CBS’ daytime soap opera, As The World Turns, is catching heat from viewers after repeatedly airing episodes involving two of its homosexual characters kissing.  

The scenes outraged the American Family Association, a non-profit organization that represents traditional family values.  The group focuses on influences in the media, and particularly obscenity on television.  The major problem is that CBS is owned by Procter & Gamble and the AFA has taken action by encouraging a boycott of P&G products, until the company agrees to stop showing homosexuals kissing on broadcast television.

This has caused quite the predicament for P&G, and they have struggled with finding the right solution for this issue.  Originally, As The World Turns stopped showing the two characters kissing, after there was mention of disapproval, but in recent episodes the company has decided to stand up for gay rights and continue to show the characters kissing as they did twice before.  In 1988, As The World Turns was the first daytime show to introduce a gay male character. 

 According to CNN, Jeannie Tharrington, a spokesperson for P&G addressed the issue and said, “It’s always hard to please a diverse audience, and we have a diverse audience.”  The corporation has not backed down from supporting the issue, but it has been careful not to show the two male characters, Noah and Luke, kissing on a weekly basis, possibly because they fear agitating viewers who don’t support the couple’s relationship. 

The AFA has asked people to “take action” and boycott P&G and its products.  On the AFA Web site there is a page provided to explain the P&G and As The World Turns ordeal and it reads:

         

Procter & Gamble has resumed using explicit, open-mouth homosexual kissing in their soap opera, “As the World Turns.” P&G decided to include this type of content as a commitment to “diversity.” P&G stopped showing such scenes some months ago, but has now decided to again help promote the homosexual agenda which includes homosexual marriage.Gay activists are hopeful that the P&G effort will desensitize viewers to the homosexual lifestyle and help make the unhealthy and immoral lifestyle more acceptable to society, especially to children and youth.

 

 P&G responded by creating a hot-line where people can call and vote for their support or disapproval of the couple and the progression of their relationship. Famous blogger, Perez Hilton wrote a post about his support for the Noah and Luke kissing, and he urged readers to call in and vote in favor of continuing to show the characters’ relationship.  

It seems that no matter what P&G decides to do, it will loose a group of viewers and customers.  If it stops showing Noah’s and Luke’s relationship’s progression, then it risks upsetting its audience that supports ”diversity” and homosexuality on television and other media outlets.  However, if it continues to show Noah and Luke kissing and doing other things people in committed relationships do, then it will loose viewers and customers that identify with AFA and its views.  Either way P&G is going to loose out on some business. 

The question is, does it side with the people who are for equality and diversity or the people who are for bigotry and intolerance?  It seems that P&G has decided to follow its own agenda and not worry too much about what either side wants.  As The World Turns has a story line that’s already developed, and as long as there’s no serious decrease in P&G’s product sales because of the daytime show, I assume there will be no changes made to the show’s plot or characters. 

*Images provided by the American Family Association, PerezHilton.com, and Google Images.

It seems like we are constantly reading headlines about sex tapes, nude photos and provocative magazine spreads, and this weeks it’s Hannah Montana or Miley Cyrus’ turn.  Last week, photos from the new issue of Vanity Fair were released and one picture in particular caught people’s attention.  The photo shows the Disney Channel’s Miley Cyrus sitting topless with a silk sheet like piece of cloth wrapped around her. 

Now, Cyrus is feeling the heat because as soon as the pictures surfaced there was a frenzy among the media and the blogosphere.  Miley soon released a statement saying that she was embarrassed about the photos and the interview:

“I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be ‘artistic’ and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed.  I never intended for any of this to happen and I apologize to my fans who I care so deeply about.”

I’m sure Miley hoped this statement was sufficient enough for Disney and her fans to forgive her and things to quickly go back to normal like it did for fellow Disney star  Vanessa Hudgens, but unfortunately for Miley that may not be the case. 

