I’ve been asked by many people ‘What do I think of the news coverage given to the death of Michael Jackson?’  What would be a somewhat complex story in the past about the death of a celebrity who was known for being eccentric has become very complex, in part because of the competition between emerging technologies, traditional outlets and individuals using their social media to report, shape and interpret the story.

Personal media is driving many parts of this story, since we all come to it from different angles. I’ve notice some individuals on social media are still talking about little else a week later. The broadcast and cable networks are still putting this story in first segments. There are many questions being asked, and anyone who was within five feet of MJ in the last 20 years is being asked them, looking for answers. The truth is we don’t have a lot of concrete answers. So, something like an autopsy, a walkthrough of Neverland or an interview gives us a real concrete glimpse in to a life that was lived in and out of the gossip tabloids.

Pop stars will never grow old gracefully. From Rudy Vallee to The Jonas Brothers, our last 100+ years of mass media culture have been filled with a parade of icons who piqued our interests through performing their music, capture the hearts and imaginations of many and a good number of these performers that couldn’t keep the momentum going for several reasons. These include the sudden wealth and achievement for a person with no idea what this success all means,  being surrounded by sycophants for assistants, support team and counselors and an idea that it will all last in a fickle marketplace. Appealing to a fourteen old’s music tastes last year is no guarantee of any success next year. I invoke the lyric again that I borrowed from MJ for this posting, “Why … why … its Human Nature …”

Because of the nature of celebrity itself, those of us who look from a far will always have questions. When someone is so well know that the mere mention of their name congers up an image or a strong memory, they do reach that iconic stature.

During the 1980’s, Michael Jackson was pop music.  I was working at W-Light in Grand Rapids at the time when Thriller hit. When I would host my regular shifts, I would always get a number of calls for his songs. Unlike the other two 80’s icons, Springsteen and Prince, Michael seemed to reach across the spectrums of age, music taste and radio format.  He could sing a heartfelt ballad and a rippin’ rocker with equal measure.  We saw this performer who could make us groove one minute and cry the next. Everyone wanted to like him. I think is what initially stayed with people.

Whenever his unique behaviors came out, it ran contrary to our liking him. We know he was a spendthrift. We know that he wanted to control how he physically looked, and took steps to do so. We know he enjoyed segueing in and out of childhood. As for all reports of drug use and abuse, pedophilia charges and all the specific eccentricities over the years, I only know the stories I saw, heard and read. Yet, this fuels the coverage and social media like crisp and dry tinder. It is a perfect fire and the more we are curious, the more the coals of curiosity stay red.

Only Michael and God really know the truth and neither of them are talking much about it. So, we are left to wonder, ask, interview, post and publish. The truth is that we will always have more questions then answers when it comes to the private lives of celebrities. Why? Because this is human nature too.

Of all the qualities that make me a good publicist, I believe the best one is that I can keep a secret.

I find myself on the receiving end of much news said in passing. I have known decisions that have been made well in advance and even the night before most of you have known. I have been told about job offers, mergers, pregnancies, company closings, divorces, arrests and many aspects of life that those who confided in me would prefer that I not tell.  I have also been informed about several crimes and murders before they hit the papers. More often then not, I never signed a non-disclosure agreement. I felt that knowing and trusting me was the price of confidence.

Often this confidance comes as a defensive move. I can now talk about something that happened for you over five years ago. I was brought into a situation by a mental health professional. His client was the father of an high profile pro athlete who was involved in a serious contract negotiation. The dad had a proclivity for certain sexual fetishes and enjoyed purchasing them out in the marketplace. The son was considered a leader on his team and is held in highest esteem in the community where he played. There was concern by the therapist, the legal team and the athlete’s agent that if this was known, it would seriously effect the negotiations. You now know more then has ever been said publicly prior to this moment. As a PR person, I put together a defense plan that would handled if word got out about any part of this situation. Thanks to the prosecuting attorney, this was done discreetly, but the matter is still is a matter of public record. The son, who had nothing to do whatsoever with any of this, was spared any embarassment by his dad’s activities. As a professional, you wonder if your campaign and planning would have worked, but I was grateful that I didn’t have to find out.

