Movies

David Zaslav's Commencement Address At Boston University Did Not Go Well

David Zaslav Presley Ann/Getty Images
By Devin Meenan/

David Zaslav has only been CEO of the now-merged Warner Bros. Discovery since April 2022, but his reign is already an infamous one. Zaslav, previously the CEO of Discovery Inc., is a reality TV mogul, and his decisions as head of Warner indicate a man out of his depth at a Hollywood studio. His most controversial decisions included shelving the completed "Batgirl" film in an unprecedented move, purging films and TV from HBO Max, and relaunching that service as just "Max" — a baffling failure to understand brand recognition.

Zaslav has expressed disinterest in scripted programming and his decision-making reflects that. As a result, he's become public enemy number one for many cinephiles on the internet, especially as screenwriters stand up for fair wages and treatment in the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) Strike. This makes it all the more bewildering that Boston University invited him to be its commencement speaker for the Class of 2023 and receive an honorary degree (Zaslav graduated from BU with a Juris Doctor in 1985).

The WGA released the following statement in response:

"Writers Guild members are on strike because companies, including Warner Bros. Discovery, refused to guarantee any level of weekly employment in episodic television, attempted to pivot late-night writers to a day rate, stonewalled on free work on script revisions for screenwriters, and refused to even discuss our proposal on the existential threat AI poses to all writers. Boston University should not give voice to someone who wants to destroy their students' ability to build a career in the film and television industry."

Though the neighboring Emerson College is the premier film school in Beantown, Boston University has a sizable film program too (one that has been ranked #37 out of all U.S. film schools). Sure enough, during Zaslav's speech, the crowd fired back.

'Pay your writers!'

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As Zaslav delivered his commencement from BU's Nickerson Field, students shouted "Pay Your Writers" — the chant of the WGA. Before he took notice, Zaslav was saying that: "If you're going to be successful, you're going to have to figure out how to get along with everyone." Apparently, that principle doesn't extend to writers looking for a fair contract or who don't want their jobs delegated to AI.

Once the chant picked up, he stayed silent for about 15 seconds, likely hoping the chant would die down. It did not. Someone (possibly one or more of the graduating students in the class) even had a plane fly by with a banner that read: "David Zaslav — Pay Your Writers." Some students chose to forego the event altogether and instead walked the picket line alongside protestors.

Vanessa Bartlett, a graduating senior who helped organize the protest, explained to the Hollywood Reporter, "I'm friends with a lot of people in the College of Fine Arts, people who are in the theater arts program, so having a sense of solidarity is very important to me." The strength of this solidarity is a testament to the Boston University Class of 2023 and could send a signal to other universities not to give a platform to studio execs until the industrial action is settled.

You can find resources on how to assist with the WGA Strike here.

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