Disney is not happy with the photo scandal, but they are taking Miley’s side and blaming Vanity Fair, instead. A Disney rep made this statement:

“Unfortunately, as the article suggests, a situation was created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines,”

This has become a tough situation for Miley and Disney because Vanity Fair, and Annie Leibovitz the photographer for the shoot, have chosen to put up a fight and they are defending their position and making a point to explain to people that during the shoot Miley and her parents seemed pleased with the photos.   The magazine released this statement:

“Miley’s parents and/or minders were on the set all day,” the magazine said. “Since the photo was taken digitally, they saw it on the shoot and everyone thought it was a beautiful and natural portrait of Miley.”

To make matters even worse, the magazine also released this statement made by Miley Cyrus, while on the photo shoot set:

“I think it’s really artsy…It wasn’t in a skanky way. Annie took, like, a beautiful shot, and I thought that was really cool. That’s what she wanted me to do, and you can’t say no to Annie.”

Now, Miley must eat her words because her stories don’t quite match up.  It doesn’t look good on her part that one minute she’s talking about how tasteful and beautiful the pictures are and then the next, after the media and fans have shown disapproval, she is horrified and embarrassed by the pictures and article. 

I’m not sure who is at fault here.  It could be:

1. Miley’s parents/PR rep for not telling her not to take the pictures and warning her that if she did this might happen.

2. Vanity Fair for, possibly strategically, pairing the photos with an interview talking about Miley’s favorite show being Sex and The City. Allegedly, the article quotes Miley saying, ”[Sex & The City] It’s my favorite show! I love it!”.

3. Disney for not monitoring their stars’ actions more closely, because its reputation takes a hit every time its teen celebrities make bad decisions, like this one in particular.

It seems today there is a fine line between what’s acceptable and what’s not when it comes to teens and sex or sexuality.  Miley is catching heat for taking half-nude pictures when she is supposed to be a role model for her millions of young fans.  Gossip Girl’s new ads were too sexy and offensive.  Vanessa Hudgens, of Disney’s High School Musical, had nude photos leaked.  All of these events created outrage and disapproval from many people. 

However, on Desperate Housewives there have been multiple instances where older female, adult characters were portrayed having affairs with younger, teenage boy characters still in high school, and no one seemed to be bothered by that being on TV almost on a weekly basis. 

There is a fine line between what’s acceptable and what’s taboo, and it’s very hard to figure out where that line is or whether or not it’s been crossed until it’s too late.  Poor Miley Cyrus is finding this out the hard way. 

*Photos provided by Vanity Fair- Featured in an ABC News article and Google Images.

The past couple weeks I couldn’t help but notice the latest ad campaign running for the new television series Gossip Girl.  The show hasn’t been on the air for a couple months now because of the writers’ strike, but it is returning with new episodes starting Monday, April, 21.  In order to regain old viewers and attract new ones, the marketing execs for the show decided to use the shock factor and the infamous sang “sex sells” to advertise the series’ return.  

The new ad campaign shows the main characters engaging in sex acts with the letters “OMFG” on the bottom.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with text talk, OMFG stands for “Oh my f*%^ing God.”  What makes the ads even more controversial than the text itself is the fact that the show is about teens, and therefore it is also targeted at a teen audience.  That’s a pretty racy ad for a show targeted at 15 year olds.

The show is based on a book series called Gossip Girl that originally surfaced on bookshelves in 2001.  The books are supposed to be a Sex and the City type set-up but for a younger crowd, a.k.a. teen girls.  There have always been critiques of the book series because of its scandalous content itself, and it is one of the most popularly opposed series among adults.  However, now the books have been brought to life in a televisions series on The CW. 

The show itself was already raising eyebrows and turning heads but it seems this new ad campaign really pushed people over the edge.  Let’s just look at those four little letters filled with controversy: 

1. There is obvious use of profanity in the “F” featured in the ad.

2. There is reference to God and it isn’t exactly the most endearing or P.C. use of the religious figures name, or as some people would put it-a blatant use of the Lord’s name in vain. 

3. The pictures in the ads show the teen characters in soft-core pornographic positions. 

So now the question is, did this campaign hurt or help the new show, that is obviously desperately seeking attention and better ratings?  Really, I think the campaign was a very ballsy move on behalf of The CW, and it definitely accomplished its goal of wanting to grab people’s attention and get them talking.  However, I am not a regular viewer of the show, but I do hope that if they choose to show teens engaging in sexual activities it’s important to also show the consequences and make it a realistic portrayal of life.  It can’t have ads like this and then romanticize teen sex and not show the many negatives outcomes that could come with it, like teen pregnancy, STDs, heart break and possible ruin of ones reputation. 

