Is It Our Turn Yet?

Is it our turn to be in control? I’m talking about everything here. The media, politics, sports – you name it and the older generations have seized control for years. But I think times are starting to change for my generation.

All it takes to see a swing in power is a look at things that are applauded today. I read that the creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone have a Broadway show out meant to be a satirical look at Mormonism. 

Oh yeah, and the show is being raved about. You heard me right, a Broadway show from the same duo that brought the world cinema greatness in the form of Baseketball. I mean, I’m all for it. But my mom? She’d never have it.

More proof is just about everything I do on the internet. I play video games, which my parents always frowned on. I laugh at other people’s misfortune on Failblog.com, which my grandparents don’t think is nearly as funny as I do. Rebecca Black wouldn’t have garnered an inch of fame had we not had so much influence in today’s world.

Actually, maybe that would have been better.

Another sign of the times is TV programming. Television is plagued with programs today that showcase promiscuity and drug use like it’s an unedited look into the life of Jim Morrison. To most people I know, it’s not even shocking. But my grandparents would be appalled that things like this can even be shown on television. We’ve come a long way from the variety shows of their era.

So how do we continue this rise to power? I really don’t think there is much we can do. As the older generations lose fire it will eventually fall to us without much work. But, hey -- I’m in no rush to push the older, wiser generations out regardless. 

They control everything for a reason. And do you know why? It’s because they’re smarter than we are. Don’t doubt this. Are you smarter than your parents? If you’re shaking your head yes, you’re delusional or lying.

I’m sure one day when I’m older, my kids will be complaining about the way my generation wants things. But until then, I’ll just sit back and wait for my turn. Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?

Almost.

Charlie Sheeeeeeeeeen

I have to write about the man. Really…I have to. I apologize in advance.

But seriously, the man is (might be?) a genius. His off-the-wall rants and general lack of care about his public persona is getting him ridiculous amounts of coverage in every aspect of the media. I won’t lie; I’ve watched and enjoyed more than one of his movies. The Rookie was great.

I never cared for Two and a Half Men, but I understand it has a huge following. I’m more of a King of Queens kind of guy myself (bring that show back CBS), but I digress.

The reason I threw in “might be a genius” is because I’m not sure where all this attention is going to take him. Is it going to be like when Gary Coleman went batshit crazy on everyone or will it pan out and make him another American Bad Boy? Colin Farrell seems to enjoy that role. As did Johnny Depp until he started making Disney movies.

But Sheen landing a reality show TV offer from my boy Mark Cuban days after all the ensuing madness shows that I think it will be the latter.

America loves controversy. No wait, we strive for controversy. It makes our days better to see a celebrity go nuts. We can say, “Wow, at least I’m not as mental as that Charlie Sheen guy!” And after we’re done knocking him for being insane, we watch an hour long interview on 20/20 with the guy.

Twice.

So yes, I think he’s a public relations genius of sorts. Why are you hiring a social media person again, Sheen? You seem to have this mapped out pretty well in your “10,000 year old brain.”

Have you ever heard that there is no such thing as bad publicity? It’s kind of playing out here. I’d be willing to bet money that he’s going to get some (multiple) deals off this entire situation. And to top it off, maybe he’s right about some stuff.

His kids will think he’s the cool parent. It’s nice to know your mom or dad can’t judge you because they did the same things when they were your age. I guess it helps that he’s rich.

The early numbers say that he’s received over 74,000 applications to be his social media intern. SEVENTY-FOUR THOUSAND. If the caps weren’t enough to show you how many that is – it’s more people than the capital of Nevada.

He’s high on Charlie Sheen, I get it. Maybe his self-produced drug will someday run out, but for now, I have one question: Where can I get some?

When Good PR Stunts Go Bad

Poor THQ. 

THQ is a gaming company which was pushing its new video game, Homefront. Homefront is a first-person shooter that is based around a fictitious war against America. As an off-the-wall PR stunt, THQ released thousands of red balloons into the air. 

The plot to the game is that North Korea invades the United States, and as a symbol of unity, South Korea launched the red balloons to signal to North Korea that it has hope. 

But the stunt went wrong, as the balloons lost steam and started dropping like flies in the San Francisco Bay. Local environmentalists were outraged.

The kicker? The flyer says “Gamestop exclusive!” at the top, so angry environmentalists immediately blamed Gamestop for the incident. It turns out, THQ hadn’t been working with Gamestop on this PR stunt at all, so they knew nothing of it and denied all the responsibility.

While I find it fairly humorous, it proves that companies need a good PR department. Like Bufkins always says, “If the public thinks you have a problem; you have a problem.” In this situation, even though there was no wrong-doing by Gamestop, the public thought it responsible, so the company needed to act. They did, THQ stepped up and now there is less of a problem.

THQ did a good job in this as well. Like I’ve been told countless times, if you’re having an event, have a contingency plan. In this case, THQ thought ahead. The balloons released by THQ were biodegradable as well as the flyers which incriminated Gamestop in the first place.

Twitter and Facebook updates were quick to jump on the hatred bandwagon, which makes me wonder the true effectiveness of the social media giants. Sure, it gets information out with the quickness. But in this case, it got incorrect information out quickly, which is bad for business. It’s borderline libelous. 

But hey, PR stunts don’t always go according to plan, and when they don’t, we PR people get our chance to shine. So I guess it’s a win/win for me!