This article is to 20th Century Fox Greg Berlanti and everyone involved in making and promoting this movie. This is NOT directed at the author of the original source material.
Image Courtesy Of CommingSoon.Net
The film Love, Simon is a huge deal for me. (Or else why would I be writing this, right?) There are other articles that will spell out the plot for you if you aren’t the loop, but sadly enough, there is something that needs to be said about this movie that I think is getting overlooked: There aren’t any LGBTQ+ teens of color being represented in the marketing.
If we are trying to promote an LGBTQ love story for teens that everyone can relate to, would it not be appropriate to include those characters of color who identify as such? If we are expecting black queer kids to see this movie, they have to be shown that they are in the movie in the first place.
One might say, “Well there are colored people shown prominently in the posters and such.” My response to that is that they are all straight people.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I commend you guys for showcasing people of color in general but it just seems that queer teens of color aren’t visible in the marketing.
I wasn’t the only one to catch on to this. When the first trailer dropped, the QPOC community on Twiter was set ablaze questioning why we weren’t seen.
https://twitter.com/theminoritygay/status/945540080264912896
I honestly feel there is a disconnect between fans and the marketing team. It seems the fans seem to notice this but it’s widely ignored by the executives at Fox who work on this movie. There was a huge missed opportunity from a promotional standpoint. A good example would be the early premiere of the new Showtime series The Chi that dropped last month on youtube. There could have been a huge ad before the episode itself to promote the movie and showcase the LGBTQ+ color diversity, but that didn’t happen, now did it?
With all that being said, I honestly feel like there’s an opportunity to turn this situation around, even with the movie’s close release on March 16.
I think February would be a great month to showcase the diversity of love in all forms and colors. Maybe it’s time for a trailer showcasing that very idea on screen?
As a person who has read the book, I can understand that you guys wouldn’t want to divest spoilers in the marketing. Still, how are we going to promote that this adaptation, at its core, is about love and acceptance of all people if we don’t highlight and celebrate all people?
I hope this article has given you the wherewithal to promote the movie to a highly diverse crowd. We all deserve the opportunity to love Simon.
Love,
Michael Jarvis
Simon Vs. Superfan
