Friday, January 06, 2006

Essay 326


A MultiCultClassics Monologue Making Movie Merriment and More…

• Wal-Mart sparked racial controversy with its retail Website. Customers seeking to purchase Planet Of The Apes or Charlie And The Chocolate Factory on DVD were also directed to consider films with Black themes. The mega-store allegedly felt “heartsick” about the insensitive combinations served up by their malfunctioning computerized service. But it does make you wonder what other recommendations might come up. King Kong enthusiasts will love a Martin Luther King, Jr. flick. Mighty Joe Young fans will adore The Mighty Quinn. After viewing Gorillas In The Mist, catch Boyz ‘N The Hood. Giggling over Bedtime For Bonzo? Get ready to roar with BarberShop. If you enjoyed Here Come The Monkees, you’ll positively cherish How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Thanks for the movie tips, Wal-Mart!

• Aida Levitan, formerly of Bromley Communications, is launching a new Hispanic marketing venture in South Florida. Javier Pérez-Palencia is joining her to form Levitan & Palencia, a firm dedicated to consulting with clients on branding, public relations, promotions, event marketing and direct mail. Levitan announced, “Our focus is on below-the-line marketing, not on advertising.” Aren’t all Hispanic marketing initiatives — as well as all minority-targeted work — considered below-the-line efforts?

• Pat Robertson is starting to make stereotypical religious fanatics look positively tame. Last August, he recommended the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. Now he’s speculating that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was punishment from God. At this point, Robertson’s continued presence appears to be the public’s punishment from The Almighty One.

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