Bethenny Frankel Calls for Reality TV Strike: ‘We’re Getting Screwed, Too’
Bethenny Frankel is calling on her fellow reality TV stars to stop working until they negotiate a new deal.
Amid the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the Real Housewives of New York City alum is arguing that unscripted TV personalities should be paid residuals when repeats of their shows air on cable and stream online.
“Why isn’t reality TV on strike?” she asks on Instagram. “I got paid $7,250 for my first season of reality TV, and people are still watching those episodes.
“During the last writers’ strike, we were providing all of the entertainment, and that’s when the gold rush of reality TV started,” she says. “I, myself, have generated millions and millions of dollars in advertising and online impressions being on reality TV, and I have never made a single residual. So, either I’m missing something, or we’re being screwed, too.”
In an accompanying 200-word statement, Frankel adds that she’s “well aware that unscripted talent… should have a union or simply be treated fairly,” and proclaims that reality stars, like members of the writers’ and actors’ guilds, “should also stop shooting network and streaming content” unless they are fairly compensated.
“Critics will say that actors have ‘talent’ which is what studios pay for [when] in fact studios pay for advertisers, and advertisers pay for the purchasers of the household — aka women,” she asserts. “And what gets women? Reality TV. Just because talent signs their life away doesn’t make exploitation correct.”
TVLine has reached out Bravo parent company NBCUniversal for comment.
Fair enough. They should strike too.
Are they unionized? And is their contract up?
Otherwise they can’t really do anything about it unfortunately.
Not sure if this is correct, but my sister who is SAG told me that reality performers are on a separate contract which is up for renegotiation next year.
They strike, a bunch of wannabe stars are waiting in the wings. Reality stars can be replaced easily and in some cases cheaper.
Or people could be paid fairly for the work they’re doing.
Define work. Besides the crew on these shows, the stars are just low talent eye candy.
They do have to say and do things that get filmed that will bring in viewers. It is fake for sure most of the time but they do need to create drama. They don’t just show up and do nothing.
They do and say things to bring in viewers? So they are FOX News? Let’s face reality stars are one flop away from being Only Fans stars.
Or maybe get a real job?
Being on a reality show doesn’t take any actual skill or talent though, so I’m gonna say how about no?
and she made millions because of the show – her product lines etc – they all have monopolized on their “stardom”
yeah I was going to say the same thing. Most (not all, in fairness) are being rewarded by staying in the public eye. If they want to go on strike, by all means, they should go ahead. It may help them, or it may not. Most of them will be well forgotten by the end of the strike. The public will have moved on to the next thing. They will likely do themselves more harm then good.
Talent is subjective. One would call showing up ready to work a skill so they do have that skill.
They dont “show up” anywhere. The cameras come to them.
I 100% support this. I hate reality tv. They should ask for absurd demands. Maybe it will go on for years! Where do I sign up to picket?
l thought the whole point of reality TV was the lower cost of “talent”
they definitely should strike. hopefully that’ll end this whole reality tv crap trend. the reason studios do reality is cause it’s cheap. once it gets more expensive hopefully there will be far less of them.
As much as I’m over Bethenny, she has a point. Especially if we’re gonna go on the premise reality TV isn’t as far from being produced and scripted as traditional scripted shows.
While I don’t give a crap about her, she is not entirely wrong. I agree, why shouldn’t she get residuals? If the company keeps getting paid, so should the “”talent””. (very liberal use of that word….) That will be their decision to make when they have that chance.
Please, please, please go on strike, and never come back. And I don’t mean Bethany Whosit, whoever that is, but everybody in so-called ‘reality’ TV, but especially anybody whose name sounds like a Star Trek race.
Someone else would just do a reality TV to get there 15 minutes of fame and I’m sure there are non-union reality TV shows so they wouldn’t be off the air. I like reality TV watch quite a few of them.