Don't Be Afraid of Specificity, Part II

With apologies to my readers, I'm finding that I can't let go of the "specificity" idea. Ever since I wrote about it last month, I feel as though I've been bombarded by additional examples of the necessity for specificity (say that three times really fast).

The example I've even started to use in meetings ... whether we're talking about products, services or story ideas ... is "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." We all remember the movie, right? It was a huge, global, overnight cinematic sensation. Yes, even I (a movie snob) saw it. Yes, I laughed all the way through. No, I never watched a minute of the spin-off TV series. Now imagine if this conversation had taken place with a studio development executive when Nia Vardalos was pitching the idea:

"It's called 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding.'"
"Greek, huh?"
"Yes, Greek."
"Not many Greeks in this country."
"There are millions, but that's not the point ... "
"Kind of alienating to only focus on Greeks, don't you think?"
"The point is, the movie can apply to any number of cultures."
"Not sure what you mean."
"Italians, Mexicans, maybe even Irish ... they'd all identify with these characters."
"Then why say 'Greek'?"
"Because I'm Greek. I know Greeks."
"But we need to be inclusive. No Irish person is going to see a movie with 'Greek' in the title."
"Sure they will, once the word of mouth spreads."
"Either we take out the 'Greek' or we consider doing different versions for each ethnic group. And that would be expensive."
"You don't have to do either. Trust me, these characters are universal."
"If they're universal, then why make them Greek?"
"Because I know Greeks, like I said ... "
"If Greeks are universal, then why is there anything to 'get to know'?"
"Have you even read the script?"
"Pass. Got anything else?"
"I've got a buddy flick about cops where one guy is super straight and the other one is totally crazy."
"Tell me more ... "