Our Ad Campaign --CLOSED THREAD

[NWWaguy]

Democrat on the left ... Right Wing on the right ...  apples and oranges ... here we go again with that damned 'label politics' again.  I don't think this is what the ad campaign is about.  Correct me if I'm wrong. We're so mad people brush gays and 'others' with broad ones ... then, we do the same thing.


Wheeee!  Let's turn off half our supporters for this and and this film and all those who made this incredible gift for us!

Suggestion:  can we leave off this stuff and get back to work?

Thanks for considering ...

[Cherry Cake]

1. Get the Academy to change its rules. What upsets me most about the best picture selection is Tom O'Neil's report on http://goldderby.latimes.com. Go down to "And the Winner Is ... Homophobia." Here's a reporter who supported "Crash," yet in his wrap-up, he discusses how Academy members refused to see "Brokeback":

"One older academy member, an obviously disgusted Tony Curtis, told Fox News reporter Bill McCuddy that he had no intention of watching "Brokeback" and he knew lots of other academy members who felt the same way."

What needs to happen is a change to the rules. No one should ever vote for Best Picture unless they prove they have seen all five. It's a requirement in the Best Foreign Language film category, the Best Documentary category and the documentary/animated shorts categories.

Why call for this now? Because members voted for a film to prove they weren't racist yet allowed their homophobia to keep them from even seeing "Brokeback." Change the rules, level the playing field, and regardless of the outcome, at least it will seem fair.

The point is that unless there's some call for action, your ad is a nice gesture, but it's not going to change anything. The people who need to see it probably won't pay attention to it.

I agree. 

Let me just add a couple thoughts I posted last night:

To me, the most compelling point we can raise is that BBM did not get a fair shake.  There have been anecdotal reports of Academy members declining to screen BBM (Tony Curtis being the poster child).

We don’t need to argue why this happened.  Homophobia, laziness, whatever.  If it gets media traction, the media will ask those questions. 

So, what if we followed up the publication of the ad with a press release along these lines:

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE ACADEMY

We call on the Academy to require members who wish to vote in a particular category to have seen ALL of the films nominated in that category.

[BTW, I don’t think it’s our job to worry about the practicality of this.  That’s not the point.]

**Analogy:  In the middle of the Olympic ice skating competition, one of the judges goes outside to have a cigarette, completely missing Sasha Cohen’s performance. The judge then gives Sasha a score, without having seen the performance, and that score helps determine who gets the gold medal.  Sound fair?  NOT!

[Ricki]

I was wondering since I am in Chicago, if anybody can tell me how to get a copy of Variety with the ad in it.  I donated and would like a copy very bad.  Does Borders or Barnes and Noble here in the Midwest sell it?  I would appreciate very much somebody pointing me the right way.  And I want to add my "GREAT JOB" to all who have participated in this wonderful amazing project.

I live in Chicago also.  I checked with the closest Borders near me (Evanston) and they don't carry Variety.  He seemed to imply none of the local stores do, but I can check in the Loop tomorrow.  There's a small Magazine store in Evanston that seems to carry everything...I can check there also.

Thanks! Keep me informed.  I live in the far northern suburbs so I don't think there is any magazine store like the one you mention.

[jayiijay]

The most compelling reason to keep Dave's website on the ad is because the ad is not the end of our efforts, but only a great beginning.  As someone who has been participating since page 1 of this thread and has read every posting thru the wee hours, there are an amazing number of ideas which I am confident the moderators and others would like to pursue in the weeks to come - but now may not be the time, the ad must be completed, they are working feverishly for all of us. 

As for the Matthew Shepard idea, it is beautiful, I supported it when it was raised dozens of pages ago, but it is too much to ask Dave & Pete & the others to incorporate every great idea in this one ad on which there is an impossible deadline which they are miraculously meeting.  Dave's website is fast becoming the internet center for all things Brokeback, people will tune in, click the inevitable future links as to where donations should be made, lists of all the awards Brokeback won in addition to Best Picture (my pet project as a movie type; it's the most impressive list in American cinema for a single year), etc. etc.

