'The Emoji Movie' inserts itself into 'Handmaid's Tale' because brands are dumb
None of us needed further convincing that The Emoji Movie was irrelevant Hollywood #WhatsHotWithTheKids bullshit.
But, like the smartphone smiley face movie nobody wanted, the esteemed folks running its social media channels gave us more reasons anyway. Over the weekend, amidst ICYMI photos of the film's premiere, its official Twitter account published a photoshopped emoji x Handmaid's Tale mashup.
Despite the fact that the tweet was taken down at around 4:30 p.m. PST Monday (after, y'know, being up for three goddamn days), none of us can unsee this tone deaf post, with copy that read: Blessed Be The Emoji.
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'Grinning Face' emoji is right, The Emoji Movie!
Quick: What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of emojis: Juvenile web culture? Your mom's overuse of the kissy face? The degradation of human language? Your unshakeable sense that Patrick Stewart should get a new agent?
How about the very real patriarchal practices of rape, sexual slavery, and the commodification of female bodies as explored in Hulu's screen adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale?
Lol, yeah, us too 😆
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In an almost comical satirization of the central themes in Margaret Atwood's seminal novel about the historical erasure of female stories and trauma, The Emoji Movie literally erased Elizabeth Moss' face (and its attendant complex human emotions) only to replace it with a sexy smiling emoji.
As we stated, the post was ultimately taken down. Which, somehow, feels more belittling. Just keep attempting to erase those patriarchal mistakes, The Emoji Movie. It's worked for centuries, so why stop now? 🙃 🙃 🙃
Topics Hulu Social Media X/Twitter
Jess is an LA-based culture critic who covers intimacy in the digital age, from sex and relationship to weed and all media (tv, games, film, the web). Previously associate editor at Kill Screen, you can also find her words on Vice, The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, Vox, and others. She is a Brazilian-Swiss American immigrant with a love for all things weird and magical.
