From butcher shops to runways, clothing made from raw meat is all the rage. But Lady Gaga—and her infamous apparel at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards—isn’t the trendsetter here.
The new book by Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Enter If You Dare! has fashion editors turning to the original meat dress designer. Elle.com spotlighted Jia Jem, a Chicago designer and costume aficionado who is featured on page 181 of the Ripley’s book.
Back in 2009, Jia sliced up a fleshy frock made of salami and bacon when she had nothing to wear for a party. The dress took her six hours to make and was refrigerated until it was time to head out the door.
Thus began a new line of carnivorous couture. Now, the question becomes: “Does this fat make me looked dressed?”
AOL’s Patch is in 11 states and targets cities with a population between 15,000 and 100,000.
So what is a better hit – the Wall Street Journal, or a community paper in Topeka?
Most PR people will think this is a foolish question and answer “the Wall Street Journal, you dummies!”
Let’s look at this a little deeper. The WSJ is certainly better for your portfolio, but the community paper in Topeka may be better for the needs of your client. If you are trying to reach people at the community level, it’s far more important to go local.
The mantra in newsrooms has always been local-local-local, and that’s especially true today.
Look at the growth of hyperlocal news sites. Datasphere is churning out hundreds of web sites that will focus on neighborhood news. AOL’s Patch is in 11 states and targets cities with a population between 15,000 and 100,000. These sites join the ranks of community papers and radio stations that can be a great resource in PR. No, they won’t make for a killer resume, but they might make for a killer event for your client.
Think local, and remember that bigger isn’t always better.
About 100 people stand in line for the reopening of the Original SoupMan gourmet takeout that inspired the Soup Nazi character on "Seinfeld." (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
When positive press comes along, most businesses see it as a good thing. After all, a lengthy story in let’s say The New York Daily News or a 2-minute slot on CBS’s The Early Show can do wonders in terms of public image and the bottom line. And who doesn’t like that?
Turns out—the “Soup Nazi.”
After a six-year absence, the man who inspired the Soup Nazi episode of “Seinfeld,” Al Yeganeh, is back. He reopened his original soup stand doors this month in Manhattan, and the media started slurping it up.
Yet come opening day, Yeganeh (now known as The Original Soup Man) was nowhere to be seen.
Add that to The Wall Street Journal article that published a list of rules for interviewing Yeganeh, including:
No tabloids
No use of the word Nazi
No personal questions
No follow-up questions
Plus, the fact that Jerry Seinfeld has had trouble in the past getting through the door, according to a recent NPR story. Yeganeh has dismissed the “Seinfeld” episode as an unfair character assassination. Once saying on CNN, that his product didn’t need “that clown” Jerry Seinfeld—that it spoke for itself for a quarter of a century.
For Yeganeh, it really does seem like “No PR for you.” Yet, we wonder, with all this media attention centered on his anti-PR ways, could that be his strategy?
Either way, at $20 for an extra-large cup of crab bisque and a line topping 100 eager customers, it looks like media attention is paying off.
AP – Tiger Woods pauses during a press conference.
Two recent news stories reminded me of a good lesson for people facing critical questioning from the media: don’t take the bait.
We expect the media to ask tough, fair questions. It’s their job and that’s what they should do. But sometimes journalists ask questions that go too far or try and bait the interview subject into an uncomfortable situation.
The first story involves Tiger Woods. A reporter at a press conference in Ireland asked him if all his indiscretions has been “worth it” since it cost him his marriage and endorsements.
Obviously, the reporter’s goal is to get him to go ballistic so they can splatter the story all over the British tabloids.
Tiger didn’t take the bait. Woods handled it well, saying “I think you’re looking too deep into this,” and followed up with a very sharp “thank you.”
The second story comes from Sports Illustrated. It’s a Gary Smith article on the Gulf oil spill (yes, an oil spill story in SI, and well worth reading). Smith went on an oily field trip with BP’s crisis commander Bob Dudley, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and a couple of network TV crews.
They wade into a large pool of oil, survey the damage and talk about having to see it to really get a feel for the damage that has been done.
Smith describes the scene after that:
Kerry Sanders, the NBC correspondent, wanted more. “Look over your shoulder,” Sanders ordered Dudley , camera rolling. “What do you see?”
“It’s devastating … it’s very emotional.”
"This is oil from right here." - BP’s crisis commander Bob Dudley
Not enough. “Can we see it on your hands,” demanded Sanders, “and can you tell us what it is?”
Dudley, on a contrition mission, scooped up the goo and gave NBC its money shot, blood on his hands. “This is oil from right here,” he recited dully.
Not enough. From the railing of a boat that the group had climbed aboard, CBS’s Harry Smith pointed to a phalanx of orange, fist-sized tar balls. “This is your oil,” declared Harry. “Do you feel guilty?”
Dudley, hangdog but litigation-leery: “I just feel sad.”
Dudley took the bait from Sanders and shoved his hands in the oil when asked. With BP’s lack of PR preparedness, Sanders probably could have had him in the oil floating on a raft sipping a cocktail – “now hold your drink in one hand and that dead bird in the other.”
Dudley should have gone out there and stuck with professional, responsible answers and not played into the hands of TV reporters trying to manufacture a “moment” for their stories.
I’m not trying to defend Tiger Woods or BP. The point is that anyone in the media spotlight better be able to recognize when the bait is tossed in front of them and know how to avoid it.
Larry King announces his retirement after 25-year gig on CNN.
Larry King announced that he is retiring from his prime-time cable TV interview show on CNN, where he has been asking the tough questions to celebrities, world leaders and people in the news for a quarter century.
For me, the announcement is not just a sad note for King, but also an indicator of how long I have been in the news business. While all the American media have been talking about how King is a pioneer in cable news, I was stuck with the thought that I remember King vividly as a national late-night/early morning radio talk show host. It was on radio that he deftly honed his interview skills making him adept at talking with anyone and everyone.
Larry King is also a study in media trends. His career has successfully spanned different mediums, but his ability to draw on the latest newsmakers and storylines kept him current for decades.
In the media—as well as in public relations—the mode of how news is delivered is ever changing. Yet, the power of the story and the storytelling will determine its success.
Good luck, Larry on your next chapter. Who knows? King might start doing interviews on Twitter.
In 1959, Bobby Darin, left, was Larry's first major guest on his WKAT radio program.
From butcher shops to runways, clothing made from raw meat is all the rage. But Lady Gaga—and her infamous apparel at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards—isn’t the trendsetter here.