It’s important that if teens are exposed to sex, which in today’s society is almost inevitable, they are shown real-life scenarios so that they don’t end up becoming an unfortunate statistic.  If shows are going to show mature material like this,  they also have to take the responsibility of educating viewers as well.   

*Images provided by gossipgirlinsider.com

Unlike New York’s Fashion Week, the Miss USA Pageant has no issues with embracing ethnic diversity.  The 2008 Miss USA Winner  was Crystle Stewart,  26, of Missouri City, Texas.  She is an entrepreneur and owns an event planning and motivational speaking company. 

This is a big difference compared to the 2006 winner Tara Conner, who was caught in a huge scandal that almost cost the Miss USA organization its reputation.  Stewart is one of only a handful of black women crowned with this great honor.  It seems that our country is really beginning to see people who for they are rather than what they are. 

 I find it ironic that Stewart was crowned Miss USA the same year an African-American man and a woman are running for the presidential election.  By no means are we as a society completely rid of racial and gender inequality and conflict, but it’s nice to know that we are getting just one step closer to accepting one another for who we are as people rather than labeling each other like canned vegetables. 

However, unfortunately this is still not the case when it comes to gay rights.  How can it be that there are states with laws, Ohio in particular, that actually ban the marriage of two individuals strictly based on their sexual orientation? 

It is sad to see that we still have much growing to do, but we have to try to look at the positive and to the future and hope that sooner, rather than later, things will change.  For now, we must embrace the change that is happening today. 

I give kudos to the Miss USA organization, and Donald Trump, for selecting a woman of color to represent our nation as Miss USA.  I also give Kudos to our nation as a whole for selecting a woman and a person of color, both underrepresented in this country, to possibly represent our nation as president.  It’s just a great time to be alive! I’m so grateful to be able to witness all of these historical events, and I’m sure many others feel the same way.

I think New York Fashion Week should take note that change is in, and old ways are out. You’d think being the trendsetters they are, they would have caught on a little sooner. 

 *Photos provided by Google Image

*Graph provided by The Washington Post

Hulk Hogan’s family just can’t seem to catch a break this year.  The family began to fall from grace after reports of an affair followed by the filing of a divorce.  Now, to add salt to an already deep wound, they are being sued for negligence after their son, Nick Bollea, was the driver in a terrible car accident which resulted in one of the passengers, John Graziano, being seriously injured-unlike Bollea, Graziano was not wearing a seatbelt.  As a result, he is not completely brain dead but is only responsive to some light and heat.  He is in a vegetative-type state.

Reports say that Bollea had alcohol in his system and allegedly he blew a 0.055 blood alcohol content.  That is over the legal limit, 0.02, for people under the age of 21. To make matters even worse, some reports say that Hulk Hogan purchased the alcohol for Bollea, 17.  After drinking with friends, Bollea went street racing and now he, his father, his mother and the person he was racing with are being sued by the Graziano Family for damages, including compensation for outrageous medical bills of over $1 million so far.  The Graziano Family said that their son will need serious medical care for the rest of his life.

Famous celebrity gossip columnist Perez Hilton wrote about this story and received 64 comments in response.  The majority of people felt that the Hogan Family should be held responsible and they had very little, if any sympathy for them.  On the other hand, there were a select few individuals who felt that Graziano should be held accountable for making the choice to ride with Bollea while street racing, and more importantly opting not to wear a seatbelt, which could have drastically decreased the severity of his injuries sustained during the crash. 

This is a sad and unfortunate story that has destroyed two families, all in the blink of an eye.  All families involved are dealing with some rough times and deserve our sympathy.  From a PR perspective it’s not good that the Hogan’s keep finding themselves in the headlines for almost exclusively negative stories, but at least they are owning up to their actions and answering questions.  They are not using the dreaded “no comment” quote, and they deserve credit for that.   

