Hollywood is threatening to take production out of Georgia as a result of the new abortion restriction, and countless people are in agreement. However, the film industry should not put an end to filming shows and movies in the state of Georgia due to the negative effects it would have on film crews — specifically female crew workers.
Hollywood film producers have called for the boycott of Georgia. Georgia is recognized as being a great state for filming because of the tax incentives. According to the Atlantic, the tax incentives have resulted in “92,000 jobs and nearly $4.6 billion in wages to the state since 2008.”
While Georgia may lose some revenue by not having movies and shows filmed in the state, it will negatively affect Hollywood much more. The increased budget required to film elsewhere could result in many shows or movies getting canceled. Disney and Netflix are among the potential companies threatening to boycott the state of Georgia to protest the new abortion restriction, according to Newsweek.
The film industry is putting jobs on the line with its desire to boycott the state of Georgia due to political differences. These companies want to show that they stand by women, but they are not doing so if their boycott results in thousands of women losing their jobs within the state.
Women are already losing the right to legal abortions and if Hollywood pulls out of Georgia, women could be at risk of losing their jobs as well. Abandoning workers to spite political officials could do more harm than good.
“I don’t think it should happen,” junior psychology major Sarah Filer said. “They would have to boycott a lot more states than just Georgia and it would be difficult for the industry to survive.”
The employees working with the film industry in Georgia are not responsible for the new abortion restrictions, so it would be cruel to take their source of income away. These people are just trying to pay their bills and it is going to hurt them if they lose their job over politics, an area in which they have little control.
While many members of the production crew can be relocated, there are plenty who will be out of work. Those who likely will be without a job are those out of the spotlight like janitors, caterers and carpenters.
Instead of completely boycotting the state of Georgia, progressives should aim to fight the new restrictions. Boycotting rarely leads to political gain, so it would be much more productive to support the American Civil Liberties Union in fighting the new abortion law.
Once this issue cools down in the news cycle, the film industry will likely go back to doing what businesses do — that is, doing whatever it is that will garner the most profit. In this case, it means continuing production in what is known as “Y’allywood.”
The battle over the new abortion restrictions in Georgia likely will not be concluded for quite a few years. Corporations should not put people’s livelihoods at risk for the sake of what they think is activism. While many people employed by the film industry have expressed concerns regarding the new abortion restrictions in Georgia, this is by no means what activism entails.
