Celebs Try to Refurbish Their Reps

Celebs try to refurbish their reps

Donna Freydkin

According to Donna Freydkin, "For Celebrities, image isn't everything. It's the only thing (Freydkin, 2004, p. 1)." The author of this article takes a look at certain celebrities who have been through rough times of late. She suggests ways in which these celebrities can repair their image. The celebrities mentioned were Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Ben Affleck, and Jennifer Lopez. Janet Jackson disappeared from the public eye after her breast flashing incident during the Super Bowl halftime show but she did make an appearance on the David Letterman show. At late night show Janet Jackson said that it was not planned and the incident was simply a wardrobe malfunction. Publicist Maureen wishes she would make light of the situation instead of just saying the same line over and over about the incident. She suggests that if she makes an attempt to laugh about it then the public could see that she wants to move on with her career. Then she talks about Michael Jackson, who was previously mentioned in my last article review. She believes that Michael Jackson played the political card when he met with Congress and received praise for helping in the fight against AIDS in Africa. Everyone knows about the nasty breakup between Affleck and Lopez, but how did it affect their career? Well it did not help when they released a movie together, (Gigli) which was a huge flop and was attacked constantly by the media. Since then both of them have been attempting to refurbish their images. The author believes out of the two Ben Affleck has done the better job, going back to his "down home, denim-wearing guy next door" look that made him first appeal to the public. Plus, he is willing to laugh and joke about his busted relationship. On the other side Lopez is trying to downplay her diva status and make as many appearances as possible. Maureen Orth believes that Jennifer Lopez, "should pull a Madonna and have a family to soften her image and be more normal (Freydkin & Orth, 2004, p. 2)."

This article discusses many aspects discussed in the chapter including repair of a bad image, damage control, and certain examples of conducting a personality campaign. In reference to Michael Jackson, it seems that repairing his image consists of giving money to charities, which publicists agree this tactic works. As Howard Rubenstein says, "Help rescue some kid that is in a dire situation, or do something nice for a family. But don't publicize it at first, just do it, and let the publicity follow (Freydkin & Rubenstein, 2004, p. 2)." Ben Affleck, instead of Jennifer Lopez, seemed to heed the advice of Maureen Orth, and started his own family by marring Jennifer Garner. Jennifer Lopez is the perfect celebrity to conduct a personality campaign with. It seems that every week she is having her publicist conduct the five steps to conducting a campaign. She always has a media release, public appearance, or photographs in numerous media publications. Not to mention making trips down the read carpet of every award show, J. Lo (Nickname) is always present in the media eye.

Moss rivals vie for catwalk crown

Murdo Macleod

"Kate Moss should no get out of bed at all for at least six months. (Macleod, 2005, p. 1)." PR experts all agree that if Kate Moss keeps her nose clean, "literally and metaphorically," then maybe she can repair a heavily tarnished image. Since the release of the pictures Moss has been dumped from several of contracts, including H&M, Chanel, and Burberry. She is still under contract with Rimmel and Christian Dior but both companies are currently reviewing her contract meaning that those to could be stripped before the beginning of the 2006. Plus, the police are investigating the incident, which could lead to her being in charged and social service taking custody of her child. Public relation practitioners all agree that Kate Moss's reputation can be saved including Max Clifford who said, "Moss could be rehabilitated in public life in as little as six months by lying low, undergoing professional therapy, going on television to say she had put her habit behind her and helping anti-drug charities (Macleod & Clifford, 2004, p. 2)." If this can not be done successfully her career could be over because there are plenty of young models waiting for the chance to take her job on the modeling runway.

This is a perfect example of the chapter's description of damage control. The publicist for Kate Moss has a long road in an effort to repair the image of the once popular model. This can be performed through a precise personality campaign, consisting of news releases, and public appearances. The news releases should be positive, making it appear that she is working to over-come her drug habit. Also, it would not hurt to distribute pictures that show her helping in anti-drug charities. The public appearances should be positive depicting that her life is headed in the right direction. Of course, all this depends on her willingness to perform the necessary steps to shake this set back. Other celebrities brought back from drug related damage control include Nicole Richie, Charlie Sheen, and Matthew Perry.

The Price of Publicity

Daniel Grant

In this article Daniel Grant discusses the job of a publicist in promoting an artist. According to Grant, "the tasks of promotion are extensive: framing and photographing the artwork; developing and maintaining a Web site; publishing and distributing materials such as brochures, postcards, and prints; and researching and following up on contacts (Grant, 2003, p.1)." Plus, the article looks at how Brooklyn painter Robert Zakanitch hired publicist Pat Hamilton to promote his work. The first job for Hamilton was to produce a brochure containing work produced by Zakanitch and distribute the brochure to 200 museum directors. The result was a series of exhibitions in five museums throughout the year. This move by Hamilton helped Zakanitch's career by getting his art exposure and publicity. "A publicist's job is not only to tout some person or object but also to position the client in the market, establishing that individual's or thing's uniqueness (Grant, 2003, p. 1)." The key