Billboards for new $0.50 movie being taken down

[BrokenVisage]

Text

PHILADELPHIA - Twenty-one billboards plugging rapper 50 Cent's movie "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" are coming down amid opposition from community groups.

The billboards show the rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, holding a gun in one hand and a microphone in the other.

"The message could be 'rob to get rich.' ... It's a very offensive message that is part of a mind-set that says you can solve problems with violence," said Bilal Qayyum, a leader of the antiviolence group Men United for a Better Philadelphia.

He praised the billboard company, Clear Channel Outdoor, for agreeing to remove the signs.

"They showed corporate responsibility," Qayyum said.

George J. Kauker, president of the Philadelphia division of Clear Channel Outdoor, issued a brief statement about the decision, saying: "Based on clear and vocal negative response from local Philadelphia community groups, we agreed to remove this particular advertisement," Kauker said. He said the decision applied the Philadelphia area only.

In Los Angeles, Paramount Pictures earlier agreed to removed some billboards for the movie after activists in a south Los Angeles neighborhood rallied in protest. The movie is about a drug dealer who turns away from crime to pursue his true passion ? music.

If you ask me, Philadelphia has more pressing issues to take care of then taking down billboards for a movie because they think it's offensive to hold a microphone and a gun in it.. but that's just if you ask me.

 

[tweakmm]

Damn quakers.

 

I couldn't care less personally, but i feel sorry for the gangbangers who will miss the movie because of this.

 

[K1052]

Paranount has been taking a lot of heat over their marketing of this film.
They actually tried to soften the campaign a while ago, but to little effect.

Having seen the movie, the criticism is justified IMO.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: BrokenVisage
If you ask me, Philadelphia has more pressing issues to take care of then taking down billboards for a movie because they think it's offensive to hold a microphone and a gun in it.. but that's just if you ask me.

This kind of comment always confuses me... are we supposed to just pick the one most important issue and deal with that? Or where do we draw the line? Top 3? Top 10?

Regardless, it says they took the billboards down because of pressure from community groups, not the city.

 

[Wag]

Bwahaha.

From the title I thought the thread was about the MPAA objecting to a new movie that only cost $.50 to see.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: buck
I couldn't care less personally, but i feel sorry for the gangbangers who will miss the movie because of this.

what gangbangers are going to miss the movie because of it?
taking down these signs is generating more publicity than the signs did.

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: moshquerade

Originally posted by: buck
I couldn't care less personally, but i feel sorry for the gangbangers who will miss the movie because of this.

what gangbangers are going to miss the movie because of it?
taking down these signs is generating more publicity than the signs did.

Well it still shows that society does not in anyway condone the messages that the movie sends out.

 

Originally posted by: moshquerade

Originally posted by: buck
I couldn't care less personally, but i feel sorry for the gangbangers who will miss the movie because of this.

what gangbangers are going to miss the movie because of it?
taking down these signs is generating more publicity than the signs did.

I was being sarcastic. I agree about the publicity, kind of doing more harm than good for their cause.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: buck

Originally posted by: moshquerade

Originally posted by: buck
I couldn't care less personally, but i feel sorry for the gangbangers who will miss the movie because of this.

what gangbangers are going to miss the movie because of it?
taking down these signs is generating more publicity than the signs did.

I was being sarcastic. I agree about the publicity, kind of doing more harm than good for their cause.

how was i supposed to know you were being sarcastic?
add a smilie next time.

 

Originally posted by: moshquerade

Originally posted by: buck

Originally posted by: moshquerade

Originally posted by: buck
I couldn't care less personally, but i feel sorry for the gangbangers who will miss the movie because of this.

what gangbangers are going to miss the movie because of it?
taking down these signs is generating more publicity than the signs did.

I was being sarcastic. I agree about the publicity, kind of doing more harm than good for their cause.

how was i supposed to know you were being sarcastic?
add a smilie next time.

Sorry, i thought the gangbanger comment was enough .

 

[iamtrout]

Violence CAN solve problems.... and usually most of them...

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: iamtrout
Violence CAN solve problems.... and usually most of them...

sarcasm?