Stephanie’s Blog

Something to think about…can reality TV shows really be real reality (if that makes any sense at all)?  Seriously, if a camera crew was constantly following you around would you act like yourself? 

I know what you’re going to say.  This theory of non-reality reality shows has been around for years.  We know a majority of what goes on isn’t real.  Reality “stars” have come out in the past and said that producers told them to do such and such or they were set up to make the show more dramatic.

My point is…we know it’s not real.  Many reality shows are completely ridiculous and yet we still watch them.  Why?  I thought at first that it was just a trend, but it has only become worse!  They will make a reality TV show about anything. 

Example 1: Pageant Place-a show about beauty queens living together.  Seriously?

Example 2: Shot at Love with Tila Tequila-a contest show where Tila (an internet personality, MTV’s description-not mine) has a group of guys and girls compete for her affection.  She’s not sure yet if she wants a relationship with a man or a woman.  Would you really go on national television to figure that sort of thing out? 

Oh wait, I forgot-it’s not real.

Reality TV has launched careers for people who really did nothing besides act like a fool on television perhaps.

I will admit that MTV’s The Hills is my guilty pleasure so I guess that makes me part of the problem.  My point of this post is that the reality TV thing is getting way out of control.  When will the majority of TV shows be written again?  I’ll be here waiting…

I believe it was the great Lucy Van Pelt who once said that “Christmas is [just] a big commercial racket.”  We all found out that there is more to Christmas than just marketing and spending money (thanks to Linus). 

But every year I start to wonder more and more…is commercialization taking over Christmas?

Example:  I went to the mall this weekend (in late October) and when I stepped into Macy’s I couldn’t tell if Halloween was right around the corner or Christmas.  It was almost eerie.  Holiday garland and decorations were everywhere-and not just in Macy’s.  I was waiting for an elf to jump out at me or something. 

It seems like my mother has said each year since I can remember, “They start earlier and earlier every year.”  Well it is now officially out of control!  If they aren’t careful, there could be a consumer backlash.

I don’t like to walk into a department store on October 26 and feel like Santa Clause is going to force me to sit on his lap.  It’s weird and throws me off.  It also turns me off.  Not to mention, it’s ruining Christmas.  It takes away from the novelty and magic that after Thanksgiving until New Year’s Day brings.  Starting to throw Christmas in consumer’s faces in October (or sometimes even earlier) make Christmas less special.  Christmas comes only once a year, but at this rate Christmas will be going strong for half the year long. 

Perhaps I have been ranting and raving, but I’m just going to ask…is it so hard to wait until at least mid November (maybe even closer to Thanksgiving) to start rolling out the holly?  Seriously, marketers are going to turn people against Christmas if they aren’t careful.  That would be tragic because, after all, it is the most wonderful time of the year.

I’m not going to lie, I’m really looking forward to the Patriots going into the RCA Dome in Indianapolis to take on the Colts in a couple of weeks.  The teams share similarities.  They both have won championships in recent years.  They both are undefeated (and will remain that way presumably-until they play each other) and they both have high-profile quarterbacks.  It should be an exciting and entertaining game.

I was reading an interesting article in Tuesday Morning Quarterback by Gregg Easterbrook on ESPN.com.  He asserted that the Colts playing the Patriots was a battle of “good vs. evil.”  There was even an image on ESPN.com’s homepage of Colts coach, Tony Dungy, and Patriots coach, Bill Belichick in a face-off.  An angelic glow was cast from Dungy’s face while Belichick sported devil horns with flames of fire surrounding him.  The caption read, “On Nov. 4 in the NFL, a moral clash will grip the nation.”

Whoa!  I agreed with most of what Easterbrook had to say (basically why the Colts are good and why the Patriots are…not nice-evil is such a strong word).  Of course, I’ll admit that I’m completely biased when it comes to this topic.  I love the Colts, Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy-especially Peyton Manning.  They have a great attitude, are humble, and seem like genuinely good people.  The NFL needs more Mannings and Dungys. 

