Sexy Clip Promoting European Films Draws Criticism

Reuters is reporting that the European Commission press corps may have its panties in a bunch over an Internet video clip promoting European film that was shown at a meeting on July 4 in Brussels, Belgium.

Commissioners responded to questions from the press corps about whether the 44-second clip that shows 18 couples engaging in sexual encounters was a good representation of European cinema to the rest of the world, according to Reuters. The clip comprises orgasm scenes from various mainstream movies including the highly-regarded and award-winning French film, Amelie.

As an advertisement for the European Commission's backing of European cinema, the clip strikes immediately at what many people like to watch. Its tag line - Millions of cinema lovers enjoy European films ... every year - is a double entendre clearly intended to remind viewers that they enjoy the films and the acts. Produced by European Union (EU) project MEDIA, the clip states that "Europe supports European film" and includes the EU symbol.

Whether or not they approve, viewers will likely try to determine if they recognize scenes and can place the film. If nothing else, the clip starts a conversation about it, hearkening to the PR tenet that all press is good press.

The clip, titled Let's Come Together, is currently showing on YouTube and had 4,638 viewings by mid-day on July 4, 2007; daily hits have soared over 10,000. Reuters reports that the European Commission has received no official complaints about the clip since it began showing on YouTube fourteen weeks ago.

"Let us for once also have a good sense of humor and let us not start the old wars of the fifties about what is sex, what is pornography and what is simply normal to watch on television," European Commission spokesman Martin Selmayr said to Reuters.

This appeal aside, the questions reveal that the clip missed its mark to some segments of the European audience.

While the normally dry news brief was spiced up by questions about the orgasmic video clip, Reuters reports that the question about the appropriateness and translation of the innuendo were not fully answered. The European Union encompasses 27 languages in addition to English, and how the pun translates is a valid question for the commission to consider.

The shock tactic to promote European film support may have backfired, Reuters reports, as what was an appeal to spark interest may have instead stirred outrage. The attempt at humor will appeal to some, but offend others, which is counterproductive to the European Commission's intention of creating wide-scale support for films made within the European Union.

Sources:

Reuters, Orgasm clip spices up EU meeting

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