I will say this: I’m honestly impressed by how the “Emancipation” rollout campaign is going.
“Emancipation,” a slavery epic directed by Antoine Fuqua, had its first screening in DC three weeks ago. Attendees seem to have been mainly composed of African-American groups, celebs and political personalities. This screening was meant to kickstart buzz with glowing tweets. That’s just what happened.
This weekend it was again screened, this time for some of Smith’s most famous friends, including Dave Chappelle, Rihanna, Tyler Perry, ASAP Rocky. Cancel culture? Pff, Will Smith spits on that term.
The forced and obvious attendee praise ensued post-screening. “I’m still haunted by ‘Emancipation,'” Perry wrote on social media. “It’s truly powerful, moving and captivating. And the conversation afterwards with this group was legendary. Thank you, Will Smith, for the preview.”
Barris also posted on his Instagram story, writing, “Emancipation is true art, power and everything else a film should be. You got one, Will Smith.”
Smith literally assaulted a man at the Oscars. He was supposed to be a pariah that absolutely nobody would dare come close to in the foreseeable future, but in this day and age of daily social media outrage, the effect of the slap, as millions watched at home, has been watered down to sheer whateverness.
To the point where Apple, and many pundits, actually believe that “Emancipation” could actually be a legitimate Oscar contender. Kudos to all involved in this expertly crafted psyop.
The ideal scenario, for the sake of our entertainment, would be Chris Rock actually accepting the Academy’s invitation to host the Oscars, while “Emancipation,” riding on Smith’s big comeback, garner nominations in the top categories. That, my friends, would be must-see TV and inject the Oscars with some much needed life blood.
Now I’m wondering what Apple’s next campaigning move will be. Maybe screen “Emancipation” for press In the coming week or two? Nah.