What were the pros/cons of Suzanne Somers taking a stand for equal pay? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 10-27-2023, 07:53 PM

She asked for a raise after finding out that co-star John Ritter was making 5x the salary she was. Perhaps considered "uppity", she was eventually fired.

thejasoomian · 10-27-2023, 08:22 PM

John Ritter was never making 5 times her wages. That is a falsehood according to Chris Mann's book. He wasn't even making double her wages.

I never for once thought it was about "equal" pay at the time she done this stunt. It was about greed and her wanting to be the number one female like Farrah was at the time. She has even alluded to this when she got Bernstein as her manager.

Some years later this "equal pay" nonsense was just a convenient way to spin it years later. And managing to deflect from her greed in the process.

I've said this on this board elsewhere but I'll say it again. Everybody has the right to ask for a raise. In most cases if you don't you won't get one. What you negotiate for yourself is more power to you.

But what Suzanne was asking for was over the top at that time. If she truly wanted equal pay she would have asked for $50, 000 an episode like John was making. She was asking for $150,000 an episode and 10% of the show and 10% of merchandise.

When she didn't get what she wanted , she then went on the talk shows and tried to trash the show. And the goal was to get it cancelled. In my opinion , that was dirty . Like always , only thinking about herself and not the livelihood of the cast and crew.

10-27-2023, 07:53 PM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 127,261	What were the pros/cons of Suzanne Somers taking a stand for equal pay? She asked for a raise after finding out that co-star John Ritter was making 5x the salary she was. Perhaps considered "uppity", she was eventually fired.

10-27-2023, 08:22 PM	#2
thejasoomian Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 15, 2019 Posts: 329	John Ritter was never making 5 times her wages. That is a falsehood according to Chris Mann's book. He wasn't even making double her wages. I never for once thought it was about "equal" pay at the time she done this stunt. It was about greed and her wanting to be the number one female like Farrah was at the time. She has even alluded to this when she got Bernstein as her manager. Some years later this "equal pay" nonsense was just a convenient way to spin it years later. And managing to deflect from her greed in the process. I've said this on this board elsewhere but I'll say it again. Everybody has the right to ask for a raise. In most cases if you don't you won't get one. What you negotiate for yourself is more power to you. But what Suzanne was asking for was over the top at that time. If she truly wanted equal pay she would have asked for $50, 000 an episode like John was making. She was asking for $150,000 an episode and 10% of the show and 10% of merchandise. When she didn't get what she wanted , she then went on the talk shows and tried to trash the show. And the goal was to get it cancelled. In my opinion , that was dirty . Like always , only thinking about herself and not the livelihood of the cast and crew.