Seriously. Sly and I talked about his upcoming movie. OK, so it was really just Sly doing the talking… and it was a conference call with who knows how many hundreds or thousands of other people on the line, but it was interesting never the less for several reasons.
Let me begin with some background:
Yesterday, out of the blue I got a marketing email from BuzzPlant (I’ve posted it online) inviting me as a so-called “leader in the faith and family community” to join Sylvester Stalone in a live conference call in which he will talk about his upcoming movie, Rocky Balboa. It was kind of odd because it was sent to a bogus email account I had set up years ago that forwards to my main email address. It must have gotten on somebody’s list that was purchased or rented by BuzzPlant. I have a great interest in new, innovative marketing ideas, so I figured what the heck, at the very least it will be educational. Plus the email promised some free promotional stuff.
The conference call was hosted by Paul Lauer, director of marketing for Motive Entertainment. They did marketing for the Passion and Narnia movies. Jud Wilhite, Senior Pastor of Central Christian Church in Las Vegas, moderated the conversation with Sylvester Stalone.
Sly talked about his motivation for doing the movie, a little about the parallels between the story and his own life, and about how the Rocky series has been a story of faith and overcoming your past. He talked a little about his own spiritual journey and wanting to have a spiritual message in this movie. It was interesting.
The obvious question, though, is: was this genuine?
Hollywood has done a 180 when it comes to Christian values in the movies. The movie studios used to scoff at Christians and Christian values and constantly push the envelope of decency. But with the tremendous success of The Passion of the Christ, Hollywood took notice. OK, so maybe it wasn’t a complete 180. It’s not as if the studio directors have all had a spiritual conversion experience and have stopped making trashy movies. But at least they are paying attention to Christian values and realize there is a large audience for values movies.
Where it gets real interesting is how this collides with the latest trends in marketing. Mass marketing is on decline. The days when you could reach the entire country by doing a TV blitz on the big 3 networks is over. Furthermore, people are increasingly skeptical of traditional advertising. So marketing is going old school. It’s going back to word of mouth. I could write a whole series of articles about this trend and maybe sometime I will, but for the time being if you’re interested you can check out the book Applebee’s America by Ron Fournier, Douglas B. Sosnik, and Matthew J. Dowd
Anyways, the strategy behind this new old way of marketing is to create a buzz by giving opinion makers a sneak peek and some free stuff in the hopes that they will tell their friends, family, co-workers, or blog audience 😉 about whatever it is they’re marketing. So, that’s what this conference call was all about – creating word of mouth buzz among Christians. They even created a whole website at RockyResources.com to further propell the social marketing of the movie.
The optimist in me would like to believe that Sly is genuine about his faith (he certainly sounded genuine on the phone) and the movie studios are genuinely trying to produce movies that support and uphold my Christian values. The skeptic in me wonders if Hollywood has gone from scoffing at Christians to using us for their own financial gain. Maybe it’s a little of both.
What do you think? Post a comment and share your thoughts.
28 Comments
Well Paul, wouldn’t it be great to know that Sly is kingdom bound? As for the Hollywood moguls, I think they’re in it for the money only and they’re going to tap us if they can.
I don’t go to the movies anymore and actually really never did. I ‘ve always had to work.
Since Directv is now my antenna I watch movies for free only when there is a Stars free weekend. But there is usually some sexually explicit scene involved. I’m all for good clean movies. I don’t see why they need that junk in there in the first place. We all know what happen in the world with out the constant refresher courses.
If Sly is going down the good road with his movies, then praise God for that.
I hope he does and then maybe more “star power” will get on-board.
Hollywood on the whole may never truly change it stripes, but if they give us good stuff to watch that will be good for them and us.
God Bless the USA!!!!
I believe Sly is sincere. I don’t think he would allow anyone to associate something that is not above board or what he believes. I think he is just realizing that “what we do for Christ will last”
I believe that all these movie stars are a big joke. Come on, Mel Gibson for one doesn’t even believe that “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not parish but have everlasting life”. He believes that if you are part of the Catholic Church that you are going to heaven or if you at least have good intentions in your beliefs that you can make it to heaven. Then he just recently made a huge DRUNKEN scene in public. Come on. It is hard for me to believe anyone in Hollywood, including old Rocky, really is a child of the King. Matthew says that by their fruits we will know them, no by their acting. What have they done for Jesus. Even if they make a “clean” movie, does that automatically make them a Christian. If so, I guess we have to throw out Ephesians 2:8,9.
Lets get serious. What makes us Christians? Is it not faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who died for our sins, was buried and rose again. Or is it making some kind of moral statement? What does the Lord’s Word say? Or are we trying to make the Scriptures accomodate our emotions?
I agree completely with T.J.M. I hope Sly has become a christian but we cannot say that he’s a christian based on emotions created by his movie. Being a christian is a lot more.
Judge the fruit, Jesus said by our actions the world will know. It is the actions that will either affirm our faith or condemn us. Watch and see then we will know. If the actions are faith full we will give God the Glory.
When I became a christian I am grateful that I had a Bible believing church to go too. Thats where we grow as christians. And read the Bible. My views on life did not change right away old things are becoming new. We all grow at different rates.Hollywood has been so powerful .We need to realize that the devil has used this to influence many people in altering their thinking .As for mr stallon, he appears to be sincere, but with good bible reading etc he may grow as a christian wait and see.
At least you’ve had fun over the “conversation” with S.S. And we can pray for Hollywood, and those who are truly born again, that they can make a diference in their world. We can name some who have: Pat Boone, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, etc. Thanks for listening.
Well, he is an actor–but God uses both good and bad to get His job done. So it is in God’s hands. I do hope and pray that Sly’s motives are good, in Jesus’ name, AMEN.
I heard Mel interviewed quite a bit when the Passion was coming out and I never heard him mention or asked about John 3:16. His heart seems sincere to me, but that is for God to judge. I do believe in John 3:16 and I do know that we all for short and that we are all sinners, except Jesus Christ Himself. Alcoholism is a disease and having to deal with it EVERY DAY in my family is something I know about what Mel’s family goes through. It is the most baffling and most difficult disease to understand and yet society promotes it all the time. Alcohol kills more people and families than any other thing in this world and they still keep serving and over serving everyday. I do believe that it took a great deal of faith for Mel to make the Passion and the testimonies I have heard and the spiritual warfare that was fought is amazing, yet he made it thru with his faith in Jesus Christ. Hearts were won to Christ because Mel was obedient in making the movie. I also pray that Sly was sincere and knows the Lord Jesus as his personal Lord & Saviour.
I think the above answers are quite well put. I would only add: Forget not that the NWO has a very religious side to it, as does the antichrist. Let us not be fooled.
I can only pray that Mr. Stallone has found the true love of JESUS CHRIST in his heart and lfie. However as I am not one to judge. i will be praying that whether he has or has not accepted Jesus in HIS heart that others will see the REAL MEANING and hear words that GOD would have them hear. How ever the message of the plan of salvation gets out. BE it billboard, poster, tv, a witness, a pulpit, or yes even a movie that draws people in to hear it….. let the word of salvation through JESUS CHRIST be heard. In accuracy as the BIBLE spells it out.
Just my humble opinion.
Thank you, you sis in Christ name, MsBeej