IGN and District 9 Don’t Need Women in the Audience
UPDATE 6/13: Commenter dante just noticed that the ad’s been changed, and women are now eligible to apply, and have two more weeks to file. Nice!
ORIGINAL POST: It’s easy to take things out of context on the ‘net. So I was too charitable when I saw this ad at IGN, advertising a sweepstakes where one lucky guy could report from the San Diego Comic Con. I say “guy,” because that’s what the ad asked for: entrants had to be 18-24 and male. Girls need not apply.
When I first saw the ad, someone suggested that they might be doing a casting call of some kind, and maybe there was a legit reason to restrict this to boys. But IGN has replied (via Johanna Draper and Torie Atkinson):
The eligibility requirements for this contest were determined by Columbia TriStar Marketing, the marketing team behind the District 9 film, and were passed on as a directive to IGN as Sponsor of this particular Sweepstakes running on the IGN.com site. While IGN supports gamers of all ages, genders, shapes and sizes, these guidelines were created to foster a buzz for the film among a very narrow target group that the film’s promoters felt would be extremely passionate about the film’s subject matter.
I’m guessing if IGN took those gamers of all ages, genders, shapes, and sizes seriously, they would never have run the ad. Or they’d admit they fucked up and apologize.
So if women aren’t the “target group” - very narrow or not - for this film, then there’s a simple free market solution here. If you’re a woman, or you know any women whose taste you respect? Don’t see District 9. And if you think IGN should grow up and apologize? Don’t read IGN. (That won’t kill you, believe me.)
I know the ‘net is full of vile behavior and total cretins, and I’ve given up on killing them all. Maybe it’s dumb to expect a major corporation to behave better than any of the yutzes that work for it. But a corporation does have a louder voice than say, any one random shithead on a message board. I expect better.
12/06/2009 at 4:58 pm Permalink
Dammit, and I already wasn’t reading Gamespot after Gerstmanngate. I guess that leaves Eurogamer and 1up.
12/06/2009 at 5:04 pm Permalink
Man, this is super-disappointing. That director is awesome, and I would guess he and Peter Jackson didn’t sign off on this marketing approach.
I understand what Columbia is trying to do — they know that a cultish devotion among guys 18-24 is what often carries a movie like this to profitability. But, whoa — wrong way to go about it….
Also, there’s certainly an argument to be made that the “dudes drive the film market” mantra is self-fulfilling prophecy. Obviously I don’t think it’s dudes who made My Big Fat Greek Wedding or Mamma Mia! huge runaway hits But it’s also not (entirely) dudes who made movies as diverse as Romeo + Juliet and The Ring and the Saw franchise and The Lord of the Rings giant hits.
Also, and perhaps I’m getting way off topic, but I saw Aliens again on TV last week, and… man… what happened the James Cameron badass lady heroine? Where are Ripley and Sarah Connor when we need them…? Okay, I’ll stop hijacking your comments section….
12/06/2009 at 5:04 pm Permalink
Michel - If you want a tip, Edge is my fave print magazine. And online, Gamasutra and GameSetWatch will take great care of you!
12/06/2009 at 5:36 pm Permalink
Ex-Soldier - Sure, and I know that people cast who they ask. But it’s not even a casting call. What kind of a sweepstakes is boys-only?
Good question about badass heroines. I checked out a little of Sarah Connor on Fox last year - I don’t think the script did her justice. And I have myriad issues with Dollhouse, although I’ve heard good things about Season 2.
13/06/2009 at 7:10 am Permalink
I followed your link and I think they’ve changed the ad/contest:
“Open to men and women 18-24″
and
“(A) Male entries must be received by 11:59PM PST on Monday June 22, 2009; and (B) Female entries must be received by 11:59PM PST on Saturday July 4, 2009.”
13/06/2009 at 7:34 am Permalink
Dante, thanks for catching that! Post updated. Justice served.
13/06/2009 at 9:05 am Permalink
Actually looking again you’ll see that they still don’t quite have it together:
Above, on the ’sign’: “The entry period for women ends on Friday, July 3, 2009″
Below, in the fine print: “Female entries must be received by 11:59pm PST on Saturday July 4.”
Nice.
16/06/2009 at 2:47 pm Permalink
It’s a good thing they let females enter and July 3rd is my birthday. Maybe I’ll enter as a birthday present to myself.