Media Critique
by Maureen Murphy
Illustration by Ruchika Gandotra
Drugs and Dead People Lead to: Bad Press
This month's column is a potpourri of commentary on advertisements that
are too stupid to merit their own article (except for the one about
NYC's pot-smoking mayor. I wish Mayor Daley lived on the edge).
Damn The Man
On the East Coast, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg declared in a
full-page ad in The New York Times his response to whether he had ever
smoked marijuana: "You bet I did. And I enjoyed it." No, this is not
the work of some PR rep with some twisted agenda, but rather that of a
group campaigning for New York City to end arrests and jailings for
smoking marijuana. According to The Associated Press, "The $500,000
campaign will feature bus shelter signs and telephone booth posters
carrying the quote, the Washington-based National Organization for the
Reform of Marijuana Laws said Monday. It also includes radio spots and
the Times ads ..." The AP reported the remark was "made to a New York
magazine reporter last year before [Bloomberg] was [elected] mayor ..."
Note to those in politics: lots of people smoke pot. A pro-pot
platform, while not necessarily bringing in the Christian Coalition
vote, would appeal to a wide demographic. One could carry the elusive
18-30 vote, sway the '60s flower children-cum-condo owners, and maybe
even receive a nod from the Green Party.
It's Not Just the Toilets that Are Backwards
Many Oscar viewers in New Zealand were offended by a commercial
depicting grave robbers seeking the vintage jeans off the body of
corpses. The images of vandals opening up coffins in the Just Jeans
spot was too close to reality for some. Avanova.com reports, "The
advertisement is eerily similar to the robbery of a crypt in a cemetery
at Karori. Four youths were jailed two weeks ago after pleading guilty
to charges relating to the theft of a baby's skull and interfering with
human remains." Apparently the youths stole the skull because they
thought it would make a cool ashtray. They have since been released.
What the viewers should have been set back by during the Oscars was the
Academy's PR theme: "We don't really ignore the work of minorities."
Maybe it's just that TV viewers down under are unusually sensitive.
Avanova.com also reports, "Television watchdogs in Australia say an
advertisement promoting breast feeding is too offensive for young
children. The 30-second commercial has been given a PG rating and is
banned during peak viewing times because it shows part of a woman's
bare breast." Despite the image being non-sexualized, the ad raised red
flags. Is this a fluke or is this along with Ashcroft's justice lady
and her $8,000 new outfit symptomatic of a society afraid of the female
form? Are art students going to be limited to only drawing the nude
male?
Read THIS
Although the idea of a bookclub may seem innocuous, it has proved just
the opposite for talk show host/media Mogul Oprah Winfrey. Last autumn
dust was kicked in the air when author Jonathan Franzen scoffed at
Oprah's Book Club label being placed on his book The Corrections.
Despite the bestseller status that is virtually guaranteed by the Oprah
stamp, Franzen didn't want to compromise his intellectual integrity.
However, undiscovered author Lastmanout went to extremes to be
recognized by Oprah on national TV. Chicago.about.com reports: "At the
same time Lastmanount was sending multiple copies of his manuscripts to
Oprah, a friend of his was sending a note to Lastmount's mailing list
asking them to write Oprah on his behalf. Oprah got so much mail in
such a short time (over a thousand messages, according to Lastmanount),
her staff no doubt thought they were being spammed." Despite these
efforts his book Soul Cries was not chosen for the book club. So in
response, Lastmanout bought a billboard in Chicago. It read: "Hey,
Oprah ... Ignore THIS!" It may be some consolation to Lastmanout that
Soul Cries will be published by Wind Whisperings Publishing.
Woman's Worth For Sale
Another blow to women's history occurred during a radio interview with
R&B songstress Alicia Keys. Apparently a shampoo commercial was the
source of inspiration for the pop singer's single "A Woman's Worth."
According to Avanova.com, "Alicia told Radio 1: 'I was actually really
relaxed, and I was watching TV. One commercial came on and it said
'because I'm worth it.' I was like 'Oh my gosh, I'm worth it, I'm worth
it.' " Maybe Keys can get motivated by Virginia Slims' "You've Come A
Long Way, Baby" ads. Who says commercials can't serve the community in
a positive manner?
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