Dennis Quaid Comments On Movie Promo
Let’s dive into a bit of Hollywood drama that’s recently come to light. It involves actor Dennis Quaid and the social media giant Facebook. Quaid has come forward with some strong accusations against Facebook, claiming that they are deliberately throttling advertising for his upcoming film, “Reagan,” set to hit theaters in late August.
So, what’s the story here? Quaid sent a letter to Newsweek where he expressed his frustration, stating, “Facebook is once again censoring the free flow of ideas, deciding what’s best for us to see and hear; only this time it’s throttling advertising and promotion for my movie about Ronald Reagan.”
He compared this censorship to the practices of the old Soviet Union, suggesting that we’re becoming a society controlled by tech oligarchs who dictate what we can see and hear.
Dennis Quaid reminds us of ‘Reagan Democrats’ during his presidency. REAGAN in theaters August 30th. pic.twitter.com/k5tkdyiJP1
— Reagan The Movie (@ReaganMovie) August 7, 2024
To understand the depth of Quaid’s complaint, it’s important to note that Facebook hasn’t even seen the movie yet. This raises questions about how they can justify limiting its promotion. Quaid’s concerns were echoed by Eric McClellan, the director of digital marketing for the film. McClellan sent a letter directly to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, citing a particularly egregious example of Facebook’s censorship.
The controversial ad was a simple image of Quaid with the movie’s title, “Reagan,” and a quote from the late President Ronald Reagan: “Don’t let anyone tell you that America’s best days are behind her—that the American spirit has been vanquished. We’ve seen it triumph too often in our lives not to believe it now.”
According to Newsweek, while Facebook allowed the post to be published, they refused to let the film’s team pay to boost its reach. The reason given was that the ad “mentions politicians or is about sensitive issues that could influence public opinion, how people vote, and may impact the outcome of an election or pending legislation.”
Quaid responded to this by pointing out the absurdity of the situation. He noted that Ronald Reagan hasn’t been on the ballot for nearly 40 years, questioning how the promotion of his biopic could influence a current election.
Quaid also challenged Facebook to consider if similar tactics were used against other recent presidential biopics, such as “Lincoln,” “LBJ,” or “Southside with You,” a film about President Barack Obama that was also released during an election year.