I saw the trailer for The Dark Knight on Friday night when I went to see Michael Clayton . & I was surprised the studio ran the trailer this weekend, the same weekend as Heath Ledger's funeral (Ledger plays the Joker in this latest Batman flick). & I was sitting there in the theater, watching Heath Ledger in what is sure to be a signature performance, and couldn't help feeling a little uncomfortable. & He died so recently and so tragically, and his family is gathering to mourn. &
On the other hand, the trailer has been all over the internet - and the viral marketing fully underway. & The relationship fans have with Ledger is through his work on the screen. & I guess seeing him perform on the heals of his death, could be a way to connect. & Also, the studios are about making money and capitalizing on whatever they can, and I don't expect anything different. &
More than anything, seeing Ledger in the Joker make-up, in what is admittedly a fantastic trailer, was just a stark reminder of how Hollywood and the real world are two very different places.
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