Commentary

Stars' Frank Opinions: Marketing Wrinkle To Consider

It doesn't happen often enough in TV or entertainment: an honest opinion about someone's work.

Actor Shia LaBeouf says his work on "Transformers 3" was "crap" -- kinda. To be even clearer, he also told ABC's Jimmy Kimmel his previous movie was crap as well.

This is what every entertainment marketer doesn't want to hear: a specific reason not to see a movie. You don't see too much of this. In TV, you might expect more of it. But movies? When a $100 million production budget is on the line? Wow.

Still, we need more of this kind of information for viewers and entertainment consumers. Movie performers also can shoot quick 140-character unedited thoughts. Entertainment marketers can't stop the flow of TV performers using Twitter or Facebook for their own means. Usually this is more bravado than anything else.

For all of Charlie Sheen's verbal antics earlier this year, we never got thoughts that his work or the quality of CBS' "Two and a Half Men" was crap. He only seemed to have issues with how he was treated by the producer, the studio and the network.

advertisement

advertisement

Too often pride gets in the way. But not for LaBeouf. He delved into the cardinal sin of entertainment publicity. Many business and work lives are at stake -- especially if you, a big time movie star, are the primary reason consumers are coming to see a movie.

Disparaging comments about one's own performance might endure true LaBeouf fans into seeing him on the big screen. But fringe fans will almost certainly turn away.

Others might say this is a new world. Given digital online content, we need to embrace the micro-entertainment world. Small is good -- and perhaps more valuable for some.

Sheen's crazy diatribes directed to fans were only the first step on the way to a truly open process of how performers work -- without the editing process of public relations executives.

The good, the bad, the ugly -- and all the movies and TV shows you really need to miss.

Next story loading loading..