Amazon Accused Of Using James Gandolfini’s Death To Sell DVDs

Following James Gandolfini’s sudden death on Wednesday, thousands of fans took to Twitter and Facebook to share their condolences. Amazon also posted a message following the actor’s death but the company may have had some monetary intentions behind their post.

The message has been removed from Facebook but the Consumerist managed to capture a screenshot.

Amazon reportedly wrote: “Saddened to hear about the passing of James Gandolfini today. We’ll miss you, James, and the memorable characters you brought to life.”

Below the kind message was a link directing people to the first season of The Sopranos on Amazon.

It isn’t uncommon for company’s to profit after a celebrity death (Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston saw their album sales soar after their untimely deaths) but many people saw Amazon’s post as disrespectful.

One user writes: “Stay classy Amazon. I’m sure James Gandolfini’s family is happy that his untimely death could bump up your Sopranos DVD sales.”

Another user writes: “It was in poor taste… This is a real person, not a promotional opportunity.”

Amazon hasn’t responded to the criticism but they have removed the post from Facebook. Do you think Amazon’s post was in bad taste? The company will undoubtedly see an increase in Sopranos sales this week and they probably didn’t need to advertise the series.

According to ABC, more than 64,000 copies of Whitney: The Greatest Hits were sold within 24 hours of the singer’s death last year without the help of an Amazon week.

[Image Via The Consumerist]