Amazon's Lavish but Flopping 'Melania' Documentary Exposes the Limits of MAGA's Cultural Appeal.
In a move that seems to have cost Amazon an estimated $75 million, the company has invested heavily in "MELANIA," a documentary about Melania Trump, the third wife and First Lady of Donald Trump. Despite spending $40 million on acquisition rights and another $35 million on marketing, the film is opening to near-empty theaters, with critics attributing its poor performance to the lack of demand among MAGA voters. Contrary to President Trump's claims, there are no sold-out screenings or lines around the block, no viral clips, and no manufactured outrage that turns into free publicity.
It appears that Amazon believed paying wildly for a lavish documentary about Melania would curry favor with Trumpworld, but this strategy has backfired. MAGA voters simply do not care about "cinematic viewing" and are more interested in grievance theater. The film's failure serves as a stark reminder of the limits of cultural appeal among the far-right.
The documentary's promotional tour was marred by controversy, with Saturday's screening at the White House taking place during a major snowstorm and protests in Minneapolis. Instead of celebrities, the invited guests included corporate honchos like Apple CEO Tim Cook and Amazon Studios chief Mike Hopkins. Melania then went on a limited run across Fox News, bizarrely revealing her vision for "unity" to support her husband's ambition.
In softballs appearances on "The Five" and "Mornings with Maria Bartiromo," Melania claimed that her husband is a unifier who stopped many wars. However, MAGA voters know it's not that simple. The documentary highlights the rot at the intersection of wealth, power, and media, where Bezos appears to have prioritized his business interests over journalistic integrity.
The film has been criticized for being an expensive exercise in nothingness, with director Brett Ratner facing multiple accounts of sexual harassment and assault. Even among MAGA supporters, there is little thrill in watching the powerful protect the disgraced. The documentary's failure is a reminder that Bezos' gamble on this project has come at the cost of his own newspaper's credibility.
The Washington Post, which Bezos purchased in 2013 with promises to safeguard its democratic mission, has bled talent for months. Star political reporters and columnists have fled to other publications, and Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes resigned after the paper declined to publish a satirical cartoon critical of Bezos himself.
The message is unmistakable: Bezos would prioritize his business interests over journalistic integrity. This is not just cowardice; it's collaboration.
In a move that seems to have cost Amazon an estimated $75 million, the company has invested heavily in "MELANIA," a documentary about Melania Trump, the third wife and First Lady of Donald Trump. Despite spending $40 million on acquisition rights and another $35 million on marketing, the film is opening to near-empty theaters, with critics attributing its poor performance to the lack of demand among MAGA voters. Contrary to President Trump's claims, there are no sold-out screenings or lines around the block, no viral clips, and no manufactured outrage that turns into free publicity.
It appears that Amazon believed paying wildly for a lavish documentary about Melania would curry favor with Trumpworld, but this strategy has backfired. MAGA voters simply do not care about "cinematic viewing" and are more interested in grievance theater. The film's failure serves as a stark reminder of the limits of cultural appeal among the far-right.
The documentary's promotional tour was marred by controversy, with Saturday's screening at the White House taking place during a major snowstorm and protests in Minneapolis. Instead of celebrities, the invited guests included corporate honchos like Apple CEO Tim Cook and Amazon Studios chief Mike Hopkins. Melania then went on a limited run across Fox News, bizarrely revealing her vision for "unity" to support her husband's ambition.
In softballs appearances on "The Five" and "Mornings with Maria Bartiromo," Melania claimed that her husband is a unifier who stopped many wars. However, MAGA voters know it's not that simple. The documentary highlights the rot at the intersection of wealth, power, and media, where Bezos appears to have prioritized his business interests over journalistic integrity.
The film has been criticized for being an expensive exercise in nothingness, with director Brett Ratner facing multiple accounts of sexual harassment and assault. Even among MAGA supporters, there is little thrill in watching the powerful protect the disgraced. The documentary's failure is a reminder that Bezos' gamble on this project has come at the cost of his own newspaper's credibility.
The Washington Post, which Bezos purchased in 2013 with promises to safeguard its democratic mission, has bled talent for months. Star political reporters and columnists have fled to other publications, and Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes resigned after the paper declined to publish a satirical cartoon critical of Bezos himself.
The message is unmistakable: Bezos would prioritize his business interests over journalistic integrity. This is not just cowardice; it's collaboration.
. I mean, come on, who doesn't want to watch a 2-hour documentary about the most boring First Lady of all time? The fact that they spent $75 million on it is just crazy talk 
. And yeah, MAGA voters aren't exactly hungry for cinematic goodness - they'd rather keep watching Fox News and Twitter rants 
.
. He's more worried about protecting his own business interests than making sure his paper is still a credible source of journalism 
. That's why the Washington Post has lost so many talented reporters and cartoonists - they just can't compete with Bezos' bottom line 
. And let's be real, Melania Trump isn't exactly the most inspiring figure - she's just a pawn in her husband's game of politics 
.
. Maybe next time Bezos will invest his cash in something that actually matters 
.
, like Amazon thought makin' a docu about Melania was gonna be the move for MAGA folks 
. I mean, who needs cinematic viewing when you got Fox News and Trump rallies? 
.
The whole thing just feels like a giant PR fail to me.
"
. And can we talk about how Bezos' priorities are so out of whack with what he should be promoting as a journalist? It's like, the Washington Post is basically just a shell of its former self now 
the film industry ppl r saying they wasted so much cash cuz maga voters dont care about cinematic viewin lol, they just wanna watch grievance theater 
The $75 million Melaniam documentary is just another example of how far-right culture isn't as into 'cinematic viewing' as people thought 
. Meanwhile, the MAGA crowd is all about grievance theater, and it's not like they're gonna start watching documentaries anytime soon 
.
. If Amazon is more interested in covering up stories than telling the truth, that's not journalism, that's corporate PR 
.
.
. Like, $75 million is a LOT of dosh, and now it's just collecting dust in theaters 
. MAGA folks clearly aren't stoked about it 
, and honestly who can blame 'em? It's just another overpriced opus that feels like corporate PR fluff 
... snowstorm or not, I'm pretty sure no one was exactly thrilled to be there 
. The film's failure is basically a masterclass in how not to make a compelling doco 
amazon really dropped some cash on this melania doc and it's like... what even happened? i feel bad for them 'cause $75 million is a lotta money, but at the same time i'm like yeah if u r gonna make a movie about someone's life u gotta put in some effort, not just pay people 2 say nice things. and honestly, melania's whole thing just feels kinda hollow, like she's tryin to fit into this mold of 'unifying figure' but it's just not workin'. i think the problem is that amazon was tryin to tap into trumpworld's enthusiasm but they forgot that ppl don't actually care about some cinematic viewin' experience...they care about the drama and controversy, not some fancy documentary 
.
. I thought Melania Trump was like, a super cool First Lady and all, but now I think I don't really care that much 
. I mean, I've seen more interesting stuff on YouTube.
.
Either way, I think it's weird that the documentary got such bad reviews and that the director has been accused of sexual harassment 
.
Anyway, it's wild to see how far the line has fallen in the pursuit of ratings and $$ 
, but nope! 
.
. This doc may be a flop, but its impact on the state of media is something to chew on...
.
.
.
And don't even get me started on Melania's appearances on Fox News - all that "unity" talk? 
. And can we talk about how weird it was to see Apple CEO Tim Cook at the White House screening? Like, who gets invited to watch a Melania doc on a snowstorm day?