A number of leaders in the Hindu community worldwide are mulling over the prospect of boycotting Viacom (NYSE:VIA-B) and Paramount products because of outrage over the film "The Love Guru."
The vast majority of complaints by Hindu leaders, including Rajan Zed, who has led the drive against the film, is in reference to lack of communication about the film to Hindu leaders by Paramount.
According to Zed, he was contacted by Senior Vice President National Publicity of Paramount Pictures, Jessica Rovins, who said, "It is our full intention to screen the film for Rajan Zed and other Hindu leaders in the U.S. once we have a finished print."
Oddly enough, in regard to the protest, it is said that the protest will take the form of asking cinema owners across the world to not disribute or screen the film until changes are made "so that it will not hurt the feelings of the worldwide spiritual and Hindu community."
The Love Guru Trailer
I say oddly enough because if it hasn't been pre-screened, how in the world do they know changes need to be made? It seems it is all hearsay at this time.
My immediate thoughts are some Hindus must be overly sensitive to get their feelings hurt over something they haven't even seen yet. And second, it doesn't seem to bother them to verbally and physically attack Christians in India, in the name of their Hindu religion. I would think Christians in India have more than their feelings hurt from that.
Other religious organizations have backed up the concerns of the Hindus; including Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, Buddhist and Jewish groups.
The film is scheduled for a June 20 release, and stars Mike Myers.
More than likely Paramount is loving the controversy from the film, and possibly even precipitated some of these actions to get the desired results. You couldn't buy this type of marketing and curiosity generated by the "controversy."
As a result of all this, you'll probably see a bigger opening than would have originally happened if it was left on its own.
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Tracked on: June 17, 2008 10:46 AM | Permalink to Trackback