The Patriots on the other hand.  I’ve never been too fond of them.  I’m definitely not a fan of Tom “I look like I just came from a GQ photo shoot during my press conferences” Brady.  I’ve never liked the Patriots.  Maybe it’s because they’re so good and I get tired of so-called “dynasties”-unless it’s one of my teams.

I’ll stop rambling now about who or what I like or don’t like.  An interesting point to consider about all of this is the PR involved.  Just think about it…if you work for the New England Patriots, do you really want to see the head coach on ESPN.com with devil horns?  Probably not.  unless you want to go with that image, which maybe they do.  The whole scrappy, we have something to prove with a chip on our shoulder attitude.  Hey, it could work for them.

Easterbrook asks, “Given the image New England is projecting, would you want Patriots’ players endorsing your product?”  I probably wouldn’t, unless it was a local advertisement in say, oh I dunno, New England.  I would bet that it would probably still go over well there.

Nationally speaking, the Patriots are seen as a team that needs an attitude adjustment coached by a cheater with a pretty-boy quarterback (not that he isn’t a great athlete who doesn’t win games).  Along with that assessment, they are also said to be “hot”.  Everyday I hear some expert saying the Patriots or Brady is “hot”.  Yes they are undefeated and Brady is throwing an insane amount of touchdowns (some coming from running up the score), but maybe we should get a new word.  Or maybe hot is fitting after all.  People either think the team is “hot” and on fire because of wins and athleticism or “hot” and on fire as in devil horns.  Either way, the season will definitely heat up on Nov. 4 (pardon the cheesy pun).

So I went home over the weekend and decided to show my mom all of the stuff I’ve been doing in my Style in Design for PR class.  I thought she would think everything was neat and also to prove that her daughter does, in fact, do work at college (she already knows this, but sometimes I like to reiterate). 

I showed her some of my interviews on Loveliestvillage.org and some blog posts on this blog.  She thought the loveliest village site was awesome.  When I showed her my blog…the first thing she had to say was—”Stephanie’s Blog, is that the best you could come up with?” 

After I recovered from the initial shock that criticism was the first thing my mother had to say about my blog (yes, that’s right-”Stephanie’s Blog”) I thought about it a bit.  Maybe I should have a different title.

The truth is I didn’t even think about my title when first starting my blog.  I was too busy trying to figure everything out-the title didn’t seem that important.  But apparently it is because to the average person (a non-blogger, if you will) the “original” title was the first comment she had about the entire blog.  Don’t get me wrong, she did have good things to say about it and was very impressed with everything I’ve been doing in Style and Design.  But I guess I do need a new title and tag line.

I started to think…a name or title could make or break you.  What if “Nike”, which means goddess of victory in greek mythology, was called “Phil’s shoes” instead?  It may not have caught on as well. 

Or what about “The Northface” named after the north face of a mountain (basically the coldest place ever!).  What if it was called “Climbing Gear by Joe”?  It may have caught on, but probably not.

Another good one is “Under Armour”.  You know-”click clack”.  Would the Auburn football team really be sporting their logo if it was called something like “Sporting Undergarments”?  Again, probably not. 

In conclusion, I guess I need a new title for my blog (according to my mother).  Titles are more important than we-or maybe just me-may think.

Remember when athletes used to be role models?  Maybe that was so long ago you’re unable to think that far back. Let me remind you.  They were admired for their talent and respected by all who watched them play.  They may not have been perfect (in fact, they were only human), but to fans they were gods. 

I have many wonderful sports memories.  Whether it was unforgettable college football games (one being Auburn’s victory over UF in the swamp just a couple weeks ago) or watching football on Sundays after church with my family.  I remember pretending to be a gymnast as a little girl watching the Barcelona Summer Olympics and the thrill I would get stepping onto a tennis court before a match in high school.  I love sports and it is a big part of my life-I am a southern girl after all. 

I’m grateful for all the memories sports has given me (more are to come-I’m sure), but there are some moments I will never forget that I wish I could.

