Now that Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis have been given a plausible artistic sheen and a lesbian scene in Black Swan, it’s time to do some milking, with some of the most beautiful instant market segmenting I can recall. Really, it brings a tear to my eye. Their next movies will be No Strings Attached for Natalie Portman:
Don't need a trailer to spoil this one
and Friends With Benefits (yup, the tagline from Natalie’s movie) for Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake:
Is he saying something goofy or relating a hilarious anecdote depicting reckless but non-threatening pleasure-seeking? You'll have to see the movie! Also check out the body language: Mila's submissive head posture & open body posture, Justin with the standard low-held drink, exposed crotch, taking up space, displaying some arm muscle... Uh, excuse me for a moment, I have to go have a cold shower
Anyway, you might think this is a catty competitive situation with the two hot leading ladies doing the exact same movie at the same time (made and distributed by different companies though), but I think it’s sheer brilliance on everyone’s part. It makes people choose sides, augmenting the brands of everyone involved in whatever way the movies end up being perceived.
And for the short term, it’s beautiful segmenting – by being so similar, these two cheap-to-make movies force differentiation of perception. No Strings Attached is Facebook to Friends With Benefits’ MySpace. NSA is for white kids, FWB is for black and latino kids. NSA is sophisticated and tense, FWB is cozy and fun. NSA will gamely play around a little with gender and sexual norms before concluding with an absolutely standard resolution, FWB will play it 100% straight, probably with a sexual modesty / morality point in there somewhere. You get the idea.
I feel like a happy duck with a plastic funnel going down my oesophagus blasting rich, fattening meal & pop junk & cultural norms into my gut. Or would if I went to see movies like this. For now I’m actually just doing it to myself in my imagination! Okay, time to wrap it up.
