I’m going to attribute it to bad PR/marketing and not Oxfordian conspiracy, but for the last few days I’ve had a steady stream of commenters who say nothing but “Hey have you heard about the new Anonymous movie?” along with a link to the Youtube trailer. This is clearly not coincidence. I expect that whoever is doing the marketing for the movie went onto Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (or some other service where you can pay people 50 cents for a simple task) and told them, “Go drive up interest in this movie.”
Dear marketing folks,
I watch all comments on this blog. When I think they’re spam, I delete them. If someone’s entire contribution to any given thread is to link your movie? It’s spam. So you’re wasting your time.
Have a nice day,
ShakespeareGeek
I do agree that spamming is not an efficient way to go about marketing. I've been reading Shakespearegeek for awhile now and I would like to point out that the film does look very interesting. It's relatively accurate for a time piece, and is telling a story based on theory that can only be debated.
A valid comment, Charles, although I would disagree a bit. Here's a link to one of the early reviews of the movie which pointed out some of the more obvious issues with any sort of accuracy:
http://blog.shakespearegeek.com/2011/09/so-you-dont-have-to-see-anonymous.html
Regarding a debatable theory, that's the problem with the past – this is not science, it cannot be proven, therefore every possible theory could be debated. This seems to have come up as a talking point in support of the Oxfordian movement, that we need to keep an open mind to this theory that deserves debate.
Well, I suggest that Abraham Lincoln was actually a robot put here by space aliens, and John Wilkes Booth knew it. Should we debate that? Because you'll never prove it's not true.
"I do agree that spamming is not an efficient way to go about marketing."
The cable companies might disagree. Ever try watching anything you've already paid to watch; 9 or 10 minutes of content (if you're lucky) with 8-9 minutes of commercials, with a third of the screen taken up with flashing ads during the content portion? That's spam. You pay for it. And they get paid three times over for doing it.
Personally, I'm waiting with baited breath for the Edward DeVere happy meal action figures.
"Would you like to know the
great drama of my life?" Oscar Wilde once asked. "It's that I've put my genius into my life; I've put only my talent into my works."
If Shakespeare had not done
the opposite to Wilde, where
would the scope for doubt of
his authorship be?
I must confess, I am willing
to overlook the dramatic and
factual licence of this film
in return for an impressive
evocation of Elizabethan-era
theatre…and from the clips
I've seen and the reviews I've
read, I think Anonymous will
deliver on this.
Besides,how can you not warm
to the film when Rhys Ifans
has said that he had in mind
the magical offspring of Karl
Lagerfeld and David Bowie for
his portrayal of Oxford?
Ever consider that some arch
Stratfordians are spamming you
to provoke your increased ire
at the film.
I agree JM, this spamming is all a part of marketing. I am looking forward to the film., and if you ask me, the spamming worked. The spammers got a post all about the film.
Duane,
I actually do believe that Shakespeare did not write his famous works. The film gives a great explanation of what could be the answer. I'm not saying that the film is right, I'm justing saying that it is going to be interesting. I am a fan of the "Shakespeare" works, but that doesn't mean you have to go about making ridiculous accusations about history.
Well, since your going to see the film anyway, we don't need to debate about it. I think it will be a great film.
Well, Anthony, I know my audience. There's not too many of us who wouldn't already have known about the movie, so I don't really think of it as giving them any extra advertising.
If I said "Wow, you have to see this, it looks awesome!!" that would be one thing. But none of what we've talked about so far says that.
"I actually do believe that Shakespeare did not write his famous works."
…
"that doesn't mean you have to go about making ridiculous accusations about history."
Ah, irony.
🙂
Enjoy the movie! I do plan to go see it, and will almost certainly have posts to make on the subject.