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May 22, 2010
Not So "Just Wright" (Because It is After All "Not So Just")
Noticing New York
This is not a review of the movie "Just Wright", but this blog entry is critical in how the film is used to promote the New Jersey Nets. Also, click through to read the "Quirky Addendum" about an illegal billboard being used to promote the film.
We just realized that the one of the new fables being spun is the new film “Just Wright,” a giant promo for the (still New Jersey) Nets that is apparently quite consciously directed at the urban black minority population. The two leads are rappers, Queen Latifah and Common (Scott McKnight). Common plays a Nets star player and Queen Latifah plays a Nets fan.
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As for the product placement we picked up this from NPR’s “Tell Me More”:
There was a time when I would have criticized such blatant product placement and crass commercialism but there's just not enough financial support for smaller motion pictures in the marketplace — particularly, if they're African American oriented.
Here is Noticing New York’s response to the “Tell Me More” assessment. We are in favor of financial support for smaller motion pictures that are African American oriented but the cynicism here in our opinion renders this a rather sad abuse. This above others, is the perfect instance in which to criticizes “blatant product placement and crass commercialism” as something worse, cynical manipulation.
Posted by steve at May 22, 2010 4:58 PM