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Black Liberal EstablishmentNewsRace

Oprah’s Race Baiting Made ‘The Butler’ a Box Office Success

Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?

Sadly, race baiting not only helps in politics but also in the box office.

Before the release of The Butler, a docudrama inspired by White House butler Eugene Allen who served eight presidents, Oprah exploited the race card to generate attention for the movie.

As discussed in an earlier post, Oprah claimed she was unfairly treated in a retail store in Switzerland and she also made the outrageous comparison of the murder of Emmett Till to the tragic death of Trayvon Martin.

Oprah’s public relations stunt worked.

According to Deadline Hollywood, Oprah Winfrey’s public relations push was responsible for The Butler’s opening weekend success:

Love her or hate her, co-star Oprah Winfrey and her big media blitz helped open the pic even if it did little to help her public image by providing more dirt for her detractors. Yet a survey by Fandango found that 72% of Butler ticket-buyers claimed Oprah’s involvement increased their interest in seeing the film which was her first movie role in 15 years.

The initial box office success of The Butler was also attributed to the marketing plan executed by The Weinstein Co. (TWC) – the film’s studio.

The Hollywood Reporter noted that TWC successfully targeted black churches with “a scripture guide and faith-oriented trailer.”

Of those buying tickets, 39 percent were African-Americans, an especially strong turnout. TWC and other box office observers believe church groups played a key role in driving the film’s opening, noting a large number of advance ticket sales. Major markets where the film overperformed in predominately black theaters include Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, Atlanta and Chicago (Winfrey’s home turf).

TWC’s marketing plan took a page from the Democrat Party play book that is extremely successful in getting black voters to the polls.

Let’s not forget that the huge black turnout in the 2012 election was largely responsible for the reelection of President Obama.

While blacks only represent about thirteen percent of the population, micro targeting the population can yield huge financial and political benefits for those that recognize this strategy.

Deneen Borelli

Deneen Borelli is the author of Blacklash: How Obama and the Left are Driving Americans to the Government Plantation. Deneen is a contributor with Newsmax Broadcasting. She is a former Fox News contributor and has appeared regularly on “Hannity,” “Fox & Friends,” “Your World with Neil Cavuto,” and “America’s Newsroom.” She has also appeared on Fox Business Network programs “Making Money with Charles Payne,” “The Evening Edit with Liz MacDonald,” and “Cavuto: Coast to Coast.” Previously, Deneen appeared on MSNBC, CNN, the BBC and C-SPAN. In addition to television, Deneen co-hosted radio programs on the SiriusXM Patriot channel with her husband Tom. Recently, Deneen co-hosted the Reigniting Liberty podcast with Tom. Deneen is a frequent speaker at political events, including the FreedomWorks 9.12.2009 March on D.C. which drew a crowd estimated at over 800,000 people. Deneen is also an Ambassador with CloutHub.com, a social media platform that promotes free speech, and with the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) which advances policies that put Americans first. Deneen testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources in May 2011 and before the Ohio House Public Utilities Committee in December 2011. Previously, Deneen was a BlazeTV.com host, Outreach Director with FreedomWorks.org overseeing its Empower.org outreach program, a Project 21 Senior Fellow, and Manager of Media Relations with the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). Prior to joining CORE, Deneen worked at Philip Morris USA for 20 years. During her corporate career at Philip Morris she worked in various positions, her last as Project Management Coordinator in the Information Management department where she was responsible for the department’s mandated quality processes, communications, sales information and database management. Deneen began her Philip Morris career as a secretary and advanced to positions of increasing responsibilities. Deneen worked full-time and attended classes at night for 11 years to earn her B.A. in Managerial Marketing from Pace University, New York City. Deneen served on the Board of Trustees with The Opportunity Charter School in Harlem, New York. She appeared in educational videos for children, worked as a runway fashion model, and auditioned for television commercials. Her interests include ancient history, pistol target shooting, photography, and volunteering at her church. Deneen currently resides in Connecticut with her husband Tom.

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