Celebrities sign open letter to urge filmmakers to ‘model gun safety’ in movies

In the wake of frequent mass shootings resulting in dozens of deaths in America, many celebrities like Amy Schumer, Shonda Rhimes and Julianne Moore have joined hands with a group of more than 200 Hollywood creatives seeking reconsideration of how guns are used and violence is portrayed on screen. 

An open letter titled the '#ShowYourSafety pledge' has been released and signed by over 200 entertainers from showbiz. In the letter, they have stated that the time has come to take gun violence in movies and television more seriously.

Jimmy Kimmel, Judd Apatow, Amy Schumer, Eli Roth, Julianne Moore, Shonda Rhimes, Grant Heslov, and Mark Ruffalo, among many others, have given their support to the initiative. 

The open letter stresses the fact that certain stigmatizing behaviours in fiction can result in real-life changes for the better. And, that Hollywood storytellers can make creative changes to alter how gun violence is portrayed on screen. 

The open letter reads, "Like most of America, we are enraged by the recent mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde. Considering there have been over 250 other mass shootings so far this year, it’s an almost incomprehensible tragedy. Something needs to be done. Guns are prominently featured in TV and movies in every corner of the globe, but only America has a gun violence epidemic. The responsibility lies with lax gun laws supported by those politicians more afraid of losing power than saving lives."

"We didn’t cause the problem, but we want to help fix it. As America’s storytellers, our goal is primarily to entertain, but we also acknowledge that stories have the power to effect change. Cultural attitudes toward smoking, drunk driving, seatbelts and marriage equality have all evolved due in large part to movies’ and TV’s influence. It’s time to take on gun safety," read the open letter.