WWE Takes Big Step in Evolution
You would be hard pressed to find another more testosterone-drenched entertainment niche than pro wrestling. Buff superheroes have been bashing, slamming and vanquishing evil “heels” for generations as fans ate up the show, with its mix of acrobatic spectacle, soap opera theatrics, and carefully-scripted good versus evil morality tale. For most of those storied decades, the women of pro wrestling were sideshows: props reduced to peripheral antagonists or eye candy. Even in-ring performers were used more for the spectacle than the athletic prowess. It was not said, but it seemed self-evident, that the industry did not feel women brought the same booking power as the men. That may still be true, but it’s much less true than it once was,…
Read More“Papa” John Schnatter Delivers Defiant Message
John Schnatter is firing back at the company he founded, which has taken steps to distance their brand from the guy who, not that long ago, was the, face of the operation. “Papa John” was on everything, from the branding to the TV commercials to the radio spots. All that was true for years, until a few weeks ago, when reports surfaced that Schnatter made some remarks on a conference call that some considered racist. Once those allegations surfaced, Schnatter was quickly wiped away from the company’s branding. Schnatter maintains both that what he said, in context, was not inappropriate, and he says the company would be better off keeping him as the center of its brand.
Read MoreSimpsons Creators Respond to Criticism
The Simpsons is one of the longest running and most popular animated programs on television. The show has also spawned countless pop culture icons and references, even adding to our language in certain circumstances. The program has also built its reputation for smartly-crafted satire that, at times, cuts very close to the bone. When engaging in that level of satire, offending people can be par for the course. But there is one aspect of that offense that keeps coming back around and doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon. That topic is Apu, the Kwik-E-Mart clerk that, some say, promotes negative stereotypes and is harmful to certain segments of the population. Some are even calling the Apu character…
Read MoreUrban Meyer on Hot Seat at OSU
The skinny on iconic college football coach Urban Meyer is that he is so driven to win his heart nearly gave out on him. A hero coach at the University of Florida, Meyer left the game “for his health” only to return a few years later, to helm the powerhouse Ohio State program. Meyer was back, prowling the sideline, focused and intense. But the rumors that plagued him at UF were still stuck to him at OSU. Meyer would do anything to win, up to and including “tolerating misconduct” from players and coaches as long as it meant winning the SEC and competing for national titles. Years ago, it was so cliché as to almost be assumed that many top-tier…
Read MoreBarr Trying to Battle Back After Firing
After several weeks of defiance, Roseanne Barr appeared poised and contrite in her first major network TV interview since being fired from her eponymous sitcom due to some tweets about former Obama advisor, Valerie Jarrett. It’s a new look for a comedian who has built her career stepping across the line with sharp satire and humor directed at social norms and political trends. Barr has always been edgy, even when her popular sitcom was not, yet, when Twitter users reacted with outrage over tweets deemed to be racist, Barr was quickly ousted by ABC.
Read MoreLovato Uses Personal Struggles to Inspire Fans
It only took moments after the news broke saying Demi Lovato was being hospitalized for a drug overdose for critics to jump on social media and condemn the singer. At the same time, well-wishers flooded the ‘net trying to drown out the trolls with their support of a young woman in crisis. A few days after the hospitalization was revealed, it was announced that Lovato would be entering a rehab program to help get her off the drugs that nearly took her life. This will be the second time, this decade, Lovato went through a professional substance abuse program.
Read MoreZuckerberg Missteps in Vow to Clean up Social Media
Social media giant Facebook is continuing in its very public bid to restore consumer and user confidence after having to admit statistically staggering numbers of “fake” accounts and posts, as well as companies that thrived on collecting supposedly private information. In its most recent announcement, Facebook says it will be cracking down on “misleading and inflammatory” posts or content that “may trigger attacks…” However, when pressed for specifics, CEO Mark Zuckerberg landed on an example he immediately wished to take back: Holocaust denial.
Read MoreNFL Freezes New Anthem Policy Weeks Before Preseason Begins
In what some are calling yet another misstep in its handling of the ongoing anthem kneeling debate, the NFL has worked with the Player’s Union to temporarily put a freeze on the previously agreed-upon policy to fine teams whose players kneel. After a season in which protesting players angered fans, who then “boycotted” the NFL, leading to disappointing TV ratings, lower game attendance, and the potential for lost income for the league, the NFL worked in the off-season to come up with what it saw as an equitable solution. When it was announced, most people involved were underwhelmed.
Read MoreParamount TV President Fired Over Racial Remarks
While it’s true that socio-cultural norms change with time and environment, there are always going to be some things one cannot say, in any context, in a business setting. Or, rather, you can say them, but it will lead to consequences. These consequences could be a loss of respect, a loss of opportunity to advance, the loss of a job, or, in affect, career suicide. In recent years, in-context comments or ‘jokes’ that would have been given a pass – if not a laugh – not that long ago, have led to major consequences for even some of the most powerful people in their professions. From Roseanne Barr to “Papa” John Schnatter, it’s become pretty clear that racial commentary is…
Read MoreIHOP Burger Gimmick Fails to Entice
Rebranding is serious business, even if the campaign you use to communicate the plan is delivered with tongue firmly planted in cheek. There are a lot of variables and multiple interlocking considerations. How will we communicate our reasons? How will longtime customers react? How will the target customers we want to attract react to the campaign? How will our staff and management communicate this change to their team? Will we have a single, cohesive vision and message, or will people adlib and create brand confusion? Will people love it or hate it? So many questions…
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