Quest for Evil?

December 13, 2001 8:23 AM

Quest for Evil? A classic case of judging a story by its title. (Hmm, something we are often guilty of here). It seems that the NBA and Lord of the Rings--the movie have partnered together to market their respective product. The NBA is using the idea of the"lord of the rings" to promote the quest for an NBA championship. Um, does anyone else see a problem here?
posted by jacknose (26 comments total)

BOO.

Thank you, AOL Time Warner and horrifying media convergence. Horrifying because it's SO FUCKING CLUMSY.
posted by solistrato at 8:28 AM on December 13, 2001

Well, duh. It ought to be "Lord of the Hoops."
posted by alumshubby at 8:37 AM on December 13, 2001

OK, it's hilariously wrong on its premise, but I will always cherish the image of a bunch of NBA players on one side, jamming basketballs, and a bunch of pensive-looking hobbits on the other. Seems like a mismatch.
posted by coelecanth at 8:40 AM on December 13, 2001

You've never lived until you've witnessed the awesome power of the 3-Nazgul-Weave.

Hit Sauron on the Low Post!
posted by Kafkaesque at 8:59 AM on December 13, 2001

Instead of the usual "trash talk" we'll now have shouts of "A Elbereth Gilthoniel" at midcourt.
posted by dhacker at 9:07 AM on December 13, 2001

This makes the baby jesus cry.
posted by revbrian at 9:10 AM on December 13, 2001

This makes more than the Baby Jesus cry.
posted by solistrato at 9:13 AM on December 13, 2001

*cries*
posted by moss at 9:21 AM on December 13, 2001

Wasn't Gunther Gebel-Williams the Lord of the Rings? (three rings, that is....in the circus......
posted by bunnyfire at 9:23 AM on December 13, 2001

The NBA should have partnered with Michael Flatley.
posted by jacknose at 9:37 AM on December 13, 2001

I'm sure the NBA had to approve the promotion, but it looks like they were only tangentially involved. The real deal is between New Line (the movie studio) and TNT -- both of which used to be owned by Ted Turner, and both of which now belong to AOL-TW. Synergy rules!
posted by jjg at 9:44 AM on December 13, 2001

the faint sound you here now is J. R. R. Tolkein barfing in his grave. . .btw I'm still mad at JK Rowling for selling out the Harry Potter franchise like she did. . .
posted by Danf at 9:54 AM on December 13, 2001

If the Enemy is allowed to wear the One Ring, no force on earth can stop him from rapping and starring in movies where he plays a rapping genie.
posted by Hildago at 9:54 AM on December 13, 2001

Does anybody -- ANYBODY -- have their old dogeared copy of the Harvard Lampoon's evil little parody Bored of the Rings within reach? PLEASE post the relevent passage -- you know, where gallant ranger Stomper and wise wizard Goodgulf and brave boggies Frito and Spam and co. are down in the mines and hear the ominous sounds dribble dribble shoot swish! and come face to face with the evil BALLHOG, the dread incantation "Villanova" emblazoned upon its chest. I'll do it myself but I won't get home from work for hours 'n' hours 'n' hours.
posted by jfuller at 10:01 AM on December 13, 2001

If anyone remembers, the NBA and TNT did this same type of promotion with the Mummy Returns movie, which wasn't an AOL TW flick. I agree it's clumsy, but I don't see any "problem."
posted by uftheory at 10:17 AM on December 13, 2001

More NBA/media: NBA offered stake in CNN/SI channel (via Romanesko)
posted by Carol Anne at 11:04 AM on December 13, 2001

uftheory, by "problem" I simply mean an interpretive one. In the story, the quest is to destroy the ring. The NBA is using the film to imply just the opposite. Of course, this is not earth-shattering, just slightly annoying (hermeneutically-speaking). It's like the Miss America Pageant partnering up with American Beauty or some balloon company partnering up with Blow or Quietist monks partnering with Don't Say a Word or the Moral Majority partnering up with Do the Right Thing or Campbell's partnering up with Duck Soup or the Miami tourist department partnering up with Some Like It Hot.
posted by jacknose at 11:15 AM on December 13, 2001

i am not entirely sure who thinks these two demographics overlap. but, i can only conclude that he has not been to a rennaisance faire nor a basketball game for months if not ever. also:

I'm still mad at JK Rowling for selling out the Harry Potter franchise like she did. . .

if i had a franchise to sell out, i sure would sell it out like she did, or perhaps i would sell it out even more completely than she did, with more multitudinous and superior merchandise. then perhaps i would have a place to live.

what if ms. rowling has another franchise up her sleeve? she seems far too clever to me to really only have so many characters and then no more.
posted by kevspace at 11:25 AM on December 13, 2001

Do you here a buzzing sound? It was quiet for a while, but it's gotten louder over the last few months.

…I think it might be J.R.R. Tolkien spinning in his grave.
posted by Down10 at 11:35 AM on December 13, 2001

Down10, do you often post the same comment to two different threads?
posted by solistrato at 11:44 AM on December 13, 2001

jacknose, well put. I misunderstood your point.
posted by uftheory at 11:51 AM on December 13, 2001

Well, if it's the NBA, it's only a matter of time before U2 gets involved. I see an impassioned Bono screaming out "Wide Awake In Middle-Earth. Mum's the word, but I have it on good authority that The Edge is an orc.
posted by Kafkaesque at 2:02 PM on December 13, 2001

goddam quotation marks!

As Isuldur had
a broken sword, I have this:
quotation mark bane.
posted by Kafkaesque at 2:04 PM on December 13, 2001

uftheory, I can't believe you even contemplate a passing equivalence between "the mummy returns" and LOTR.
These are troubling times.
posted by signal at 2:08 PM on December 13, 2001

It's like the Miss America Pageant partnering up with American Beauty or some balloon company partnering up with Blow or Quietist monks partnering with Don't Say a Word or the Moral Majority partnering up with Do the Right Thing or Campbell's partnering up with Duck Soup or the Miami tourist department partnering up with Some Like It Hot.

man, you had me rolling... they just kept coming! great stuff.
posted by zerolucid at 2:40 PM on December 13, 2001

since when was their any expectation for corporate america and hollywood to be true to the spirit of what we hold dear? i personally saw this coming a year and a half away.
posted by hotdoughnutsnow at 2:42 PM on December 13, 2001