Sales of Erotic Parody 'Melania: Devourer of Men' Soar on Amazon Following Documentary's Poor Performance
Sales of the erotic thriller, Melania: Devourer of Men, have surged on Amazon, climbing to the number three spot in the political thrillers and suspense category. This uptick comes as the $75 million documentary about Melania Trump falters at the box office. The film, funded by Amazon, has drawn criticism and disappointment from audiences.
A Reddit campaign aimed at manipulating Amazon's search results for "Melania" has played a significant role in boosting the book's visibility. A post in the r/BoycottUnitedStates subreddit outlined the plan: “This weekend, Amazon is premiering its $75 million Melania Trump documentary. It already seems to be a flop. We're going to add insult to injury by messing up Melania's Amazon search results.” The post encouraged users to promote the eight-year-old book over the documentary.
Author J.D. Boehninger, who wrote the book in 2018, agreed to make it free in support of the campaign. “A redditor reached out to me last week and asked if I would make the book free,” Boehninger explained. “I loved the idea, so I made the book free. But that was the only role I played here.” The narrative portrays Melania as a formidable figure whose life is disrupted when her husband assumes the presidency, forcing her relocation from New York City to Washington, D.C.
The book's description hints at a thrilling plot: “Now, surrounded by young, strapping Secret Service agents and pursued by the cunning and handsome FBI director James Comey, Melania must work to keep everything from falling apart.” It suggests that she harbors deadly secrets that she will go to great lengths to protect.
Boehninger initially conceived the book as an experiment to test Kindle store algorithms. “My friend told me that three things did well back then: monster fiction, erotica, and stuff about Trump…so I figured I could write the book for the Kindle store: a combo monster fiction/erotica/Trump book,” he said. Despite his expectations for success at the time, it did not perform well until now.
The documentary itself, directed by Brett Ratner, has faced scrutiny for its high production costs and perceived lack of public interest. Ted Hope, a former Amazon film executive, remarked on its financial implications, stating, “This has to be the most expensive documentary ever made that didn’t involve music licensing.” The film's release strategy has raised eyebrows, as Amazon typically does not distribute its documentaries widely.
Online commentary has included images of empty theater seats and defaced promotional materials, reflecting public discontent. In South Africa, the film's distributor halted its release due to “recent developments,” though specifics were not disclosed. Boehninger expressed amusement at the possibility of his book outselling the documentary but tempered his expectations regarding financial gain. “The ebook is free in the Kindle store,” he noted. “I think that for a lot of people, giving Amazon money would probably defeat the point of this protest.” However, he acknowledged some readers are purchasing paperback versions and his other works.
