I just booted up Batman: Gotham Knight and I got treated to a new anti-piracy video from Warner Bros. At first, I thought it was just a charming trailer for some new Blu-Ray edition of The Wizard of Oz or something (which I would gladly watch). Instead they use the classic movie to promote their message: Piracy is bad, and you're a bunch of filthy fucking criminals, mmkay?
I've seen anti-piracy commercials before, but this one is the most absurd. In it, we" the public, play the roles of the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, Dorothy and Toto (can't forget Toto!). We're bad people. Yes, I know. Somehow Judy Garland is a fiend from the seven depths of hell in this video. What's even crazier, however, is that the MPAA/Warner Bros. chooses to portray itself as "The Great and Powerful Oz" (as opposed to the kindly old wizard at the end of the film). That's right! They choose the maniacal, green head of fire and brimstone to be their avatar.
Clearly their message is of fear and they don't care to disguise it -- they totally don't mind being portrayed as some big brother monstrosity that rules out of dread and terror. Honestly, this is the kind of shit that makes me want to pirate movies. How could you have so little respect for the people that keep you in business? I guess it's just easier to assume everyone is a pirate, isn't it? You don't even need any real evidence to take us to court, do you?
I've seen anti-piracy commercials before, but this one is the most absurd. In it, we" the public, play the roles of the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, Dorothy and Toto (can't forget Toto!). We're bad people. Yes, I know. Somehow Judy Garland is a fiend from the seven depths of hell in this video. What's even crazier, however, is that the MPAA/Warner Bros. chooses to portray itself as "The Great and Powerful Oz" (as opposed to the kindly old wizard at the end of the film). That's right! They choose the maniacal, green head of fire and brimstone to be their avatar.
Clearly their message is of fear and they don't care to disguise it -- they totally don't mind being portrayed as some big brother monstrosity that rules out of dread and terror. Honestly, this is the kind of shit that makes me want to pirate movies. How could you have so little respect for the people that keep you in business? I guess it's just easier to assume everyone is a pirate, isn't it? You don't even need any real evidence to take us to court, do you?
2 comments:
LOL!
This is really, really funny. Everybody in America is indoctrinated pretty much every year to know that Dorothy and her crew are the good guys and that the Great and Powerful Oz is just a big humbug, a paper tiger, a bit of puffery and showmanship. Therefore, what is the MPAA really trying to say about itself here? Maybe somebody tasked with designing the promo had fun deliberately undermining the message they wanted to send.
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