Leon Czolgosz (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} anorgasmia) wrote,@ 2006-08-19 15:30:00 |
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Many of you seemed kind of confused as to why I was so upset about the "message" from Samuel L. on my voicemail. It's just a movie, right, calm the fuck down. Truth be told, this whole phenomenon kinda pisses me off, and always has. My dear friend Emily septemberglows and I were talking about this last night, and she just wrote an entry about it that pretty much sums up my feelings on it. Here are some right-on-the-nail
(Emily, I hope you don't mind me reposting this, I just thought it was right-on, and explains my feelings on SOAP pretty well.)
This is our postmodern world, folks. The fact that people have been obsessed with this movie for MONTHS, and WHY? Every time I'd ask someone why they're excited about the movie, the only response I get was "Come on, it's called 'Snakes on a Plane'!" What an image-based consumerist world we live in. Everyone thinks this movie is just another trashy action flick, right? They're selling you a 8 dollar (or however much people spend on T-shirts, albums, or other things in addition to the movie ticket) IMAGE, and nothing more.
I've devoted a good chunk of my time thinking about, talking about and ripping on this movie, so to some degree the movie producers won over another consumer, even though I probably won't see it, (or who knows, maybe I'll download it, because I do admit, I am mildly curious) I have been become interested by the phenomenon.
Again, I'm not hatin' on y'all for seeing the movie, but I really feel like this is just a Hollywood inside job that's got us all (myself included) interested.
septemberglows and I were talking about this last night, and she just wrote an entry about it that pretty much sums up my feelings on it. Here are some right-on-the-nail
"i wouldn't go see it simply because THEY WANT YOU TO SEE IT. who are they? i'm imagine grey-suited corporate hollywood executives watching a focus group from behind a two-way mirror. i don't know. you all know that i'm paranoid, and you've probably learned by now not to take my unease and my ranting seriously, but this whole "snakes on a plane" phenomenon makes me nervous as fuck.
the new york times review mentions the "savvy publicity blitzkreig," which in and of itself troubles me. the only mainstream american paper that i even come close to trusting positively compares a movie's marketing technique to a war offensive? by now you are all shaking your heads, rolling your eyes, saying, "that damn hippie needs to lighten up," and you may have a point. beyond that, though, it really was a publicity blitzkreig, and it has been going on for months.
moreover, it frankly disturbs me that the bright, clever, and vaguely hip youth of america have devoted not only their hard earned dollarz but also months of their time and energy to thinking about, talking about, and anticipating what looks like a really fucking dumb if possibly amusing movie that has been promoted like crazy. don't we have other things to do?
we could do all sorts of things that are cheaper than watching snakes on a plane, and more rewarding, and less related to the fulfillment of the greedy dreams of the aforementioned grey-suit corporate hollywood men, who i now imagine rubbing their little hands together and laughing maniacally.
i know most of you will in fact see snakes on a plane, and i don't really begrudge you it. if you think it's awesome, worth your money, if it changes your life or whatever, more power to you. i am just made cranky and confused by capitalism, consumerism, and the ways most americans prioritize their money, time, and energy. i think of all the money and time and energy spent making and promoting snakes on a plane, and then i think of all the money and time and energy spent by consumers going to see snakes on a plane, and because i think it is a basically pointless and valueless thing, that makes me very sad."
:the new york times review mentions the "savvy publicity blitzkreig," which in and of itself troubles me. the only mainstream american paper that i even come close to trusting positively compares a movie's marketing technique to a war offensive? by now you are all shaking your heads, rolling your eyes, saying, "that damn hippie needs to lighten up," and you may have a point. beyond that, though, it really was a publicity blitzkreig, and it has been going on for months.
moreover, it frankly disturbs me that the bright, clever, and vaguely hip youth of america have devoted not only their hard earned dollarz but also months of their time and energy to thinking about, talking about, and anticipating what looks like a really fucking dumb if possibly amusing movie that has been promoted like crazy. don't we have other things to do?
we could do all sorts of things that are cheaper than watching snakes on a plane, and more rewarding, and less related to the fulfillment of the greedy dreams of the aforementioned grey-suit corporate hollywood men, who i now imagine rubbing their little hands together and laughing maniacally.
i know most of you will in fact see snakes on a plane, and i don't really begrudge you it. if you think it's awesome, worth your money, if it changes your life or whatever, more power to you. i am just made cranky and confused by capitalism, consumerism, and the ways most americans prioritize their money, time, and energy. i think of all the money and time and energy spent making and promoting snakes on a plane, and then i think of all the money and time and energy spent by consumers going to see snakes on a plane, and because i think it is a basically pointless and valueless thing, that makes me very sad."
(Emily, I hope you don't mind me reposting this, I just thought it was right-on, and explains my feelings on SOAP pretty well.)
This is our postmodern world, folks. The fact that people have been obsessed with this movie for MONTHS, and WHY? Every time I'd ask someone why they're excited about the movie, the only response I get was "Come on, it's called 'Snakes on a Plane'!" What an image-based consumerist world we live in. Everyone thinks this movie is just another trashy action flick, right? They're selling you a 8 dollar (or however much people spend on T-shirts, albums, or other things in addition to the movie ticket) IMAGE, and nothing more.
I've devoted a good chunk of my time thinking about, talking about and ripping on this movie, so to some degree the movie producers won over another consumer, even though I probably won't see it, (or who knows, maybe I'll download it, because I do admit, I am mildly curious) I have been become interested by the phenomenon.
Again, I'm not hatin' on y'all for seeing the movie, but I really feel like this is just a Hollywood inside job that's got us all (myself included) interested.
