Gawker
tragedy
Posts Tagged “
Tragedy
”
tragedy
The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis
Former 'WSJ' Editor Notes Rupert's 'Dark Side'
Former Wall Street Journal managing editor Paul Steiger was tapped to write News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch's profile in Time's "100 Most Influential People" feature. So what does Steiger, who retired from the Journal last year after handing it over to Murdoch—who is evil—think of the media baron? More »
advertising
Economy's Innocent Victims: Weird Ads
Sure, the current dicey economic climate has reduced America to nation of terrified food hoarders. But more importantly, it has cost us some of our annoying and unnecessarily strange advertising icons: Applebee's Wanda Sykes-voiced talking apple, and a bunch of guys running around in bizarre red pigtail wigs on behalf of Wendy's. Take a moment to mourn them. "Both campaigns were meant to attract younger diners," the Times reports. But they failed, because kids aren't doing as many drugs these days, I guess. The companies' new advertising strategy? "Hey, look at our food." More »
obey
Shepard Fairey, Blind?
Shepard Fairey, a.k.a. OBEY, the artist and graphic designer who plastered the world with "Andre The Giant Has A Posse" posters and is perhaps the biggest thing ever to happen to wheatpaste, is reportedly going blind. Fast. One source says he could lose his vision by the end of the year. Bucky Turco at Animal NY has the scoop. Sad news.
Man Dies In Shea Stadium Fall
"A Mets fan leaving the game lost his balance while descending an escalator at Shea Stadium and plummeted two stories to his death - as his two young daughters watched in horror, authorities said." [Post]
grammys
Grammy Awards Produced By Kanye's Late Mother
Kanye West is a man who has nobly borne cruel indignities with quiet grace. Like when he stormed the stage of the MTV Europe awards and threw a tantrum because his video that had him "jumping across canyons" wasn't recognized as a masterpiece. That show, of course, lost "credibility" by stiffing him. The Grammys weren't about to take that risk. They gave Kanye an appropriately respectful number of awards, but made the mistake of trying to cut one of his acceptance speeches short with background music. Don't the producers know that his mother just died? That means he will talk as long as he wants, damn the world. Is it just us or... tacky much? The "MAMA" haircut and Mama tribute song probably would have sufficed. Watch his humble appeal to good taste and decide for yourself.
capitalizing on tragedy
Not Another Missing Blonde Baby Movie
The parents of missing British toddler Madeleine McCann reportedly met in December with IMG Media to discuss making a film about their daughter's May disappearance. Um, okay, did something suspicious happen to their famous team of image-conscious publicists too? [Times UK] More »
capitalizing on tragedy
Missing Babies Are Cash Cows For Newspapers
A silver lining in the disappearance six months ago of 3-year-old Madeline McCann while on vacation with her family in Portugal? Sales for tabloids covering the case are up, says the New York Times! The struggling public relations industry has gotten a boost! Well it's about time someone came up with a viable solution for saving the communications industry. You can bet the U.S. tabloid editors are reading this and wondering which toddler to nab first.
European Tabloids Still Agog Months After Child Vanishes [NYT]
capitalizing on tragedy?
Plume Gets Virginia Tech Account [PW]
Virginia Tech Book Deal "Too Early, Smells Bad"
That's one blogger's assessment of the deal that a Virginia Tech journalism professor just made with Plume, which Publishers Weekly describes thusly:[Roland] Lazenby, a journalism professor at Virginia Tech, will use the perspective of students on campus, in particular his own journalism students who helped supply the mainstream media with information via their student-run Web site planetblacksburg.com, to provide context for the events and describe the recovery and resilience of the campus community.Also, "a portion of the proceeds will be given to the victims' fund at Virginia Tech and to support journalism education at the university." It's hard to put our finger on what exactly about this deal is making us agree with the smells-bad assessment. After all, it's not like this story doesn't deserve to be told! Maybe it's the part about "describ[ing] the recovery and resilience of the campus community." Rule: If the recovery the book will describe hasn't even begun to happen yet, maybe the book deal shouldn't either. You think?
Plume Gets Virginia Tech Account [PW]
elizabeth spiers