Watching the police and media follow OJ Simpson when he was accused of murdering his wife.  The homerun race between Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa-just to find out they were accused of using steroids.  Barry Bonds breaking Hank Aaron’s record, but did I mention the asterisk?  I watched Michael Vick, who was once Atlanta’s hero, run around the competition in the Georgia Dome and now…well…let’s not even talk about it.  All of these events put a cloud over sports-and are all PR nightmares!

My heart sank a few days ago when I saw Marion Jones crying while admitting that she did use steroids during the 2000 Olympics.  It actually hurt for a second.  I loved Marion Jones.  She was one of the most celebrated female athletes this country had seen.  I remember watching her smile and wow the spectators the summer of 2000.  But now…it’s just another shattered memory…a shattered hero.

I woke up last Wednesday morning after hitting the snooze button multiples times.  I did my usual “try to stay awake” routine by opening the blinds and turning on the television.  I usually turn to a morning news program or ESPN, but last Wednesday I was especially tired.  I decided to go to plan B…music.  I like all genres of music, but I was feeling like country (rap and rock don’t always go over so well for me early in the morning.) 

I flipped to the country music channel and saw that Carrie Underwood’s new single “So Small” was playing.  I was excited because I love the song and had never seen the video.  I didn’t have time to watch the video because I was too busy with more important things (my hair, my outfit, what to wear-the daily dilemmas of life). I was in the other room putting on my makeup when I heard the song fading out.  I was waiting for the next song to come on when I heard the the beginning chords of Carrie Underwood’s new single.  Wait a second…I was confused.  I thought there was either a programming error or I was delirious from the combination of a late night and an early morning. 

It turned out that the repeated song was neither a programming error nor a result of my delirium.  The video repeatedly aired from 6 AM until 12 noon.  Carrie Underwood’s official site says that it was “the first stunt of its kind for CMT, with the video running an estimated 66 times within the six-hour span.”

One word…excessive!

I get the point, I really do.  Every person that turns on or even flips past CMT in those six hours will see Carrie Underwood.  If you look at things that way, it’s a really smart idea.  People may think the song is a “big deal” because the repeat button at CMT is stuck in the on position.  A stunt like that gets people’s attention.  I know it got mine and made me question my sanity all at once.

I also think that the whole thing could be a turn off to some.  Perhaps running the song into the dirt could make people sick of the song-maybe even sick of the artist.  If the song is good by itself (sans publicity stunts) does it need to be played 66 times in a row to get the public’s attention.

The first time I heard the song over the summer I loved it!  I still like the song and Carrie Underwood, but the replaying of any song over and over (and over and over some more) could make a person want to turn it off and never hear it again.  I turned the channel after I heard the song a second time in case you were wondering.  I didn’t want to ruin a song I loved forever. 

The stunt was an interesting and unexpected tactic.  I wasn’t a fan from a viewer’s point, but I guess I wouldn’t be writing about Carrie Underwood’s latest single unless it had happened.

I (along with others) have been asking that question a lot recently. My obvious answer is, well…because I have to. Blogging is part of my grade for Style and Design in PR. Though I was against the whole idea at first, I must admit that it is more “fun” these days. As “fun” as an assignment can be, anyway.

My first experience with blogging came in high school. My next door neighbor, Donald, was pretty much obsessed with blogging,

computers and anything in between that had to do with technology. I thought he was crazy (and I

mean that in the most loving way possible)! He would always tell me (and still does-when I see

him on occasion) about the latest and greatest phenomenon happening with computers, software and

the web. I would either pretend I knew what he was talking about or give my mom a what is he

talking about? look. She usually shrugged and laughed at my facial expression.

But now I’m starting to understand where he was coming from all of those years-not on the same level of obsession of course (and I mean that in the most loving way possible)!
Blogging has encouraged me to read other blogs and find out more about the PR industry. I think

it’s also a great networking tool. I also get excited/nervous when I see that someone has

commented on my blog. No negative comments yet (knock on wood).

