Meet Aaron of Niagara Falls, Ontario. He is a card-carrying member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada.

That’s quite the mouthful; little wonder everyone in show biz calls it IATSE.

In any event, Aaron is (or was) a stagehand. And he’d love to get back to work. But alas, even though he has a medical exemption re: getting vaccinated for COVID-19, he is persona non grata when it comes to working as a stagehand.

So, what is his union doing for him to get him back on the job? Well… absolutely nothing. IATSE is in lockstep with the corporations and government, both of which are demanding he get vaccinated.

All of which makes him wonder why he’s paying union dues in the first place.

And how’s this for perverse irony?

At the height of COVID lockdowns, the likes of movie theatres and places of worship were ordered to close. But TV and movie production continued (we imagine there was a bread and circuses clause for this allowance.)

And if a scene required a packed church or a jammed movie theatre, no problem! That was completely allowable. (We imagine the coronavirus is respectful when it comes to all things Hollywood.)

Such a grand farce! They oughta make a movie about it. But what genre —screwball comedy or horror?