I'm sure by now everyone has heard of the controversy surrounding Grey's Anatomy star Isaiah Washington and his comments about costar T.R. Knight. In case you haven't, (because you have better things to do with your time) here's an overview. Supposedly Washington made a derogatory comment about Knight's sexual orientation. Washington reportedly apologized, but then brought the incident up again the Golden Globes. The latest development includes Washington issuing a formal apology for both incidents and seeking help for his problem- which brings us to how PR comes into play in this whole twisted drama. While listening to the radio, I heard some morning DJs discussing their doubt about the sincerity of Washington's apology. They chalked it up to being just a PR stunt to keep his job and protect Grey's reputation.
Well, celebrity PR exists, in part, to help celebrities recover from public embarrassment. Think back to Michael Richards and his Laugh Factory fiasco. After his horrendously long apology on Letterman- which desperately needed scripting by a PR professional, so that at the very least it would have made sense- he eventually enlisted the help of New York based Rubenstein Associates Inc.
PR is not there just to make nice for the mistakes and bad judgement calls Washington and Richards both made. Its role includes helping these celebrities get their message across. They can't sit down field calls from a hundred journalists, nor do they know who to inform about the steps they're taking to make things right. PR levels the playing field; it gives celebrities a chance to say their piece in a world where gossip and rumors oftentimes are more sought-after than the actual truth.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment