Opinion
Blake Lively is promoting her movie “It Ends With Us” with flowers, alcohol and hair products. But it is dangerous to sell this film story as a feel-good film.
A storm is brewing over Blake Lively. A veritable internet shitstorm is underway – and the actress herself is to blame. Lively is currently on a major promotional tour for her new movie “It Ends With Us”, in which she not only plays the lead role, but also holds the reins as producer.
With each of her appearances, Lively is not only destroying her image, but is also doing a disservice to women in particular. “To be honest, I am deeply disappointed,” “Shame on you,” “What the hell is this?” – just three comments under Lively’s latest Instagram post.
Blake Lively is sharply criticized for promotional tour of “It Ends With Us”
But what is going on?
“Just one more time” is not It’s a feel-good film. The subject matter of the film and the novel by Colleen Hoover is serious. You could even say it’s deadly serious.
The book and film tell the story of Lily Bloom, who grew up with an abusive father who beat her mother and who herself becomes a victim of domestic violence. However, if you look at how Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds (who was also involved in the film) promote the film, you might think it’s a light-hearted romance with lots of flowers. What’s the story behind all the flowers on the promotional tour? Lively’s character Lily Bloom opens her own flower shop in the film and thus finds her independence. But that’s about it.
Flowers aren’t the only popular prop on the film’s promotional tour. Lively is using the opportunity and the huge attention to promote her new hair products. Whenever she gets the chance, she mentions her new company. And not only that: Lively also threw a promotional party together with her alcohol brand Betty Buzz. Excuse me? It couldn’t be more insensitive. Linking a film in which domestic violence is one of the central themes to an alcohol brand is such a catastrophic move that you have to wonder who is actually advising Lively.
Ryan Reynolds also comes under criticism
According to the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, alcohol is involved in about half of all cases of domestic violence. The drug is a “factor that promotes violence”. In most cases, it is the man who has an alcohol problem. In “Just One More Time”, alcohol also plays a role in the violence inflicted on Lily Bloom. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports similar statistics.
There are other causes of domestic violence besides alcohol. Jealousy and control are just two of them. With this knowledge in mind, another promotional sketch for the film seems downright scandalous. In it, Lively’s husband Ryan Reynolds asks his wife’s co-star, Brandon Sklenar, a few questions. He supposedly plays the overly jealous husband who wants to generate laughs with below-the-belt questions.
“Ryan Reynolds thought it would be funny to play an overly controlling husband in a commercial for a film about domestic violence. I have never seen anything more tactless in my life,” was just one – entirely appropriate – reaction to the sketch.
Domestic violence is sold with flowers and alcohol
Seeing Lively promoting the film together with Reynolds is infuriating. Anger that is also visible online. “You let us down. Massive. Shame on you,” writes one user there in response to another cheerful promo clip in which Lively and her co-stars skillfully gloss over the subject of violence. “This is a film about abuse, could you please promote it appropriately?” demands another. “You do not have the maturity required to respectfully represent the people you portray in this film. I am deeply disappointed by the fickle tone and soapy way in which you promote a story about a deadly serious subject,” criticizes another.
Words that have now apparently reached Lively as well. On Instagram, she posted offers of help for victims of domestic violence. In her story – so the information will disappear again after 24 hours.
It is an attempt at damage control that comes far too late and is far too small. What remains is the impression that Blake Lively is deliberately taking her audience for fools. Instead of educating people about a serious topic and using her enormous reach to do so, Ryan Reynolds’ wife wants to make a profit. Ringing box office receipts for the supposed feel-good film with a floral look are of course great for her and her portfolio. Selling shampoos and drinks is also the icing on the cake.
Lively is making money off the backs of countless (mostly female) victims. As a woman whose words are heard by many people, she should have been aware of the responsibility to handle this sensitive topic with appropriate sensitivity.
It is dangerous to trivialize domestic violence by selling it as a flowery comedy product. One thing is already clear before the German cinema release of “Just One More Time”: Blake Lively will need a lot of time to repair the damage to her image and win back the trust of her fans.
Sources: /
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
