SAG-AFTRA's Halloween Costume Rules Are Super Annoying

The union wants you to throw your Barbie costume in the trash, scab.

If you are planning to dress up as Barbie, the Flash, or Baby Yoda (his name is Grogu!) for Halloween this year, union bosses consider you a scab.

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) released guidance earlier this week urging its members—and all those who stand in solidarity with them—to eschew character costumes that reference film and TV.

"This Halloween, we wanted to make sure our members don't inadvertently break strike rules, and have put together some quick tips on the dos and don'ts for costumes," said the union in a statement.

The union recommends generic costumes, like ghosts and vampires, rather than popular characters from current entertainment franchises like Marvel and Star Wars. Animated characters are OK, though; animators and voice actors are represented by a different union.

SAG-AFTRA initiated a strike earlier this year on July 14 due to concerns that studios were not properly compensating employees who make streaming content. Negotiations broke down on October 11 and have not yet resumed.

News of the costume restrictions has received mixed reactions. Actor Ryan Reynolds joked that he looked forward to screaming "scab" at his daughter.

I look forward to screaming "scab" at my 8 year old all night. She's not in the union but she needs to learn

— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) October 19, 2023

Actress Mandy Moore chided SAG-AFTRA for wasting time on Halloween costumes and urged the union to "get back to the table and get a fair deal" in a post on Instagram.

"Is this a joke?" she wrote.

Given the huge success of the Barbie movie, it seems unlikely that SAG-AFTRA's fun-killing advice will have much of an impact on the costuming landscape. If anything, it seems like it might make otherwise sympathetic people slightly irritated with the union. (You can probably guess who I'm dressing up as for Halloween.)

Comments

[Kungpowderfinger]

Is it ok to dress up like Fran Drescher?

https://www.pinterest.com/jackieo97/the-nanny-halloween-costume/

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Do you WANT to get punched in the face?

[Kungpowderfinger]

“Hahhahhahhah…!”

https://youtube.com/shorts/ih_5lYQK3i0?si=3Il6iRmt8xCrBylB

[Agammamon]

I mean, if you've got those tits, tight sweaters are the way to go.

[Quo Usque Tandem]

Ghost and vampires? Are they not organized? Somebody somewhere has to have a beef with that.

Or you can just tell anyone who thinks they have a right to tell you what costume you can or cannot wear to fuck off. Personally I'm going to go as Diane Feinstein post mortem [not that anybody would notice the difference].

[Rev Arthur L kuckland]

Please there aren't any movies that have vampires or ghosts

[Eeyore]

That settles it. I'm going as Grogu Barbie.

[Balloon maker]

Hot

[Nazi-Chipping Warlock]

I'm pretty sure these "rules" only apply to union members. I don't think they're so delusional as to believe they can tell non-members how to dress. Though, maybe.

[jimc5499]

Yes. They are that delusional.

[mad.casual]

(You can probably guess who I'm dressing up as for Halloween.)

You don't say.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

I guess it's safe to start sticking your head above the parapets now.

[Stuck in California]

Did Bill Burr ever not do that?

The rest of 'em, well, I can't say as much. I don't know too many hollywooders anymore, but Bill Burr was busy being a hilarious asshole the last few years.

[mad.casual]

One potentially subtle and maybe surprising nod; Rachel Harris.

Off the top of my head, I can’t think of a role that she’s starred in that isn’t essentially “Karen” and I can’t imagine they read through scripts full of “Karen gets put in her place.” or “Karen gets her comeuppance.” without at least a glimmer of “Are we the baddies?” Especially given how utterly detached from reality the rest of Hollywood gets based on their fantasy personas. I don't know anything about her personally but, like I said, I can't imagine reading the "Main character calls you a stumpy cunt." and thinking "I can play that part!" without at least some self-realization.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Fine. You can have my Ken costume as long as Margot spends the weekend here without hers.

[Á àß äẞç ãþÇđ âÞ¢Đæ ǎB€Ðëf ảhf]

She doesn't need her Ken costume, she has her Barbie one.

[Longtobefree]

Do satanic cultists actually care what a union head thinks?

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

If you knew that SAG-AFTRA has Halloween Costume Rules, you're paying attention to the wrong events in the world.

[InsaneTrollLogic]

The Film Actors Guild can fuck right off.

[Longtobefree]

According to published reports, they often do - - - - - - - -

[Quo Usque Tandem]

All the cool people [urban Democrats] like to appear that they care about and support unions, which comprise about 1% of the electorate. So if you want to appear to be cool, you will do as they say.

[CE]

The only unions the urban Dems support are the public employees unions and the actors guild. The urban Dems drove actual working union members to support Trump.