It’s seems in recent days blackface is making a comeback.  Google searches are filled with recent news about incidents regarding blackface.  But is this a good thing or a bad thing?  It’s a touchy subject and there are a lot of different opinions out there.  Some say it’s racist and insensitive, others say it’s about time that people start lightening up and appreciating a sense of humor.  Either way, deciding to have actors or people go blackface is a risky move and Ben Stiller, SNL and numerous students on Facebook may be finding that out the hard way. 

1. Ben Stiller’s new film ‘Tropic Thunder’ has actor Robert Downey Jr. in blackface.

In the film, Downey is playing a white actor who is asked to play the role of a black actor-kinda confusing.  So far, this is working out in Stiller’s favor.  The movie doesn’t come out until August 15, 2008, and already there’s tons of buzz.  Sure, there are some who are skeptical about the film’s debut, but Stiller insists that Downey’s role was done in good taste. ”If it’s done right, it could be the type of role you called Peter Sellers to do 35 years ago,” Downey said to Entertainment Weekly magazine. “If you don’t do it right, we’re going to hell.”

*Photo of Robert Downey Jr. in ‘Tropic Thunder’

2. SNL cast member Fred Armisen playing Senator Barack Obama in presidential candidate spoofs.

SNL is catching some heat about having Armisen, who is half white and half asian, use blackface to imitate Obama.  It was not the traditional blackface, but he did wear darker makeup, which technically makes it blackface.  Comments on some blogs show extremists are saying this incident just further proves SNL’s “racist ways” but most just found the sketch funny and entertaining. Either way SNL has gotten more attention then usual as a result–exactly what they wanted.   

3. Recent Facebook scandals involving college students and blackface.

It seems that blackface and imitating black people has become a popular thing to do on some college campuses.  What’s even more popular is broadcasting it to the world and posting it all over your Facebook page.  It ranges from parties with “black” themes to students covering their bodies in mud and video taping themselves reenacting the Jena 6 incident.  It seems most were harmless and not intended to offend but unfortunately in most cases it did.  Other students who attend the same schools as those involved in the blackface scandals were hurt and very vocal about being offended.  

In some cases, the photos were taken off of Facebook and public apologies were made, but that didn’t change the fact that people were still hurt and more importantly the involved colleges’ reputations are now at stake.  Some are going so far as to investigate the matters, and many of the Facebook sites have become private or have been completely taken down.  Unfortunately for students and colleges involved, the pictures were already downloaded and can easily be found on Google. 

As PR professionals it’s our job to nurture and maintain relationships among key publics.  So does participating in blackface hurt or help those relationships?  Surprisingly, in recent incidents (aside from those dumb college kids on Facebook) it has proven to help. 

The SNL sketches were widely accepted by people of all races and most just thought it was funny and typical SNL behavior.  The show is centered around impersonations, and cast members often play characters of a different race. 

In the case of Ben Stiller it has so far been a success.  It has helped raise awareness months before the movie trailer has even been released.  In a special screening, Stiller said he was amazed by how receptive people were to the film and that black viewers seemed to enjoy it. 

Overall, when blackface is done tastefully and in a non-racist way there is nothing wrong with it.  Black actors have imitated white people for years in movies like ‘White Chicks’ for example, so why shouldn’t it be acceptable both ways? These recent incidents have shown that the majority of people appreciate that it’s all in good fun and for the sake of entertainment.  If it’s ok for blacks to play whites then it should be ok for whites to play blacks. There shouldn’t be a double standard, but when playing the role of another race people have to be careful not to come off as making fun in a racist or mean-spirited way. 

*Photos provided by CNN.com and thesmokinggun.com

*Video provided by YouTube

Global news has been buzzingabout the UK’s Prince Harry setting a heroic example for all of us when he decided to serve on the front lines in Afghanistan this past December.  Unfortunately, the prince was forced to return home just after 10 weeks of deployment because a media source leaked his where abouts and seriously threatened his safety and the safety of others soldiers in his unit.  Personally, I think that was disgusting on the part of the media source and they should be ashamed for not having any moral fiber, but anyways…

This was a brave and courageous move for Prince Harry and despite what some bloggers are saying, I believe he deserves our praise and gratitude.  Of course, I feel that all men and women who serve their country and fight to protect our freedom deserve the same praise and admiration. 

