Some days I need to check and make sure that the Carlyle Group didn’t completely take over the United States and give it to the Saudis. Today is one of those days.
XBiz reports:
The mere presence of the word “porno” in the title of upcoming mainstream comedy from Kevin Smith has created a storm of controversy.
Even with creative efforts to market the film, some newspaper, TV and outdoor ads for the ads for “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” because they allude to pornography. (source)
Numerous newspapers, TV stations, and cable channels refuse to run ads for the movie. Even in supposedly open-minded Los Angeles, alleged consumer complaints led to Fox Sports dropping ads for the movie during Dodgers games.
The MPAA, which must approve all advertisements for movies as being suitable for all audiences initially rejected billboard and print ads for the movie as being too suggestive. Director Kevin Smith then submitted ads that merely showed stick figures. Even his efforts to be as innocuous and innocent as possible proved to be too much for some censorship advocates.
CNN Reports:
Diane Levin, an education professor specializing in child development at Boston’s Wheelock College, said the posters at city bus stops send a message to children that working in the porn industry is an acceptable occupation.
“It’s drawing attention to a movie which is mainstreaming and normalizing pornography, saying if you need money, this is what you do,” said Levin, co-author of “So Sexy So Soon: The New Sexualized Childhood and What Parents Can Do to Protect Their Kids.”
The stick-figure images are especially appealing to youngsters, since “stick figures are something for children,” she said. (source)
CNN does not report that Professor Levin frequently teams up with notorious censorship advocate Gail Dines. This does not, without more, suggest that Levin’s opinion is invalid. Nevertheless, her comments suggest a hyper-active imagination.
The film’s website is here.
