A small Oregon theater says Amazon demanded it stop screening the film Melania after promotional signs poked fun at the former first lady. The Lake Theater & Café in Lake Oswego used witty marquee messages to hype the movie’s release, drawing a quick backlash from the studio.
As first reported by The Oregonian, the signs featured lines like: “To defeat your enemy, you must know them. Melania starts Friday” (a twist on Sun Tzu’s The Art of War) and “Does Melania wear Prada? Find out Friday.”
On Monday, the theater shared on Instagram that Amazon reps had called, upset about the marketing. “Got a call that the higher ups (i.e., at Amazon) were upset with how our marquee marketed their movie (i.e., Melania), that, per them, Sunday would be its last day here,” they posted.
Amazon’s request led to all screenings being canceled. In response, the theater updated its marquee with sarcasm: “Amazon called, our marquee made them mad. All Melania shows canceled. Show your support at Whole Foods instead :(” and “Join Amazon Prime for free 2-day shipping.”