Prophet Motive

This article is a few weeks old, but it just showed up in our local paper today: A WSJ piece on Sony's tactics for "avoiding" controversy with DVC

(Whether or not they really want to avoid controversy is a question that is unasked and unanswered. Personally, I'm thinking...no.)

The article misses something important. The reason for hiring Grace Hill Media to market this film to the Christian community is not to "avoid controversy." It's to...market the film to the Christian community. It's to generate just the right amount of the right kind of controversy and to make people who are on the other side of the DVC assertions that they really need to see this movie in order to "enter the dialogue."

(Here's the answer to that.)

Sales. Profit. $$$$$. That's the reason Sony's hired all of these folks. Not only to direct the conversation but to convince doubters that they'll be missing out on something if they don't enter this cultural moment by buying tickets to see The Da Vinci Code.

Comments

[Sandra Miesel]

And even with the ministrations of Grace Hill media, there are evangelists/religious leaders who are urging their flocks to see the movie before discussing it.

Meanwhile, that weird Trad group that "defends" Tradition, Society, and Property claims to have passed out a quarter of a million postcards to "stop" the TDVC movie. They plan to picket which will be wonderful free publicity. Go and do not do likewise.

[Fr. Larry Gearhart]

I believe that's what they call a cynical ploy.

[Marsh Fightlin]

I believe it was Janet Batchler who suggested that we all "vote" on the May 19th weekend, when DVC opens by going to see "Over the Hedge" (I believe that's the title) instead.

Films get their blockbuster status based on attendance during the first weekend they open. This determines how much subsequent publicity and theater openings they will have.

By going to see DVC during the critical weekend, you are giving it your vote. By just staying home and grousing, you are not voting. By going to see the other film, you are casting your vote against DVC.

[Julia]

I might be mistaken, but it seemed like at least half of Dateline this evening was all about the new garbage "Jesus Papers". It's all about stirring up comments and controversy. Again, the Catholic Church is hiding stuff - this time in its secret archives. These kind of folks don't want to avoid controversy, they really want to stir it up because it gets them air and press time.

[Julia]

I might be mistaken, but it seemed like at least half of Dateline this evening was all about the new garbage "Jesus Papers". It's all about stirring up comments and controversy. Again, the Catholic Church is hiding stuff - this time in its secret archives. These kind of folks don't want to avoid controversy, they really want to stir it up because it gets them air and press time.

[Michael Hugo]

Over the Hedge
Over the Hedge
Over the Hedge
Over the Hedge
....

See it, people.

[Tony A]

What would be great is if they released Die Grosse Stille that weekend. Won't happen though.