Answerman

What Can We Do to Help English Voice Actors?

Jake asked:

I was shocked to hear that the highest paid actor on Jujutsu Kaisen 0 wasn't even paid $1,000 on a movie that made $30 million. Even TV shows like Mob Psycho 100 have come under fire for refusing to use SAG actors, leading to recasts. Will companies like Sony and Sentai Filmworks change their tune over the backlash? Or will this die down after a while and go back to “business as usual?” Is there anything we can do as fans to help?

It's easy to have low hopes when the companies are thoroughly unresponsive, but when it comes to labor issues and social justice, cynical pessimism is often a self-fulfilling prophecy. As bleak as the present is, there is no point in declaring "Things won't change" when we don't know the future.

At the same time, keep your expectations realistic, so that you don't lose interest when things don't improve immediately. Labor organizing and negotiations take time, and conversations do progress even when there is little to show for it in public. Even without overt results, public support for better conditions can embolden more voice actors to participate in labor organizing behind the scenes.

This is very important, because Crunchyroll, the biggest player in the English dub scene, is staunchly non-union. This means that if the actors want better rates on a given production, they either have to organize with the rest of the cast or negotiate as an individual. If you are only just barely getting by through voice-over work, it's very difficult to stick your neck out like that. Your kindness and empathy means a lot to people in that situation.

What about more drastic action, like boycotts? In the video game sphere, former Bayonetta voice actress Hellena Taylor recently made headlines due to a very public dispute about what she was offered to work on Bayonetta 3. This case was notable not just because Taylor was inaccurate about her initial claims, but because she advocated a boycott—a surprise when most voice actors don't take such a hard line. Even if some may endorse boycotts as a consumer choice, there is no significant contingency actively demanding them as leverage. Regarding boycotts and what fans can do to help Crunchyroll dub actors, Kyle McCarley had the following to say:

"... There's nothing that a corporation cares more about than their bottom line. So to me, boycotts sound like a very effective strategy. Now, having said that, I'm not advocating for anybody to go cancel their subscriptions over this. Though I do greatly appreciate and applaud the people who are doing it because again, I think that is very effective. It stands to be very effective. What I am advocating for is for fans to let Crunchyroll know however you see fit, whether it's through cancelling your subscription and filling out that little ‘Here's Why’ blank. I think that's very important if you're gonna do that. But let Crunchyroll know that you want them to agree to these terms and sit down and meet with SAG. All I'm looking for is a meeting. #JustAMeeting. So yeah, put that down as the reason in your little cancellation thing if you're gonna do that, or just go fill out the contact form, send them an email, tag them in your angry but civil tweets, keep it civil. All of that I think is very helpful."

Boycotts have a mixed success record; it's not that they don't work at all, but they're difficult to organize effectively due to the fickle nature of consumers. On an emotional level, many voice actors are also hesitant to ask fans to give up something they enjoy. If voice actors ever do rally together and call for a boycott for a particular company in the future, however, then you can do your part by participating and spreading the word. Boycotts do tend to be more effective when they get extensive media attention.

For now, you are being helpful if you share information about labor conditions on social media, criticize bad practices in the industry, and positively affirm the actors who speak openly about money matters. Also, try to make sure that the information you share is corroborated by multiple voice actor and industry sources, as it can be all too easy for well-intentioned people to accidentally muddy the waters with misinformation on social media. Even if it seems like only a small gesture, your support might just help others in the voice acting community find conviction in what their talents are worth.

(For more information about union versus non-union dubs in anime, and what voice actors are currently trying to negotiate for, read this article.)

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