Thanks again for your amazing efforts.  I am ecstatic to see the ad is essentially done (can't wait to view it!), and glad to rejoin you all.

[Mo/sagha]

We're so mad people brush gays and 'others' with broad ones ...
Wheeee!?

Thanks for considering ...

Darlink I don't feel that way about the broad ones. Not at all. I do agree with your Wheeee.

[peteinportland]

Actually, Variety will print some extra copies for us if we want then to do so. I will give more information about that soon.

[Jack Rance]

I've posted this before but the way this thread is going it was like 30 pages ago . The Variety.com site explains :

 
How can I get printed issues of Daily Variety and Weekly Variety?


Archives of Daily Variety and Weekly Variety print issues date back two years. If the issue you want falls within these dates, please call our circulation desk to check availability. The cost is $6.95 (including shipping and handling) for Daily Variety and $10 (including shipping and handling) for Weekly Variety. Special issues (such as our Oscar specials) are individually priced. Priority shipping is available for an additional charge. You will need to specify the exact date of the issue when ordering -- the operators cannot search for the proper issue. To order, please call circulation. For Daily Variety: (800) 552-3632. For Weekly Variety: (800) 323-4345. International subscribers should call 1-515-247-2993.

We just need final confirmation of the date and we're good to go.

Just a note , I've been checking out Dave's Forum PRE Brokeback infact since 2003. This has always been a refuge of sorts for some of us  with a number of diverse topics -reality TV, Media, human rights , personal issues , etc. . He's a straight shooter -I for one have full faith in his intentions. In closing , if you are concerned -I'll make up your donation ...

[helen_uk]

Darlink I don't feel that way about the broad ones. Not at all. I do agree with your Wheeee.

Are you drinking or something?   

[valkyrie911]

Bad place to bring this up but I STILL WANT TO MAKE UP T-SHIRTS, anyone else??

I've read that it's very easy to get t-shirts done at cafepress.com, and then they're available for online purchase. I've bought things there before but don't know anything about how to set it up. Someone here probably does.

I'm telling you the cafe press stuff is not high quality, it's way over-priced, and it'll be shrunken and faded within months. Better off going through connections of printer allready established who have been doing this they can put together t-shirts for under $4 each hats, anything you want.

[Sharyn]

Actually, Variety will print some extra copies for us if we want then to do so. I will give more information about that soon.

LOL-- do they realize how many copies we'll possibly be asking for??      

[ChrisFewa]

I think to be bigger and better people it might be prudent to not even mention the Oscars and to just thank the cast…  We do not want to be irrational, with out evidence of a scam then it is hard to assume BBM was shunned.  Better to take the high road I think.

Without wax

[InfoEd]

My last word on this and I'll be quiet on politics:  One cannot deny the influence of the Right on the BBM takedown.  It's not brushing with broad strokes to say the AFA or Ann Coulter or any others are Right -- they'll proudly tell you that themselves.  That is how they label themselves.

The End.

[Dave Cullen]

I have a question:

Can someone research something: who -- aside from the writers, directors, cast, composer and DP were nominated by the oscars or globes, or possibly guild awards?

Thanks.

PM me, please.

[NWWaguy]

Now, about 'what to do with financial leftovers' and a foundation of our own, etc.:

I, for one, agree that the Shepherd (sp) foundation is a prime example of the sort of group to which we might send some donations.  The only problem I see is this:  there are so many other worthy foundations.  Who's gonna decide?

Foundation:  who would sit on its board?  What would they do?  What would be the main focus?  Would the rest of us have any say in any decisions?

LOL When I look back at this thread, I wonder ... how many of these entanglements can we stand and still love each other the way we do?

I'm favor of both ideas, just wondering ...  let's discuss it after we get the ad(s) finished, OK?

[Mo/sagha]

o jayiijay I've been waiting for you, nearly bereft, certainly forlorn. I'm watching the Divine Ms Striesland on TV waiting for you. Welcome.  sagha