That is one part of the whole blogging phenomenon that scares me. Once something is on the internet that you have published…everyone can see it! Yikes! Sometimes I want to write about a topic, but I wonder if I should steer clear of controversial subjects. I don’t want to upset anyone, but I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Maybe once I am more comfortable with blogging I’ll be more daring with my topic choice.

I’m a rookie in the world of blogs and technology in general, but I’m learning more each day.

I’ve often considered crisis management for a career after graduation. It seems exciting, challenging and like a job that would really be making a difference (in certain situations). I was reading commentary by Fraser Seitel on odwyerpr.com about the subject matter.

“Today, crisis managers are obligated to respond to brewing trouble much more speedily than in the past, even before all the facts are in,” Seitel says. And he’s right! Quick responses can lead to future apologies for not verifying all the facts before speaking publicly. It can make for some embarrassing moments for a person or organization.

On the other hand, if no comment is made-the public likes to assume guilt. Maybe people like to assume the worst in others (especially the rich and famous). It’s that “he’s not so perfect after all” attitude that the public more often than not like to take.

I was just flipping through the channels on TV and saw that New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has been fined $500,000 by the NFL for taping the New York Jets’ defensive signals. The Patriots were also fined $250,000 and lost a draft pick. Belichick has already apologized for the “mistake.”

Penalties and embarrassment aside, important questions will arise from this incident. Have the Patriots’reputation been tarnished forever? What about all of those Superbowls they won? Will they be seen as legitimate wins by public opinion- or just a result of cheating? The Patriots’ crisis management team has their work cut out for them. I guess the so-called dynasty that is (or was) New England isn’t so perfect after all.

Each day that I log onto Facebook (I’ll admit it), it becomes scarier and scarier! It seems like there is a new application to add everyday. People’s profiles are now littered with drawings, drinks (courtesy of the “Happy hour” application of course), and the “advanced wall”!

Maybe I’m just old school, but I like to reminisce about the simpler times of facebook. It first became popular on campuses around the country when I was a freshman in college. Back then, only college students were on facebook and the craziest thing you could do was poke someone (which seemed pretty crazy at the time). When they let just anybody have an account-I was shocked and felt slightly betrayed.

But it didn’t stop there! Newsfeed came along, as if facebook weren’t stalkerish enough. When the site’s creator has to make an apology…you know something has gone terribly wrong.

Being a senior in PR, I’m learning about social media and all the benefits it has to offer. Facebook is a widely popular form of social media, but it scares me now more than ever. Irene Chang wrote about how external search engines can now list Facebook names and thumbnail pictures-and Facebook is letting them do this! I didn’t even realize this until I read her blog on The Cycle at PR Week (and I go to Facebook everyday). Apparently there is a way to opt out of the service they are providing.

Thinking back on it, I did see something about it on my homepage, but barely looked at it because newsfeed freaks me out (or maybe I’ve been living under a rock). The point is, facebook has gone too far and people (especially of the college age) are very liberal with what they will put on their profile. Prospective employers will see embarassing pictures and profane quotes. Heck, I don’t even like to look at the profile of a guy I went on a date with for the fear of something stupid or revolting on his profile.

This just proves that social media can be viewed as innovative or dangerous. Perhaps even both at the same time.

Geek Squad CEO, Robert Stephens, made some interesting points about the evolution of his company in a speech given in London. I found him to be smart and funny at the same time.

Stevens took a different approach to marketing his company-mainly because he had no money to hire a real firm to do the work for him. “When you have no money, everything you do is advertising,” said Stevens. He spoke of the importance of word of mouth by customers. Customers want their service to be “authentic” and “fast.”

I agree with Stevens because customers want to be able to trust who they hire. If a company does a great job for you-you’re more than likely to recommend them to a friend or co-worker.

Stevens rejected the traditional approach to advertising because of certain circumstances, but his way obviously worked. I think there are more ways to advertise than just the traditional method (though it often works as well). I think the main factor is creativity, which Stevens also mentions in his speech. There is more than one way to advertise a company and Geek Squad serves as evidence.