I can't even begin to make a comment about this, gobsmacked would be a fair description of my reaction !!!

"An online petition is urging director Peter Jackson to abandon plans to 'name' the Lord Of The Rings sequel The Two Towers.

The petition, which says the title "is clearly meant to refer to the attacks on the World Trade Centre", claims to have attracted more than 1,200 signatures.

However, many of the signatures appear to have been declared invalid. Many others do not appear to take the petition seriously.

The Two Towers is the title of the second book of JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy and was first published in 1954.

The petition header reads: "When I learned that there apparently was to be a sequel, I was overjoyed. However, Peter Jackson has decided to tastelessly name the sequel The Two Towers.

"In this post-September 11 world, it is unforgivable that this should be allowed to happen. The idea is both offensive and morally repugnant.

"Hopefully, when Peter Jackson and, more importantly, New Line Cinema see the number of signatures on this petition, the title will be changed to something a little more sensitive."

However, a note on the petition-online website adds: "The Two Towers is the title of the JRR Tolkien book originally published in 1954, the second book of The Lord Of The Rings trilogy.

"The title was thus established some 47 years prior to the attacks on the World Trade Centre towers, and there is no evidence to suggest that Peter Jackson meant anything by continuing the same title other than faithfulness to the beloved Tolkien classics."

Apothis

Even more disgusting, it appears that Mr. Jackson has decided to name the third installment in the Lord of the Rings film series "Ground Zero". Can you believe these people whose only inclination seems to revolve around making more money at the expense of the innocent and unwitting public?

Exactly !

The URL for the petition is as follows:

web page

I don't think that this is exactly serious...

I think you might be right auteur...

That's odd, when the first quizzes were submitted here in the literature section with the title, I was a bit taken aback and then realized my error.

This certainly sounds more like a subtle manipulation of the thing for publicity purposes doesn't it?

Reminds me of this schmaltzy little film I saw in the airplane recently, "America's Sweethearts". Sorry, but I found it kind of cute, but Billy Crystal carried it off. He would literally do anything for a publicity shot of the film, no publicity was bad publicity!