We should really normalize people changing their minds when their mistakes are pointed out. And though Drew Barrymore still deserves the criticism she got for the decisions she made, she also deserves props for taking it back.
To recap, Barrymore has announced her talk show would return — despite the writers’ strike. After the criticism, she posted a tone-deaf apology that managed to say she was sorry and yet double down on the thing she said she was sorry for. She took that down too, very soon.
And now, comes this announcement:
Yes, there’s probably self-interest involved in the decision. She is a veteran of the industry, she understands what the backlash could mean for her, professionally. But in the end, she’s still — even if she’s doing it late, setting a standard. And though she doesn’t deserve anywhere near the props as the people who have been fighting from Day 1, we’ll at least say …this is better than coming back.
And just like her return seemingly gave others permission to do the same, the fact that she’s taking it back means others are too.
In the end, this is a good thing. Yes, the strike is being disruptive and hard for people all across Hollywood. That is the point of strikes. And it is the only way the AMPTP is going to engage with both writers and actors in a respectful way.
Here’s to the strike ending soon, for good reasons, and the WGA and SAG-AFTRA getting fair deals.
