Althouse: "Avoid American themes."

December 12, 2014

"Avoid American themes."

From the Sony Powerpoint collection:

22 comments:

Bob R said...: If you are going to put a "patriotism" tag on a post about Sony, shouldn't it be "Avoid Japanese themes?"; 12/12/14, 5:21 AM
tim maguire said...: I'm surprised they even have tot say "avoid American themes." Isn't that covered in Propaganda 101?; 12/12/14, 5:28 AM
Bob R said...: It's covered in More Money is Made in International Sales 101. (And my Turing number is 101!); 12/12/14, 5:33 AM
Ann Althouse said...: What's WOM?

"Strong, expected WOM"

Sounds scary/exciting.

It's just: "word of mouth."

Word of mouth bullshit.

WOMB; 12/12/14, 6:12 AM
The Drill SGT said...: i think the next slide was better.

It cautions avoiding American-centrism in "WH Down" using an image that is about as central to America as you can get.; 12/12/14, 6:33 AM
Phil 314 said...: All publicity is good publicity in Hollywood.; 12/12/14, 7:11 AM
Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this son of New York said...: "Avoid political themes" in Elysium?

The whole movie was a morality tale on illegal immigration. Is it possible they didn't see that? Or did they wisely think that the story was enough, and they should resist any temptation to openly preach, which was probably good advice.; 12/12/14, 7:38 AM
JHapp said...: I intend to purchase as many Sony products as I can afford.; 12/12/14, 7:43 AM
phantommut said...: Much more entertaining than any of the movies they've recently released.; 12/12/14, 8:07 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: "The one interesting aspect of Elysium, which ended up sucking anyway, is exactly what Sony execs decided to downplay: [socio-political themes]."

Downplay? That was the entire movie.; 12/12/14, 8:15 AM
Birkel said...: I saw Elysium for free when the cable company gave me a free preview weekend. I paid too much for that (seemingly) nine hours of my life. I would've stopped it but eventually I went MST3000 on it.

A description of "preachy" would be defamation of every TV huckster from Bakker to Osteen.; 12/12/14, 8:33 AM
Known Unknown said...: The whole movie was a morality tale on illegal immigration. Is it possible they didn't see that? Or did they wisely think that the story was enough, and they should resist any temptation to openly preach, which was probably good advice.

I thought it was one-percenter whitebread Rethuglicans living on Elysium while the those dirty ethnic ninety-nine percenters were left on shitty Earth.; 12/12/14, 9:02 AM
George M. Spencer said...: What a strange movie...scene after scene after scene of the gigantic aircraft carrier looming over the pirate's tiny escape boat....and Hanks, terrified and pathetic at the end. Charming. Like anyone needed to see that.; 12/12/14, 9:13 AM
traditionalguy said...: Amurica? Oh yeah, that's the overseas colonies that tried to self govern by laws and a unique concept of subjects possessing unalienable rights like it was their property. But that's over now. Comrade Obama has finished them off.; 12/12/14, 9:16 AM
BarrySanders20 said...: I love the checked box for women on emotional depth.

So deep and caring.; 12/12/14, 9:42 AM
richard mcenroe said...: "Avoid American themes."

Interesting. I managed to avoid "Captain Phillips"...; 12/12/14, 10:09 AM
richard mcenroe said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 12/12/14, 10:09 AM
mikee said...: International business is gonna go international, not local. I find it amusing that Sony only had to warn against American themes.

Apparently Sony did not see a need to warn against using Chinese, Indian, Russian, European, African, Hispanic or other subgroup themes for movies that might be released here in the good old racist, classist, elitist, ethnocentric USA.

Maybe we are more accepting of foreign ideas than other people in other places, as we are of immigrants in real life, despite the fever dreams of leftists.; 12/12/14, 10:20 AM
Drago said...: Bob R: "If you are going to put a "patriotism" tag on a post about Sony, shouldn't it be "Avoid Japanese themes?"

If it's a post about Sony, you're going to need a "racism" tag after the events of the last week and this morning.

Not to worry. The head of Sony Pictures is groveling hat in hand before the right rev Al.

All is well with the world.; 12/12/14, 12:57 PM
Fred Drinkwater said...: It's OK that they avoided "American" themes in "Captain Philips". Pirates have historically been, and still should be, regarded as hostis humani generis.
But, even though I didn't see the film, I'd bet that was not its take on piracy.; 12/12/14, 1:51 PM
eddie willers said...: Not to worry. The head of Sony Pictures is groveling hat in hand before the right rev Al.

And schadenfreude runs high.; 12/12/14, 3:06 PM
Chef Mojo said...: Capain Phillips wasn't bad.

1) Nice and fascinating look at modern Merchant Marine life (the non-hijacking parts).

2) The SEALs taking out the Somalis. Precision sniping from a constantly moving object at a constantly moving target. That wasn't Hollywood. That happened.

3) Good sea yarn of a movie, overall.; 12/12/14, 7:11 PM