Fiddy flick posters pulled after complaints

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by Mike Diver [Edit this content] ▾ 9 comments 15:48 November 7th, 2005

Posters advertising 50 Cent's forthcoming motion picture debut, Get Rich Or Die Tryin', have been pulled from billboards in Philadelphia following multiple complaints.

The offending image - the rapper with a gun in one hand and a microphone in the other - was deemed to be "a very offensive message" by Bilal Qayyum of the Men United For A Better Phildelphia organisation. George Kauker, president of the Philadelphia division of Clear Channel Outdoor, added:

"Based on clear and vocal negative response from local Philadelphia community groups, we agreed to remove this particular advertisement."

The film in question opens in the States on Wednesday.

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You know what?

I'm normally totally anti any kind of censorship of stuff, but those billboards were downright nasty and I don't think that taking them down was necessarily a bad thing. Shoot me. (Pun intended)

Damian | 7 Nov '05, 16:24 | X | Reply

its not censorship

if people ask for them to be taken down or changed and they are fhanged voluntarily thats just double free speech.

Its only if they are forced to by law or by illegal actions that it becomes censorship.

JezCC @Damian | 7 Nov '05, 17:10 | X | Reply

you're right

totally right, i'm the same, usually anti-censorship but i think this is quite different. Surely if anyone can promote gun crime and 'gangsta life' to young kids, it's going to be one of the world's most popular rappers. It should definatly not be advertised in that way.

cy241 | 7 Nov '05, 17:13 | X | Reply

That is an...

...interesting point!

Damian @JezCC | 7 Nov '05, 19:07 | X | Reply

but

what about all the other movies that have guns on their posters? every single action film 'glamourises' violence and gun ownership/capping. 50 is a one-note joke, and a bad one at that, but there is a serious double standard. is it safer when matt damon is shown aiming a sniper rifle?

bigmanwithagun @cy241 | 8 Nov '05, 00:39 | X | Reply

Guns

The fucking army has adverts on British TV!

JDTraynor @bigmanwithagun | 8 Nov '05, 01:14 | X | Reply

adding to the mix that this is

in a country that defends to the death (literally) it's citizens 'right' to own personal guns. Maybe it is seen as more offensive because the advert is like looking into a mirror. It's easy to desensitize or compartmentalise violence in films (we're 'used to it', they are only acting etc) where as entertainers are seen as speaking for themselves and advocating something more directly. On the surface of it the advert sounds like it involves some mildly clever imagery. The point about portraying (gun) violence is to keep it dumb and distant and somehow that makes it acceptable.

silence-r @bigmanwithagun | 8 Nov '05, 07:21 | X | Reply