Portland Theater Marquee Trolls Melania Movie, Angers Amazon

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A local theater in Lake Oswego, Oregon has been advertising the upcoming Melania documentary in a sardonic and humorous way on its marquee, drawing the ire of Amazon, the film's distributor. The theater first quoted Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War' and made a quip about Melania's fashion choices, but was then told by Amazon that the marquee had upset them and that the film's showings would be cancelled after Sunday.

Why it matters

The incident highlights the tension between creative, edgy marketing and the sensitivities of major corporations. It also speaks to the power that large companies like Amazon wield over smaller local businesses, even when it comes to something as seemingly innocuous as a theater marquee.

The details

The Lake Theater and Cafe in Lake Oswego, a suburb of Portland, is known for its clever and humorous marquee advertising. When the Melania documentary was set to screen at the theater, they first advertised it with a quote from Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War' saying 'To defeat your enemy, you must know them. Melania starts Friday.' They followed that up with a quip about whether Melania wears Prada. However, Amazon, the distributor of the film, was not amused. The theater was then told that all Melania showings would be cancelled after Sunday, and the marquee was changed to say 'Amazon called. Our marquee made them mad. All Melania showings cancelled. Show your support at Whole Foods instead.'

• The theater first advertised the Melania documentary on its marquee earlier this week.
• Amazon contacted the theater on Monday, saying the marquee had upset them.
• The theater was told the Melania showings would be cancelled after Sunday.

What’s next

It's unclear if the Lake Theater and Cafe will be able to continue showing the Melania documentary after Sunday, or if Amazon will stand firm on its decision to cancel the screenings.