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New GI Joe movie is AWOL in Hollywood
Screen shot from the GI Joe movie Web site
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TEXT OF STORY
"GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra" hits the theaters this week. It has all the trappings of a big-budget summer movie -- explosions, toy tie-ins, a big price tag. But when it comes to Hollywood, GI Joe has gone AWOL as Stacey Vanek Smith reports.
"SCENE FROM GI JOE MOVIE:" This is General Hawk, mission is a go. Here they come!
STACEY VANEK-SMITH:Instead of a glitzy premier in Los Angeles, "GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra" has been screening on military bases. Paramount is also promoting the movie heavily in cities like Columbus, Ohio and Kansas City. Pop culture expert Robert Thompson says, it's a smart tactic.
ROBERT THOMPSON: You know, we're going to open this in the heartland where real Americans live, and then of course the added touch of opening at airforce bases. It's a great public relations device.
Paramount has also shut out most mainstream-movie reviewers. Jason Squire is the editor of the "Movie Business Book."
JASON SQUIRE: It is a good policy to say: 'let the public decide.' It's a review-proof movie.
Squire says Paramount is hoping for another "Transformers." "Revenge of the Fallen" was pounded by critics, then earned more than $400 million at the box office.
"GI JOE AD" Now I know, and knowing is half the battle! GI Joe!
I'm Stacey Vanek-Smith for Marketplace.
Jesse,
If your state has a problem with quality education or the ability to keep its kids in school then do not take that out on anyone else.
The same goes with the "nowhere to go joined up as a 'way out'" problem. Washington's unemployment rate is currently 9.2%. Perhaps you should take that issue up with your elected state officials.
I wont comment on your last gab, as it shows that you missed my point.
Yeah, Texas is well represented. As are many small towns here in Washington (for their size). The reason is a lack of good education, heavy recruitment, and a 'save the world from bad guys' mentality. A lot of people from my high school with nowhere to go joined up as a 'way out'. I personally have no problem to let places like Texas continue to fight our wars for us, they are the ones who helped elect people that got us into the war in the first place.
As a supplement to my previous quote, please review the research by the Heritage Foundation on troop respensation levels.
Something to note:
* California ranks 40th in terms of representation.
* Maryland is not too far off with a ranking of 37th place.
You are welcome to view the results:
http://www.heritage.org/CDA/CDA_troops_flash_graphic/CDA_troops_2008.html
and
http://www.heritage.org/Research/NationalSecurity/images/CDA08-05_map1.gif
Link to article:
http://www.heritage.org/Research/NationalSecurity/cda08-05.cfm
I have not served in the U.S. military but I know that credit belongs to those who do put their lives on the line to protect our way of life (yes that includes your ability to complain).
I see no issue with this article's mention of "heartland where real Americans live". But then again, my great state of Texas ranked 9th in terms of troop representation.
Cheers!
I live on the west coast and in my humble opinion the majority of my fellow west coasters prefer to think they are like Europeans. They feel they have little to nothing in common with most "Americans" who live in the "heartland." It is all about self segregation by ideology.
In any case, it is doubtful that most liberal intellectuals would even want to see, much less have a good word to say about a G.I. Joe movie. It wasn't intended for them and this just proves how great the cultural divide actually is.
In the piece about the GI Joe movie, Robert Thompson is quoted as saying, "You know, we're going to open this in the heartland where real Americans live ... It's a great public relations device."
If real Americans can only be found in the so-called heartland, what does that mean for people who live on the coasts? Are we not real Americans? If not, why not? A public relations device that is premised on insulting the American-ness of the majority of the American public does not seem like that great of an idea to me.
