Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos withdraws from PEN America gala, citing writers strike

[Omaha Steve]

https://apnews.com/article/sarandos-netflix-pen-america-f45c16ff84c1580d415d24b9b0197333

By HILLEL ITALIE today

NEW YORK (AP) — Citing the current Hollywood writers strike, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos will not be attending next week’s PEN America Gala in Manhattan, when he was to accept a Business Visionary Award. PEN America will not be presenting the award this year, saying the honor is premised upon the recipient accepting in person.

The Gala, to be held May 18 at the American Museum of Natural History, is one of the year’s literary highlights and will feature the presentation of several awards, including one to “Saturday Night Live” creator Lorne Michaels for Literary Service.

“Given the threat to disrupt this wonderful evening, I thought it was best to pull out so as not to distract from the important work that PEN America does for writers and journalists, as well as the celebration of my friend and personal hero Lorne Michaels,” Sarandos said in a statement released Wednesday by Netflix. “I hope the evening is a great success.”

A PEN spokesperson said that no one this year will be given the Business Visionary Award, which in 2022 was won by Audible founder Don Katz. A Netflix spokesperson said there would be no comment beyond Sarandos’ statement.

FULL story at link above.

[Backseat Driver]

1. I'm confused...

Does he, as a CEO, have conflicts of interest with the striking rank and file of Hollywood writers, and would he be, should he attend, the biggest disruptor since sliced bread, by hypocritcally attending the in-person presentation of the organizations Business Visionary award this year. Guess he didn't see this coming? Is he saying those that would attend don't really believe in PEN's mission of total artistic freedom of speech? But he does and will avoid being a target of others who would disrupt? Does he hope to pull others away from attending in order to honor the striking employed membership of Hollywood writers? And yet he hopes for a very successful enjoyable evening of what?: safety during the group's organizational self-adulation because "artistic writers should be an equality of starving artists of no renown save his own singular hero? Yup, I'm confused about the significance of this apparent award winner announcing his non-acceptance of the award and his RSVP of non-attendence well in advance of the event itself. Please explain better, because he sounds as though he either fears a mass-shooting or he's just too, too special to come and get it thereby loosing all self-control telling the group what-for in his acceptance speech??????