[Minadin]

More appropriate acronym anyway.

Also,
If this is a clever ruse to get me to dress up as one of their movie characters for NOT standing in solidarity with them, they can also fuck off.

[Super Scary]

Yeah, those actors are way better at coming up with a good acronym in comparison to our government. F.A.G. is short, concise and lets everyone know about the people involved.

[InsaneTrollLogic]

Not mine though, I stole it shamelessly from "Team America: World Police".

[Super Scary]

Ah, I thought that was actually an acronym they use. At this stage in our culture, I don't think anyone can blame me for making that mistake.

[InsaneTrollLogic]

It's one hell of a funny movie by the creators of "South Park", Trey Parker and Matt Stone. They satirize pretty much everything from GW Bush to Kim Jong Un and Matt Damon in the film using marionettes. It even has a scene with puppet sex of all things.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

And I didn't even know there was still a strike until like yesterday.

[Minadin]

I was hoping it was an air strike.

We could blame it on Israel / Russia.

[Dillinger]

ya well fuck them I'm going as baby yoda in a barbie dress.

[Ben of Houston]

I think Grogu would work better in a frilly princess dress. Aurora's pink would probably do nicely.

[Dillinger]

I'll shop around.

[Flush that fetus!]

Meanwhile in other news; Republicans officially drop Jim Jordan as a nominee for speaker.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Hopefully they'll go with a more centrist figure who supports tax breaks for minor gender-affirming care.

[Rev Arthur L kuckland]

They should nominate mtg

[Super Scary]

"If you are planning to dress up as Barbie, the Flash, or Baby Yoda"

Don't! Instead, dress as: "Blonde Pink Woman", "Red Fast Guy" and "Young Alien in Potato Sack." All available at your local Spirit Halloween store!

[CE]

If you really want to be scary, dress up with your friends like Congress-critters: Feinstein, Fetterman, MTG, Boebert, etc.

[Ajsloss]

Frankenstein’s Monster is going as Fetterman.

[jimc5499]

He won't even have to dress up.

[n00bdragon]

What's the difference between a Feinstein costume and a zombie costume?

[Me, Myself and I]

If you wear the wrong Haloween costume, you can never join SAG-AFTRA.
They won't last long.

[Minadin]

Justin Trudeau hardest hit.

[Jeff Mason]

It's nonsense like this that makes me want to find a picket line just so I can cross it and laugh at them. These are not serious people. Oh, wait. Their actors. Of course they're not serious. They get paid for playing dress up.

[CE]

Wait, are the actors saying they don't want people to dress up to help promote movies they already made, before the strike? Don't they get residuals from that?

[Mickey Rat]

Yes, for productions that are decades old as well as current.

[LarryA]

It's getting so confusing. If I dress up like Barbie I'm totally supporting the LGBTetc, but I'm a scab to the union, which is bff with LGBTetc.
Now it's "Friend of my friend is my enemy?"

[Mickey Rat]

You give other people rights to do your thinking for you. and this sort of thing is the result. The actors are the union's property, what right have they to complain?

[The Margrave of Azilia]

Nobody's going to pay attention to the chum Soave threw in the water when he said he's dressing as Ken?

[Minadin]

I chose to ignore.

[Mickey Rat]

Dressing as himself is hardly interesting..

[Agammamon]

Is this some reverse psychology bullshit to promote Spirit Halloween?

[AT]

Right? Now I kinda want to do it just to spite them.

[JohnSteed]

From the text quoted, wasn't this guidance directed to SAG-AFTRA members, and not the general public?

[Brandybuck]

Extra candy (full sized snicker bars) to everyone showing up at my door dressed as Barbie!!!

[VinniUSMC]

"Is this a joke?"

Late to the party? Yes, SAG-AFTRA is a joke. Most unions nowadays are jokes. Just lefty shit cesspools.

[B G]

Isn't Grogu a CGI character? In the portion of the Mandalorian I've seen so far I'm not even sure he's made any sounds (is there a voice actor associated with the part?)

What about characters who have appeared in both animated and live action productions? If someone were to go as Fred Flintstone, how can anyone know it's the one from the cartoons as opposed to the live-action movies (or maybe the porn parody)? All manner of Star Wars characters have appeared in both movies/series and animation (Rebels, Bad Batch, Clone Wars); if someone were to dress as Obi-wan Kenobi from the cartoons vs from the movies where does the union come down on it?

Is Jessica Rabbit allowed, or off limits? What about commercial characters (Jan from Toyota, Lily from AT&T, Flo from Progressive, either of the Jakes from State Farm, etc)?

[Naime Bond]

To avoid union conflict, you could go as Biden and visit each House six times in a row....