However, it is refreshing to see a public figure be so brave and selfless.  This was an unintentional PR Do on behalf of Prince Harry and the UK and a possible PR Don’t for the U.S.  It’s interesting that the 3rd heir to the British throne is willing to fight for his country yet we haven’t heard anything about the Bush twins serving in the U.S. military anytime soon. 

What makes the U.S. look even worse is the fact that former presidential candidate Mitt Romney was actually quoted saying that his 5 sons were serving their country by working his campaign. Give me a break, is this guy serious?!

It’s sad that he’s able to be so out of touch with reality and insensitive to what serving your country actually means.  It’s ignorant statements like this that are usually automatically pinned as the stereotypical views of all Americans.  We can start wars but heaven forbid our government leaders send their precious angels overseas to fight in wars, which they’re responsible for starting in the first place.  Politicians are so quick to send our men and women to fight but it’s very rare that you find their own children fulfilling military duty. 

When researching for this topic I came across an interesting blog post that had a picture of the extended Bush family with the caption, “Not ONE member of the Bush extended family has served in Iraq! Not one! Take a look.”  It’s Bush’s “war against terror” and he doesn’t even have a single family member serving, but Prince Harry of Whales is willing to serve on the front lines in Afghanistan. 

We are fortunate to have people in our country who are brave and selfless enough to serve military duty and fight for our freedom, and I feel that they should be praised just as much as Prince Harry, if not more because unlike Harry many of them remain in combat and can’t come home to their loved ones.

I give Prince Harry and the Royal Family a pat on the back for setting a great example and inadvertently giving the UK a major PR gold star, but unfortunately I can’t say the same for U.S. government officials and their families.  However on a more positive note, Presidential candidate John McCain’s youngest son is serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, so I guess it’s not fair for me to say that all government officials don’t have family serving.  Major points for John McCain and his family, especially his son James, McCain, 19. 

Thank God for the brave Americans who have stepped up to the plate and protected us.  I can’t say thank you enough, and God Bless you all. 

Photos provided by Google Images.

Actor Gary Busey,63, made headlines when he inappropriately crashed Ryan Seacrest’s red carpet interview with Jennifer Garner at the 2008 Academy Awards. 

What makes the situation more awkward is the fact that Busey has never met or spoken to Seacrest or Garner before—–ever!  Talk about a PR don’t.  Common sense would indicate it’s inappropriate to kiss a woman on the neck, unless you have a certain type of relationship, but when you’ve never even met there is no explanation for Busey’s blatant violation of Garner’s personal space. 

I feel bad for his publicist or whoever is responsible for cleaning up this mess.  Granted, Busey doesn’t have a squeaky clean rep but this little encounter certainly didn’t help.

They say all publicity is good publicity, but I’m not sure this hit-and-run kiss would qualify under that generality.  Sure, Busey probably wouldn’t have been mentioned during Oscar coverage if he hadn’t done this, but I couldn’t help but wonder—–Wasn’t there a better way to get some attention?

It seems at this point in his career Busey is looking for anything he can get his hands on- literally! It’s just unfortunate that Seacrest and Garner were forced into his world of madness as a result. 

Busey resurfaced on the Hollywood scene during the 2nd season of VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club.  Even there he managed to attract bad attention that only further harmed his reputation, already hanging by a thread. 

At this point I think it’s safe to say Busey is just in it for the comic relief. I don’t think he’s planning on attending the Oscars with a nomination anytime soon.  And after this episode he’d be lucky to even receive an invitation next year.   

For viewers it was a good laugh but not so much for Busey’s PR people. That is if he has any.  There comes a point in one’s career when you have a client that can’t be tamed.  That’s when you politely say your goodbyes and move on, because some celebrities are a lost cause.  Save your own career and reputation, and move on to a client with a little more sense.  

Video provided by YouTube.

Who exactly is to blame for the lack of diversity in 2008’s Fashion Week at New York City’s Bryant Park?  So far, the blame is being placed on:

1. The fashion designer’s casting directors

2. The modeling agencies

3. The fashion designers

Regardless of who’s at fault, all that matters is there is a desperate need for change.  I’m not saying there needs to be affirmative action in the fashion industry, but they have to do a better job of making sure models represent all types of people. 

