Peter Farrelly shows his Shinola watch.
(Photo: ABC video)
The narrative of Shinola has always been interesting.
Yes, the watchmaker has created hundreds of jobs in Detroit. But it's also been criticized for its branding, capitalizing on Detroit's gritty image, while at the same time producing luxury products many Detroiters cannot afford. (OK, some might say the same thing when GM produced Cadillacs in Detroit.)
Whatever the case, No, no, no... Peter Farrelly, you cannot honestly say Shinola, which recently opened up a boutique hotel on Woodward, is saving Detroit.
That's what Farrelly, the director of the Oscar-winning movie, "Green Book," claimed while on stage at the Academy Awards on Sunday night.
"Shinola watches! Unbelievable! They're saving Detroit!" said as he pointed at his wrist while accepting the award for best original screenplay, reports Julie Hinds of the Detroit Free Press.
Some, including the congresswoman from Detroit, share skepticism on social media:
Say what? Please stop with this disrespectful & hurtful narrative that we 1) need saving & 2) that billionaires are the ones to do it.
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) February 25, 2019
We just need the 1% to stop taking our land for nothing + shifting our tax dollars towards for-profit development that makes them richer. https://t.co/6pWYVCutI1
See the Shinola shout at the 1:35 mark of this video:
