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Saturday, March 29, 2014

Twitter, mwitter!

Let's get this straight: Politics aside, I love Turkey. But when I see a juicy media story, I have to pounce.

I’ve been peddling media, media campaigns and the like for nearly thirty years – geez, if I wasn’t having so much fun I would say I’m getting pretty old. Let me tell you this, it would be tough to recall a worse week in the media than Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had.

I can see him coming home the other day to an inquisitive wife, “So how was your day honey?”

Erdoğan’s reply may have gone something like this: “I really don’t f*****g like social media.”

Her reply also might have been, “You’re the boss. Do something about it.”

And just like that, using the some of the same terrible advice President Clinton used when he went on national television and proclaimed he “didn’t have sexual relations with that woman”, the Turkish iron fist came down and blocked Twitter and banned YouTube.

Who could have guessed(*) that the top worldwide trending Twitter hashtag Thursday would have been something like this: #DictatorErdoğan.
(*) SIDE NOTE: By the way, I would have guessed this would happen. I remember my first trip to Syria in 2009. There I was at a Syrian Tourism Department a press conference. [Yes Syria had a tourism department long ago. I was one of their public relations stars and was able to get their USA-imposed travel warning lifted eighteen months prior to the start of their civil war. (Yeah, yeah, I know!…they should have listened a little bit more.) Anyway, at this presser, my friend and colleague, Ally Miola (editor of Business Traveler magazine) implored the Syrian Minister of Tourism, Dr. Saadallah Agha Alqalah, to lift their Facebook ban because Syria was “better than that.” Of course that immediately prompted him to end everything right then and there. Months later Facebook was lifted. I mean, even Syria knew than banning social media was badness. Bottom line, have media savvy advisers around you and good things happen. Have ignorant media advisers around you and bad things happen…it’s that simple.
Yet I digress.

Guy Fawkes masks used to have a higher Q rating that many PMs.
So I’m guessing now that Erdoğan’s week didn't go quite the way he envisioned it. Why? Because before Thursday, most people on our little blue planet barely knew his name. As a matter fact, I would wager that those little funny masks every would-be rebel is wearing had a better Q-rating that Erdoğan. Instead #DictatorErdoğan sent millions of non-Turks scrambling to Wikipedia to figure out which new bad guy on the block was trying to force his way into the infamously elite club of Social Media Blockers started by the collective of Iran, Egypt and North Korea.

But let us not be too harsh on Erdoğan's (wink). How about we visit his top arguments against social media:
  • “Twitter, Facebook and YouTube have to respect the Turkish Republic's laws...Turkey is not a banana republic.”
  • “We won’t allow the people to be devoured by YouTube, Facebook or others."
  • "We will not leave this nation at the mercy of YouTube and Facebook"
  • “I cannot understand how sensible people still defend Facebook, YouTube and Twitter...they run all kinds of lies.”
  • "If Twitter, Youtube and Facebook will be honest; if they'll stop being so immoral, stop attacking families, we'll support them."
  • “We now have a court order... We’ll eradicate Twitter. I don’t care what the international community says. Everyone will witness the power of the Turkish Republic.”
…and my personal favorite…

“Twitter, mwitter!”

That being said, I’m still buying a flat in Bodrum, Turkey as soon as humanly possible. Sorry, you won’t be seeing my Instagram posts, most likely. 

FINAL NOTE: Dear Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, if you want some of my seasoned media strategies, just reach out. I am happy to help.

Glorious Bodrum, Turkey

UPDATE (5/21/14): Apparently, this ousted PayPal exec didn't read this column. Ugh...think twice before hitting the send button!

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Backstage at the Oscars: 2014

Awards Season is over and yet my dreams have only been elevated. My drive accelerated. A few minutes after the Academy Award telecast had ended, I whipped off an email to my agent begging him:

The Media Guy at the Oscars.
"I know I bore you with this...but I have to win an Oscar...Once you told me that the best clients you have are the ones that want to make the money and win awards. No drama. Nothing else. PLEASE. Make it happen from the business side. Draw me a map and I'll follow it."

