Fox Uses Trayvon Martin’s death to market Ben Stiller’s Neighborhood Watch film
THE makers of the film Neighborhood Watch have reacted to the death of Trayvon Martin – the teenager shot dead in Florida by Neighbourhood watchman George Zimmerman – by renaming their product The Watch.
Fox Studios, the makers, explain that the renaming has nothing to do with Trayvon Martin, which makes us wonder why the internet is alight with news that it is? Says the Fox spokesperson:
“As the subject matter of this alien invasion comedy bears no relation whatsoever to the recent tragic events in Florida, the studio altered the title to avoid any accidental or unintended misimpression that it might.”
Good-oh. Sensible, indeed, to use the death of an unarmed black teenager to explain that the NEW film starring Ben STILLER (not black) and Vince VAUGN (also not black) – coming to ALL cinemas SOON – has nothing to do with the death of unarmed black teenager TRAYVON Martin, his name currently riding high on the news cycle and in search engine keywords.
Phew! Lest the slack-jawed masses be told, they would surely have supposed that a film about suburban dads (all not black) fighting aliens (green) was a documentary on the actual death of a non-fictional back youth. Thank goodness Fox was there to remind people that it is not using the death of TRAYVON MARTIN to get its film in the news.
In other news, The Watch has nothing to do with DISCOUNTWatches.com, Manchester City’s Premier League title surge and the Angelina Jolie sex tape. Any similarities are purely coincidental.
Posted: 6th, May 2012 | In: Film Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
