Barbie Banned: Striking Actors Are Given Strict Halloween Costume Rules

Boo! SAG-AFTRA has issued some strict Halloween costume guidelines for striking actors.

The union is prohibiting actors from dressing up as popular characters from struck content and then posting the images on social media.

That means some of the most popular Halloween costumes this year — such as Barbie and Wednesday Addams — are not allowed.

Instead, the guild told members on Thursday to “choose costumes inspired by generalized characters and figures — ghost, zombie, spider, etc.” (Surely, however, somebody is going to show up at a party as a fake Carol Lombardini).

Members can dress up as characters from non-struck content, however, like an animated TV show. Marvel superheroes, however, are not allowed despite having comic book roots, because they’re owned by Disney.

A truly determined fan could cite character ownership technicalities here — Barbie, for instance, is owned by Mattel, yet the appearance of promoting the summer’s biggest movie from a major studio would surely be frowned upon and the whole idea is to be mindful of the message that a costume might send.

“Let’s use our collective power to send a loud and clear message to our struck employers that we will not promote their content without a fair contract,” the post continued.

The SAG-AFTRA strike is nearing its 100th day after talks broke off with studios on Saturday without a deal.

Presumably, actors could dress up like struck characters if they weren’t seen publicly in their costumes, but it’s probably best not to risk it — after all, nothing is scarier than getting called out for scabbing.

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