It seems our country is becoming more and more diverse and in the coming years the population’s “majority” is in danger of becoming the “minority.” If the U.S. is supposed to be the melting pot and the number of minorities in the country is at an all-time high, than I couldn’t help but wonder-In 2008’s Fashion Week where was the diversity?

According to the NY Daily News  a survey showed that out of 1,584 available slots, 94 went to black models.  That’s only 6%.  Asian models accounted for 95 spots or also 6%.  And Latina models filled 17 spots or a measly 1%. 

Unfortunately, in the past couple years Fashion Week just hasn’t been able to catch a break.  Last year there was an uproar over models’ shrinking waist lines. This year it’s the lack of diversity. 

It seems the industry is in serious need of a total image makeover.  They need to start from scratch and redefine what they are portraying as ”beautiful.”  This year’s lack of diversity caught some buzz on the net, and there have been numerous news articles, blog posts and comments about the issue.  Most showed people are not happy about the so called “whiteout.” This means the industry needs to start paying attention and soon, because there is talk of a boycott. 

Web 2.0 is a powerful thing and if enough fuel is fed to this fire it could gain momentum and seriously hurt the U.S. fashion industry. 

The bottom line is that the bar has been raised for next year.  If designers don’t start adding some color, and I don’t mean in their patterns, than the industry is headed for disaster and self-destruction.  People, like Naomi Campbell and Tyson Beckford, are saying loud-and-clear that they want change. They want the unpredictable fun and excitement that once was associated with fashion, and the industry had better deliver. 

Their image and future is at stake if they don’t quickly change their ways and start embracing different types of models and different forms of beauty.  If the call-for-change is ignored this could turn into a real ugly battle that the industry is almost doomed to loose.  People want change.   In order to maintain the prestige and reputation of New York Fashion Week the industry has to stop trying to place the blame and take some responsibility.  They need to break their bad habits and as Nike  would say, “Just do it” before it’s too late. 

Photos provided by Google Images. 

A couple months ago, Oprah Winfrey chose to publicly endorse Senator Barack Obama.  Good or bad move?  She even campaigned with the presidential candidate in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina during December of 2007. 

Now…surprise surprise! Oprah is catching heat from former fans who support Senator Hillary Clinton.  The problem surfaced when Oprah’s message boards were blasted with comments criticizing the day-time TV queen for picking Obama over Clinton. Oh, the power of Web 2.0.

According to The New York Times, an angry commenter said she, “cannot believe that women all over this country are not up in arms over Oprah’s backing of Obama.  For the first time in history we actually have a shot at putting a woman in the White House and Oprah backs the black MAN. She’s choosing her race over her gender.” 

Some pretty strong words, but does this angry fan have a point? Politics is a touchy subject, and someone as influential as Oprah should expect these kinds of repercussions.  Had she not chosen to privately support Obama she could have avoided this little controversy. 

This is the first time Oprah has endorsed a candidate since she began working in television 2 decades ago.  Clearly, Oprah’s decision was not made on whim, and this incident has shown once again the media mogul is certainly not immortal.  According to the Minnesota Post, when asked if she was nervous about the announcement she said, “You damn right I’m nervous.”

What she probably feared most has now become a reality.  It seems that Oprah has alienated herself from her fans who support Senator Clinton and other candidates.  Oprah is known for her likeability and appeal to ALL women.  Was it a good idea to pick a candidate and ignore her past reputation of always remaining neutral?  Some critics say that Oprah may have hurt herself and Obama by publicly endorsing and getting so involved. 

Oprah’s message boards have become a hot spot for Clinton supporters and people who are anti-Obama and are willing to do whatever it takes to defeat him, even if that means stomping on Oprah in the process. 

A bit of advice from a PR perspective, leave the politics to the politicians and stick to talking about “The Secret” and pomegranate martinis because that’s what will keep Oprah out of trouble.  It’s fine to choose a candidate and support him or her, but when you are someone who is so influential and so closely followed by the public it’s not in your best interest to start picking sides during one of the biggest debates in years. 

Photos provided by Google Images.