'District 9' ads stir up plenty of human-vs.-non-human animosity

So, the second season of HBO's True Blood has begun, with the American Vampire League reminding us that the undead deserve rights just like the rest of us. And now comes the latest piece of Sony Pictures' campaign for the upcoming thriller District 9 that says aliens shouldn't be abused just because they're, you know, monsters. In other words, can't we all just get along?
  Apparently not, judging by the Sony-created war of words and images around the documentary-style sci-fi flick directed by up-and-comer Neill Blomkamp and produced by Peter Jackson. On one side, there's a conglomerate called Multi-National United that aims to keep those pesky and potentially dangerous aliens in their place. (That would be a segregated, heavily guarded homeland in South Africa. How's that for a subtle apartheid reference?) On the other, there are the "non-humans," who are reaching out to the bleeding hearts among us with tales of exploitation and genocide. Oh, who to believe?
  Sony's stealth marketing includes some arresting bus-shelter ads that read, "Bus benches for humans only. Beware! Non-human secretions may corrode metal!" The campaign seems to be hitting its fanboy target, with 33,000 calls to an alien-reporting hotline in two weeks and more than 20 million views of the trailer in about a month. Watch and see if you agree with me—I'm leaning toward the aliens and against the evil corporation. At any rate, I don't see this battle royale ending well. The movie opens Aug. 14.

—Posted by T.L. Stanley