Singer and writer Muni Long gave a shoutout to the Writers’ Guild of America during the 2023 BET Awards.
Deadline reports that before presenting Kali’s performance, Long gave a much-needed acknowledgment of Hollywood writers’ fight for proper representation and job security.
“I must take a moment to acknowledge and stand in solidarity with the artists who make us laugh, cry, and most importantly, think–our Writers Guild of America family,” she said to the BET audience. “Writers are, in many instances, the glue to the execution of artistry and storytelling. Our ability to extract emotion from performers helping them to articulate their voices and vision to the world is irreplaceable. The protection of the writer is crucial. We simply must protect our intellectual property.”
Long’s speech was one of several instances when the awards show gave recognition to the ongoing writers’ strike, with Average Joe stars Malcolm Barrett and Cynthia Kaye McWilliams making respectful jokes about the awards show not having writers for the teleprompter. The show also went without a host, further acknowledgment of the writers’ strike.
The strike has been going for over 50 days at the time of this post, with writers wanting studios to increase wages and protect jobs from AI, among other demands.
