Best Angle on Media Spitzerfest
March 12, 2008 by Eric Eggertson
Filed under Marketing
Jon Stewart and his Daily Show writers nailed the highlight of the media’s intense feeding frenzy on the implosion of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer’s political career.
The Daily Show’s newsreel March 11 showed clips of several veteran journalists expressing naive confusion over how someone might run up a tab and pay one’s bill with a call-girl company.
Yeah, right. None of them have ever slept with a prostitute, talked to someone who slept with a prostitute, read a magazine article about Heidi Fleiss, or filmed/watched an expose of escort services.
This is the same crew that pretends not to know how to download music, feigns ignorance of “this thing called binge drinking,” and speaks obliquely about the effects of marijuana and cocaine, because, well, no journalist has ever done drugs.
Just once, I’d like to see someone who freely admits to having repeated sexual encounters with expensive prostitutes. Some maverick who isn’t afraid of ruining their career.
Oh, wait. We already heard from Client Number Nine.
Photo by StrayCat.
So true Eric. The Daily Show absolutely nailed it -really better than anyone I’ve seen in the PR pundit-sphere.
The best part (and not a YouTube video to be had!) was the Samantha Bee “admission” press conference with Jason Jones standing by her in drag as the victimized husband. He had the deer-in-the-headlights look and kept putting a consoling hand on her shoulder at inappropriate times during the statement. It was so perfect.
I am still wondering when we’re going to get one of these where the wife DOESN’T show up. How are these things good PR for them? Or better yet, when will we see a press conference on one of these things from the wife. “I’ve separated from my jerk husband and filed for divorce!” I know my wife would do that! ;-)
So true Dan. My wife would totally split and rightfully so. His poor daughters. What a putz!
I’m sure dragging the wife onstage is right near the top of the generic crisis communications checklist these politicians use.
I have to admit, the optics of having the supportive spouse there goes a long way to making the evil-doer look not so nasty. Just too bad the actual spouse has to do it, instead of an actor who can play the part.