His reply?: "I will."

Here's to dreaming.

My annual Media Guy column on the Oscars has become a tradition and easily the one that gets the most requests. I am fortunate enough to have been be part of this event for the last three years. One day I hope to walk the red carpet instead of working it.

Again, here's to dreaming.

Before we go backstage, let's revisit Flubgate. You know Flubgate. That fabulous second-and-a-half where John Travolta now infamously introduced Idina Menzel (Ih-deen-ah Men-zelle) as Adele Dazeem. Whoops!

I will admit that even after seeing the amazing Disney move "Frozen" that her name was a mystery to me. But Travolta took the science of mangling a name to unknown heights, er, depths. So much so that there is an online app where you type in any name and “Travoltifies” it for you. Travolta's PR machine has gone into retreat mode with his publicist releasing a cutsie-canned statement musing on what would Menzel say (WWMS): “She’d say, ‘Let it go, let it go!”--an obvious salute to her Oscar-winning song.

Surely Menzel must have been a bit irritated that her name was butchered in front of a billion people who barely knew her anyway right? Apparently, in true McDonald's style, she's lovin' it! In the last few days alone, David Letterman themed a Top 10 list to her, her Twitter followers have surged to over to a half million, she earned a coveted spot on the “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and sales to her new Broadway show are hot, hot, hot.

All this proves one time-honored truth: There is no such thing as bad publicity. And now one with the show.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Here's The Media Guy's journey and perspective backstage at the 86th Academy Awards® with five pictures and about 1,500 words including interview excerpts and intimate insights.

Jennifer Lawrences laughs with McConaughey about her tripping episodes.
BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW WITH:
Matthew McConaughey, "Dallas Buyers Club"
Best Lead Actor

Q. What does it feel to have your first one [Oscar] with your first nomination right now with you?
A. Feels... I'm not going to say surreal. I did not expect it. But it's the end ‑‑ it's a bit of the end of a journey with this film that I mean, the script that came across my desk four years ago.  And also, my wife and I were talking about it this morning when we woke up, not knowing what would happen tonight, saying, hey, whatever happens tonight, four years ago, I decided to go to work doing four films a year. That was easy for me to do. She came with the kids, followed me everywhere, and we went, and it was harder for her than it was for me.

And now, the ultimate light, the gold standard of the light of excellence is shined on it ["Dallas Buyers Club"], not just in my performance, but we had a couple of other things tonight. We had six nominations. Jared won, the makeup and hair won with a $250 budget. Oh, they were stealing charcoal and stuff to do our makeup.  That's extra rewarding for me because I was a part of that team that was pushing this thing, trying to push the thing over the hill that nobody wanted to make.

And I'm standing here now. It's something that I got to ‑‑ I got a prize for excellence for the work I do in something that's not my job, it's not my hobby and it's not my fad; it's my career. That feels wonderful.

Leto with 2013 Oscar winner Anne Hathaway
BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW WITH:
Jared Leto, "Dallas Buyers Club"
Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Q. Jared, your collaborators in makeup and hairstyling have just won one of those statues. Can you talk about your collaboration with them in this performance?
A. Well, you know, they had a budget of $250. I'm not joking. That's the truth. And they worked the hardest out of anyone on the entire set. Makeup, hair, they're always the first to set in the morning. I don't know if you guys probably know this. They show up at the crackass of dawn, and they leave at the crackass of dawn. They're there all the time and they were tireless, tireless workers. And essential to the building of these characters and performances. Thank you.

Q. I wanted to ask you, you talked about the dreamers. You took time to talk about dreamers and people who have felt they were subjected to injustices.
A. Yes.

