Drew Barrymore has well and truly stepped in it, hasn’t she? To recap: on Sunday she announced via Instagram that she was owning her choice to bring back her talk show mid-strikes because it’s bigger than just her but don’t worry they won’t discuss or promote other struck work. The post was also laced with words about how the show launched during the pandemic, she wants to make sense of the human experience, and she will bring us together with astute humility. By Monday the WGA clapped back saying the show returning now was a violation of strike rules, and they dispatched members to picket outside CBS in New York where the show was taping. Also amid this Monday maelstrom, two people who won tickets to the show’s taping were kicked out for wearing WGA pins (that are only 1-2 inches long). Now in another hit, on Tuesday night the National Book Foundation disinvited Drew from serving as host at their awards ceremony in November. The National Book Foundation is not on strike now. This is what’s called solidarity, Drew.
The National Book awards has rescinded Drew Barrymore’s invitation to host its upcoming annual award ceremony in the wake of the return of her talk show “The Drew Barrymore Show” this fall amid Hollywood strikes.
In a statement to social media, the National Book Foundation wrote “The National Book Awards is an evening dedicated to celebrating the power of literature, and the incomparable contributions of writers to our culture. In light of the announcement that ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ will resume production, the National Book Foundation has rescinded Ms. Barrymore’s invitation to host the 74th National Book Awards Ceremony.”
The foundation added, “Our commitment is to ensure that the focus of the Awards remains on celebrating writers and books, and we are grateful to Ms. Barrymore and her team for their understanding in this situation.”
Barrymore was initially announced as host of the Nov. 15 event in late July. Now, just days after some protested her decision to bring back her talk show on Sept. 18, the foundation has revoked its decision, with no replacement host announced.
While picketers expressed anger toward Barrymore, SAG-AFTRA issued a statement ensuring that the talk show’s return did not constitute scabbing: “‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ is produced under the Network Television Code which is a separate contract and is not struck. It is permissible work and Drew’s role as host does not violate the current strike rules.”
It kills me every time someone from the show’s camp trots out those talking points about how they’re not violating strike rules… for SAG-AFTRA. Do they really think that ploy is working? (It’s not.) It’s like a parent asking to see your report card and responding with “but I didn’t cut gym today!” They’re totally separate issues! Gold star for not scabbing the actors (technically speaking, symbolically is another question). The rest of us are talking about the writers.
It’s hard to believe it was only three months ago that Drew was riding the high of that great New York Mag profile. I just re-read the article and cringed when she comments on the network having just renewed her show for its fourth season, yet it was the first time they did so enthusiastically instead of begrudgingly. I wonder if subconsciously she freaked out over things going too well and threw in some self-destruction to counter balance. Like they say, when life gives you lemonade, make lemons!
An update on the host of the 2023 National Book Awards. pic.twitter.com/aa5aLh0FIU
— National Book Foundation (@nationalbook) September 12, 2023
Photos credit: JOHN NACION/startraksphoto.com/Cover Images and Getty
Why was she invited in the first place? Seems like an odd choice. But in any event, good for the National Book Awards. There are no doubt so many great people to choose from, and they should choose someone who has been a staunch advocate for writers.
She brings that children’s book character energy.
Now she brings scab energy.
I can see why she’d be chosen.
You want a host to be able to …. host. And many book people aren’t that skilled at hosting duties. She also has/had her own fan base and so could attract new viewers to the awards. And her general “brand”/vibe is complementary to book reading. She’s not like Andrew T*te or Joe R*gan.
But as soon as she announced she was breaking the strike, writers on social media were pointing out the conflicts in having a writer awards host be against striking writers. I figured she’d get the boot soon.
She’s written at least one book.
Not sure why she’d be hosting literary awards in the first place, but… she can’t be strapped for cash, so why is she suddenly filled with this inflated sense of importance about her show?
Dropping her as host begs the question, why was she invited to host The National Book Awards in the first place? I don’t think there’s anyone on the planet that thinks Drew Barrymore when the subject of great literature comes up.
I am becoming increasingly confused by this strike and who is or isn’t on strike and who is or isn’t breaking the rules. Most people do not follow all of this closely enough to understand the complexities of all these contracts and waivers. Ultimately, this will prove damaging to labor’s cause since the unions need public support. A confused public won’t know which shows are in violation.
Hooray! I applaud the National Book Awards. for rescinding their invitation for her to host. Not sure why DB was asked to host in the first place. We cares if she and her team understands.
Girl bye!!!!
Not a good look, especially as she is known for her friendly fun girl image.
Nice to see that the National Book Awards do have morals
Bill Maher is doing the same thing. He says he’s just thinking of the little people.
this logic irks me, so his 10 people have jobs while thousands stand with the union. And will suffer longer for it. Since HBO and CBS are content however it gets done to have original programming through the strike. Which is the opposite of what should be happening.
All he and people like Drew are doing is dragging this out longer than it needs to be.
They are both scabs.
I can only surmise that the suits thought they could use Drew’s Hollywood credibility and loveable image to throw a wrench into the strikes. Even if Drew managed to avoid talking about or promoting any work, her show would still employ writers, right? So how is that going to work? This all seems like a way to try and drive a wedge between the actors and writers unions.
The only way any of the talk shows can pull off shows during a writers strike is to 100% completely wing every word they say. For someone like Maher, Fallon, etc they can do it because they are writers. They can wing the conversations.
Drew might be able to pull it off because she is naturally chatty but she’ll probably still need some prompts…which falls under the job of writing.
Regardless, Maher and Drew are multimillionaire scabs who could easily subsidize their crew’s paychecks for a while but they don’t want to spend their money on the people who made that money for them so I hope this blows up in their faces.
Sucks to suck, Drew.
Drew Barrymore is first and foremost an actor and that’s, to me, why her return is so off putting. Your people are on strike, stand with your people.
She could have temporarily modified her show to support the strike. She could have gone to the picket lines with a camera and interviewed actors and writers, sort of “hey let’s see who’s here today!”, because there are famous people every day, Drew’s friends. It could have been funny and informative, thought-provoking. Normal people would have got a better picture of what the strike is really about.
A millionaire is free to do a lot of things. She chose the wrong thing, and so did Maher if he returns to the studio.
I don’t think her going into the crowd and creating her show’s content on the backs of the struck workers is a good alternative. The network would still be profiting off of their labor.
Drew seems like a pretty likable character most of the time these days, but on this one it just sounds like … kind of spoiled-brattiness?
Like, “I’m really a nice person and I care a whole lot and love all the people of the world and everything, but I just really really want what I want, so can we just sort of do what I want anyway? With all the love and all, but you know, I just really want to do what I want.”
🎯
(and I usually like Drew, but this is just so crappy of her)
Yes Drew, you are an as*hole. When this story was first reported on celebitchy there was a link to instagram or tik tok (can’t remember now) that was hilarious!! It was her just saying weird shit and asking the audience random questions and it was so cringy but funny to watch! She is NOT capable of pulling off a 10 minute show by herself, much less a 30 or 60 minute show.
Thank you, National Book Awards, for firing this self-serving scab.
I feel like she’s been one of those people where even if you weren’t a huge fan, you found her kooky and mildly endearing. It’s astounding that she could sabotage her image so quickly and thoroughly. Is she cash strapped? I cannot imagine why she would have thought she could pull this off without looking like a complete a-hole.
I thought at first she was doing this to highlight the strike! Like bring on guests to talk about it, spread the word, etc.
Guess not.
Who would ever want to be a guest in her show now? That’s career suicide for anyone now.
She did NOT think this through.
I didn’t even think about that— about the difficulty of getting guests, but that’s such a good point. She really didn’t think it through.