Okay, let's say you show up for your extra job on the set of the upcoming HBO series Westworld, and you are given the following release form to sign if you want to stick around. (Via the Guardian.)
“This documents serves to inform you that this project will require you to be fully nude and/or witness others fully nude and participate in graphic sexual situations,” began the consent form.
“By accepting this Project assignment you may be required to do any of the following: appear fully nude; wear a pubic hair patch; perform genital-to-genital touching; have your genitals painted; simulate oral sex with hand-to-genital touching; contort to form a table-like shape while being fully nude; pose on all fours while others who are fully nude ride on your back; [and] ride on someone’s back while you are both fully nude.”
Lest any extra not get the gist, the form added that the project will include language and sexual situations “that some may consider personally objectionable or uncomfortable”.
WOULD YOU CALL THAT A GOOD DAY OR A BAD DAY AT THE OFFICE? Obviously many of the actors were put in the uncomfortable position of either faking handjobs or missing a much needed day of work—which is why Sag-Aftra (a combo of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) stepped in to say "WHOA THERE!" and inform their members they could pull out of the shoot at any time without being in violation of their contract. The story obviously got a lot of play on the internet yesterday, inspiring HBO to cover their asses with the following statement issued this morning:
“The document that the background actors were given was created by an outside extras casting vendor. It was not requested, written or approved by HBO, Warner Bros. Television, or the producers, and contains situations that we do not require of any actor. We are rectifying immediately the discrepancies in this vendor’s document with our actual on-set practices, which provide a professional and comfortable working environment for all performers.”
And I was all psyched to pretend I was a nude table! Anyway, back to my original question...