Q. Why did you want to take moments to express your thoughts to these people on this occasion?
A. That's a great question. Number one, because it's important to me. Number two, because I think it's appropriate to the material, to the story, to the film. And number three, because you have an opportunity when you stand on this stage. You can make it about yourself or you can hold up a mirror and shine a light, and that's what I chose to do tonight. I mean, because of Thirty Seconds to Mars, because I'm in a band, how many people are here from outside of the ‑‑ of the USA? Quite a few of you. Okay. Good. I'm at home then. But I feel at home all over the world. And you know, for me, these global issues impact us in a really direct way.

Let me give you an example. We have a show in the Ukraine in a couple of weeks. We have a show in Thailand in a few weeks. We had a show in Venezuela in the works. So, these things, social unrest, you know, social issues like this affect us in a really immediate way. So, I felt on behalf of the people that I interact with on Instagram and Twitter and Facebook, and my own interests as, you know, a global ‑‑ being a person in a global band, it was important to address those things. Thank you.

Blanchett was ever prideful the Aussie Talent.
BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW WITH
Cate Blanchett, "Blue Jasmine"
Best Actress in a Leading Role

Q. You said you were determined to figure out a way to have fun in this process.  Could you possibly have fun on a day like today that meant so much, worrying about rain and worrying about Academy Awards?
A. Oh, this city needs rain so badly.  I mean, you know, it's a little slight inconvenience when you're wearing a dress, but it's so good for the reservoir.  So, no, I didn't worry about that.  And I had the most phenomenal massage this morning.

Q. What are your hopes in continuing to challenge yourself in acting?
A. Maybe it's time to stop.  Look it's ‑‑ roles like this don't come along very often, and as I think I said, or I hope I said, or I imagined I said, that it was a real synthesis for me of the long, deep connection I've had with the theatre.  And the kind of often sort of intangible connection I've had to film.  And I think Woody Allen and the script that he wrote provided me that forum to kind of make that synthesis happen.  You know, someone who is ‑‑ had a very fragmented sense of self.  I mean, I don't think I could have approached that in as bold a way as perhaps I did risking for a year as I did without having worked with the folks at the Sydney Theatre Company as intensively as I have.

Is that enough?  Surely there's someone else that you can feed on.

BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW WITH
Lupita Nyong'o, "12 Years A Slave"
Best Supporting Actress in a Leading Role

Q. Maya Angelou says that we are more alike than we are different.  And you have been the it girl on this entire award season journey and have met a whole lot of people.  So my question is:  What on this journey that you've been on, are you going to take and understand about the human spirit?
A. Hmm.  That's a tough one.  Oh, that's tough.  But I ‑‑ I don't know whether I can answer that question.  What I will say is that what I have learned for myself is that I don't have to be anybody else; and that myself is good enough; and that when I am being true to that self, then I can do ‑‑ I can avail myself to extraordinary things such as this, you know, that I didn't ‑‑ if ‑‑ that I didn't think was necessarily possible; but I ‑‑ I didn't cancel it out of my realm of ‑‑ of ‑‑ of possibility, and I think that's the thing.  You have to allow for the impossible to be possible.

Q. You've been known for your incredible acting and your fashion on the red carpet, but you've also been really known for your poised attitude.  You're very humble.  What has led you to become this way and will continue to be such a humble lady in this industry?
A. I think credit must be given to my parents.  I have phenomenal parents.  My father is famous in his own right, has done amazing things for our country, Kenya, and my mother, too.  She's a trailblazer.  She's ‑‑ she's a pioneer.  And to watch those two people do so much and mean so much to everyone but not ‑‑ it doesn't ‑‑ but at the end of the day still have the humility to serve, I think ‑‑ I think their example because at the end of the day I ‑‑ I just feel it is my deeds that are more important than my ‑‑ than my fame or ‑‑ you know?  Yeah.  I ‑‑ yeah.

BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW WITH
Alfonso Cuarón, "Gravity"
Best Directing

Q. The first time that you were on stage tonight, you didn't give any speech.  Were you risking some uncomfortable conversations if you didn't get back on stage a second time to thank your family and everybody else or were you confident that you would have another chance?
A. No.  I mean, you don't think so much about the other chance because when you're so used to lose, you don't think you're going to have another break.  But it was good that a lot of great people that were around that make this film happen, particularly from the editorial standpoint, were acknowledged.  Part of the editorial thing, that yes, I said it before that I think is very important is that we are serving performances, and I don't think that enough was said about Sandra's performance.

Q. You've got an Oscar in each hand.  How does that feel?

A. Balanced.  Heavy.  No, it's fantastic.  Look, what is fantastic of this evening is that this has been a very long process.  And, as I said in the speech, yes, it has been a very transformative process for a lot of folks involved in the film.  And this just marks a closure, and I'm so grateful for ‑‑ I'm grateful with GRAVITY and these and the fact that some other members of the artistic team that made this film happen were celebrated.  It's a joy. 

--------

Past Oscars Columns:
2013 - Backstage at the Oscars: 2013
2012 - Backstage at the Oscars

Saturday, March 1, 2014

OSCAR WEEK 2014: Magically Wet

Mother Nature must be mad at the Oscars.

Perhaps her invitation came late. Or not at all.

From the looks of it, she got impatient and decided to crash the party. And such, rain crushed Hollywood over the past few days.

So there I was, searching the red carpet for stories, rain pelting me and my Canon as Japanese starlets and Latin American television anchors tried in vain to get their pre-Oscars segments filmed before deadline. Then the skies opened up and buckets of water cascades from almost nowhere.

And when the water rushed over my Ferragamos, I had to runaway from the tarped red carpet. Winding my way through the labyrinth of photographers, cameramen and security, I magically wound up smack dab in the middle of Oscars rehearsals. That badge I dutifully wore around my neck all week was my Willy Wonka Golden Ticket to see the stars walk through their lines.

Wouldn't you know it? The star of the rehearsal was Angelina Jolie's leg. You remember that leg, don't you? During the 2012 Oscars, she stuck her lovely appendage through the long slit in her gown during the show and the leg became the instant sensation. To commemorate it all a tribute song hit the charts and a Twitter account (@AngiesRightLeg) caught fire. Now it's right back
where it belongs: on stage.

As she wrapped her part of the rehearsal, she broadcasted with a laugh, "And then I go like this."

She then teasingly thrust her leg forward.

The fan in me marveled at her statuesque look and minimalistic style...gray sweatshirt, black leggings and a pair of pumps. The Media Guy in my wondered how I could get her to read my script. I settled for marveling.

Amy Adams, who is pulling double duty as presenter and best actress (American Hustle) nominee arrived at the Dolby Theatre in rain boots, which, as a true red-carpet-ready veteran, she instantly traded for sky-high silver stilettos. She lovingly bemoaned, "I am never going to be off camera," Adams said. "I am really going to have to behave."

Dallas Buyers Club Best Actor nominee Matthew McConaughey promised more cutting edge formal wear vowing that his primary color selection is "going to be hot pink." 

So what about this rain? In my Fox News Entertainment article that just posted a little while ago, I basically said, "The Show Will Go On..."

Despite a freak winter rain storm causing flooding and power outages throughout LA County, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences organizers anticipate no disruption for the 86th Oscars in Hollywood despite most forecasts calling for more showers.

“We’ve been monitoring weather patterns for weeks,” AMPAS communications chief Teni Melidonian said. “We have this covered literally and figuratively.”

To ensure that Jennifer Lawrence and other nominees reach the front door of the Dolby Theatre without getting wet, the Academy has unleashed an army of workers to cover the exposed red carpet.

The only area that will be exposed Sunday is on the street where the limos will be dropping off their precious cargo. The plan is to have dozens of Academy staffers on hand with umbrellas to provide the needed cover.

“We would prefer viewers at home to see sunshine, but otherwise nothing will be different for the red carpet show than any other year,” Melidonian said.

The red carpet for the Academy Awards was covered in very unglamourous plastic.