Uh-oh. America's cutest ever little sister or wacky Auntie (take your pick) has pulled a boner. With no warning or logical reason, she's decided to resume shooting her eponymous talk show - even though it's a signatory of the Writers Guild of America, which, newsflash, Drew, is on strike. But cutesy-wootsy, funny-bunny Drew doesn't care.
In her garbled, word-salad post to Instagram, she makes the argument that she's been a good girl, since she didn't host the MTV awards at the onset of the strike. And she's only returning now, she says, because "this is bigger than me." What's bigger than you, Drew? Those fat, syndicated paychecks you're missing? Those eager production and network executives salivating for ad buys?
Her patented Little Girl Defensiveness™ continues when she states that her show is "built for sensitive times," as if it were a baby koala, or so sweet and darling that you mustn't ever slap it upside the head when it misbehaves because: squee, cute. But the most head-turning part of her post has to be: "We launched live during a global pandemic. I want to be there to provide what writers do so well." You mean by writing? Like writers do? Then try harder. Because no self-respecting union writer would ever use "a global pandemic" as part of an excuse to be a scab.
She ends her diatribe with Mommy-Blog Enlightened Words™, like "astute humility," which is a substitute, I suppose, for regular ol', garden variety stupid humility - or for her chintzy Walmart kitchen products or her "Flower" perfume (also at Walmart!). But then this is the person who had to get called out for mocking the real issues raised by the Amber Heard/Johnny Depp trial, which she treated as just another wacky, loony-toony joke. Luckily, the blowback she received for her comments was a "teachable moment for me," she said, adding, "All I want to do is be a good person!" We know, Drew, we know. Only these days we feel the strain. Like rickets.
Atanyrateshebedeadtomenow, her first scab show's audience was mostly populated by production staff and other executives and assistants who were on their best behavior, though she and her staff did have to kick out two audience members because they dared to wear little WGA lapel pins. But hey, there must be astute humility somewhere in the act of kicking people to the curb because they're wearing pins which reveal you're a scab. Shortly after, her representatives burped up the usual apology, and further insisted that Drew had no idea they removed any audience member. Really? Because she was there. She's the show's executive producer. What? Was she off somewhere being adorable? Or too busy trying to be "a good person?" Since I'm fresh out of "Bitch, please" gifs, you'll just have to imagine them.
True, Drew's show isn't the only talk show which the WGA is slamming for continuing during the strikes - most notably "The View" and "Live With Kelley And Mark" - but this is arguably not the look Drew should want, especially since she's now following in the footsteps of hallowed nice-gal Ellen Degeneres, who similarly became a scab and kept her show running during the last WGA strike. "I feel caught in the middle!" Degeneres whined at the time, striving for sympathy. Again, this is not the path Drew should be going down.
To be honest, I've long wearied of Drew's I'm-So-Quirky-And-Sorta-New-Agey-But-Wouldn't-Dare-Offend-Anyone routine, but she has her place - which, rightly, is on an easily-ignored talk show which people allow to drone on largely unwatched while doing chores in the afternoon or cleaning the litter box. It's the perfect trajectory for an actress who's mined "cute" for cash, and now wants to be patted on the back while she makes even more cash at the expense of the many people who work for her. Still cute? Meh. Not to me.
UPDATE: From The NYTs, "Drew Barrymore has been dropped as the host of the National Book Awards, the foundation that presents the prizes said Tuesday, after the actress received a barrage of criticism for deciding to bring back her daytime talk show despite the strike by television writers..."
"Barrymore’s critics include many high-profile writers. Colson Whitehead, an author who won the National Book Award in 2016, gestured to the problem the foundation faced in having the actress as host after her decision."
Fuque around and find out, Drew.
Photo Credits: Getty Images, AP, Drew Barrymore/Instagram
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