is a strike, but rather, understanding that a strike is actually the best thing to save this industry and what we love.”

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