Fox is ready to take advice from a 9-year-old. The studio has acquired the film rights to "How to Talk to Girls," a cute 46-page self-help tome written by Alex Greven, a Colorado fourth-grader.
Greven wrote "Girls" as a handwritten, $3 pamphlet sold at his school book fair; he wrote it after he noticed his peers were having some trouble talking to the ladies, though the book is geared for all ages. Among this advice: Comb your hair and don't wear sweats; control your hyperness and cut down on sugar if necessary; a crush is like a love disease that can drive you mad; it is easy to spot pretty girls because they have big earrings, fancy dresses and all the jewelry but are like cars that need a lot of oil.
Soon enough Harper Collins picked up the book, which came out in November and quickly became a hit. But initially, Fox, which is like Harper Collins is owned by News Corp ., and its book scouts passed on the title. But when the book hit the town last week, garnering heavy interest from multiple parties, Fox stepped back in and took the book off the table. The deal was in the low-to-mid six figures.
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Comments (5)
Now that's what I call a sk... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Answer Guru | December 10, 2008 9:16 AM | Score: 11 (27 votes cast)
Now that's what I call a skilled entrepreneur! Good job, Alec!
1. Posted by Answer Guru | December 10, 2008 9:16 AM |
Score: 11 (27 votes cast)
Posted on December 10, 2008 09:16
2. Posted by One level up | December 12, 2008 6:32 PM | Score: 10 (20 votes cast)
Chalk one up for the good guys! Nice work, Alex.
2. Posted by One level up | December 12, 2008 6:32 PM |
Score: 10 (20 votes cast)
Posted on December 12, 2008 18:32
3. Posted by TheTruth | December 12, 2008 8:32 PM | Score: -11 (21 votes cast)
I see how this marketable because it's cute in that whole "out of the mouth of babies" thing but it should have stayed at the book fair.
Something this trivial and annoying should not be marketed to "all ages", it's insulting to any adults intelligence that a 9 year old might have an inciteful opinion about any topic as complicated as human emotion, the relationship dynamic, or even the concept of love or lust.
I can almost positivley assume this is more the work of a parent of his who is using their son as a mascot, nice values there, to market some cheesey brain fodder that has little to no intellectual, comedic, or even intrinsic value.
More mindless gruel for the mindless masses.
Everyone at Fox from top to bottom should be fired and prosecuted for their continuing role in the dumbing down of America that they are constantly engaged in.
3. Posted by TheTruth | December 12, 2008 8:32 PM |
Score: -11 (21 votes cast)
Posted on December 12, 2008 20:32
4. Posted by jason | December 13, 2008 7:55 AM | Score: -12 (16 votes cast)
I agree with the poster that said the fox execs should be strung up for this. Hang them out to dry. A self help book from a 9 year old? Jesus people, here's some self helf advice for you: stop buying books about it and help your dang self. That said, to take the idiocy of self help books to the extreme and market one to the general public presumably written by a 9 year old kid is the height of idiocy. Americans have largely (though not entirely) become a bunch of sniveling sycophants who want an excuse for everything rather than taking responsibility for anything. It's ridiculous, and this book is just one more log on the fire.
4. Posted by jason | December 13, 2008 7:55 AM |
Score: -12 (16 votes cast)
Posted on December 13, 2008 07:55
5. Posted by Amish | December 13, 2008 8:04 PM | Score: -1 (7 votes cast)
Take this for the cute joke it is - nothing more! The kid wrote a clever little book for kids. Don't make it into this year's Self Help title. Geez, what about the book "Everything I Know I Learned in Kindergarten?" Lighten up.
5. Posted by Amish | December 13, 2008 8:04 PM |
Score: -1 (7 votes cast)
Posted on December 13, 2008 20:04