As the 2023 WGA Writers Strike goes on, those on the picket lines are using shows from the 2023 TV schedule as well as some of last year’s hits to make their points clear as they protest studios for not meeting their demands. While some signs simply restated demands, and called for change, others got more creative using shows like Abbott Elementary and Severance to make their points. Meanwhile, others decided to use a viral comment Jenna Ortega made about Wednesday’s scripts for their posters, roasting the actress for what she said.
The Wednesday Comment That Caused The Picket Signs
This started after Jenna Ortega opened up about actively changing lines and putting her “foot down” on the set of Wednesday. She said that she felt like the dialogue she was given was out of character for the Addams Family daughter, and explained on Armchair Expert:
There were times on that set where I even became unprofessional, in a sense, where I just started changing lines. The script supervisor thought I was going with something, and then I would have to sit down with the writers, and they’d be like, ‘Wait, what happened to the scene?’ And I would have to go through and explain why I couldn’t do certain things.
After this comment went viral, writers and many others called the actress out for her statement. Now, with the writer’s strike, they are continuing to roast her by making her the subject of their picket signs, and posting on social media about wanting her to be striking with them, rather than attending the Met Gala.
Following Ortega’s comments many were enraged. A Daredevil producer went on a tirade about her comments, calling what she said: “entitled and toxic.” Considering many of the signs on the picket lines referred to specific hit shows, including Abbott Elementary and Succession, as well as the viral discourse surrounding the actress, it’s not surprising that Wednesday was also among the series referenced on the writers' signs.
Writers Strike Signs And Social Media Posts Roast Jenna Ortega, And Her Comments About Wednesday
The main sign in question came from Brandon Cohen, a writer for Just Roll With It and House Party. His sign was posted on Variety’s Twitter, and it said:
Without writers, Jenna Ortega will have nothing to punch up!
"Just Roll With It" and "House Party" writer Brandon Cohen's #writersstrike sign:"Without writers, Jenna Ortega will have nothing to punch up!" https://t.co/dZAklOuSmR pic.twitter.com/yxHdyJ1OVRMay 3, 2023
Other signs on the picket lines referenced Ortega as well, as Meaghan Oppenheimer, a writer for Tell Me Lies, had a poster that read:
Where is Jenna Ortega?
Along with this sign, some writers took to Twitter to comment about what Jenna Ortega said, relating it back to the strike. Nick Adams, a BoJack Horseman writer, posted:
Jenna Ortega better be back from NY for her afternoon shift on the picket line.
Adams’ tweet was alluding to the fact that Jenna Ortega was at the Met Gala on Monday, not in Los Angeles. The writer’s strike officially started on Tuesday, the morning after the event, and as people were making their signs they decided to use the Wednesday star’s comments to make their statements.
Following his tweet, Karen Joseph Adcock, who writes for The Bear, retweeted the post, saying:
Rewriting is writing! See you at the line, Jenna! 🖤
While many have used Jenna Ortega’s comments for the sake of the strike, others have come to her defense, and referenced that she also faced tough work conditions on Wednesday. Following her viral comments, she also went on The Tonight Show and talked about how elements of the gothic series “made no sense to her.” However, she also explained how the writers' room for Season 2 of the hit Netflix series was coming together, noting that “everyone’s being really cool.”
As the writers' strike continues, many are out on the picket lines in an effort to have the WGA’s demands met. It’s unclear how the strike might affect Season 2 of Wednesday, and other shows, however as more news comes out, we’ll be sure to keep you posted.
