Using Publicity for the Right Cause

Those who have been watching news articles on the police brutality protests in the USA and those who have been paying attention to all those police murder stories being covered up as accidents, may have heard or read of Quentin Tarantino’s presence at one of those protests in New York City last Saturday.

Now, many of those people might initially be upset that now it all seems to be about Tarantino instead of the actual cause for protests like these. But his presence and the fact that the media covers it so extensively is more than just publicity for him – it matters for everyone involved and Tarantino is actually of great help.

While some fear that his attendance will distract the media from the actual protest and its goals, the opposite is far more likely. His short speech and the attention of the media on him also draw more attention to the protest itself. The protest does not solely serve as publicity for him, it’s rather the other way around. Well yes, of course it does sort of push his publicity but it’s far from a safe bet for him: many have been speaking out against him, e.g. the NYPD has beencalling for a boycott of his films. He is clearly taking sides on a controversial topic, a topic most media outlets have treated as very one-sided (often decidedly “pro-cop”).

For the movement itself his presence will far more likely be of great importance and help. After all, his attendance has drawn more attention to their cause which has not been forgotten but has often been labelled as aggression and anger towards the police. This isn’t surprising at all, considering that it’s a rather common practice to diminish the actual critique of marginalised groups as “anger”, “outrage” or “rioting”. These people have a right to be angry but society is in huge parts turning its back on them. And Tarantino has done something very important by standing up with their protests, showing that while he is not affected by the troubles they face he wants to help them as an actual decent human being, acknowledging the discrimination they face as it is: racism.

And even though his voice is just as important and everyone else’s, his will be considered more important considering his fame and, to be honest, whiteness. He uses his status, his power, the attention on him to redirect it to the racism and corrupt police departments in the USA.

So in fact, he is tricking the media: they make it all about him, they can’t just ignore this event – they have to once again report on those protests. And people will want to know why he has sided with this movement. 

While Tarantino is far from being a perfect human being (there are certainly many aspects to criticise, but that’s a whole other topic) but he is actually doing something good by using his high status to lift up those in a lower position, becoming a white ally – which some other people should take as an example to be followed.