Earlier this year, I wanted to work with a reporter on a highly sensitive, high profile story. On the surface, both the reporter and the story subject had several things in common. I sensed a concern that the reporter might have a personal bias that interfered with the ability to ask questions and report objectively. I had to ask a dear friend with mutual contacts one to two degrees between them to discreetly do some investigation for me. Sure enough, my concerns were confirmed. I never told the client. I just chose a different outlet and reporter who didn’t have the issues the first one had. Would I ever talk about the reporter’s bias? No, because they have the right to do their job without interference. But I have the responsibility to decide who works with my client. This is, after all, a relationship business.

I think of the words of the GoGo’s, and their first big hit:

Can you see them
See right through them
They have no shield
No secrets to reveal

It doesn’t matter what they say
In the jealous games people play
Our lips are sealed.

From the publicist’s desk, here are five first blush takes on the passing of Michael Jackson.

• MOMENT IN TIME - Is this a “Where were you when …”" moment, like the death of JFK or the plane crashes on 9/11? For those who were in their 20’s and 30’s for Thriller, it is a ‘yes.’ In many ways Michael defined pop music in that era. He single-handedly integrated MTV. Michael Jackson is a name that can be said anywhere on the planet and will instant get a reaction. Farrah Fawcet was an icon, but her body of work was based around playing one role - Jill Monroe. She was very attractive, but didn’t have the far reaching impact that MJ did.

• WINNERS -  Cable News Networks - With the first few shots from UCLA Medical Center, to “Never Miss An Opportunity” Al Sharpton’s quick presser from The Apollo Theater, to trotting out anyone and everyone who stood within MJ’s halo, the anchors and producers seemed almost too poised for this to happen. By time the broadcast networks caught up at 9 pm and 10 pm, their coverage seemed borrowed from their cable outlets. CBS’s combination of coverage from both 60 Minutes and Entertainment Tonight did seem fresher then NBC or ABC. Josh Mankowitz’s Dateline bio came across like something we’d see before.

• LOSERS - The timing of the announcement could not have been worse for the LA Based syndicated shows, such as The Insider, Access Hollywood and Entertainment Tonight. Their Thursday shows had already been taped and sent up the satellites to the affiliates for airing in the late afternoon or early evening access slots.  Expect wall to wall on these shows on Friday and abundant coverage in the weeks to come.

• HOLDING MY BREATH - I’m waiting for the first self absorbed pundit to invoke what happened with Elvis and say “This could be a better career move then if he had played those London shows …” It will be interesting to check out iTunes and see which songs do rocket up the downloads later today. The media will have us wanting to be in a state of mourning, but this is not a national tragedy like the death of a head of state. It is the loss of an popular entertainer, beloved by many and impactful in his career.

• LASTING MEMORY FROM THURSDAY - I walked outside the house about 9:30 pm and off in the distance I could hear someone play Rock With You, and then Human Nature. Whether is was their choosing, or a radio station tribute … it gave me a personal sense of peace about his passing.  His was a life in and out of the spotlight, a name that all who lived during his era knew and someone who was equally beloved and despised during his career. He was my definition of an original: someone that was decidedly different and the mass consciousness wasn’t the same before of after them.

God Bless You MJ, you are in a far better space now then all of us who sit here pondering your passing.

I can’t say that I’m fond of the idea of giving the banking sector free advice. Kind of like sending Donald Trump a CARE package of baked goods in case he gets hungry on the way between Manhattan and South Beach.

While the sting of what happened in 4th Q 2008 and 1st Q 2009 is less sharp, there is still great deep seated resentment by many Americans of what happened for the financial sectors and firms like AIG in particular.

I do believe that there is a financial fitness movement happening in our country. There is a great many voices out here from Dave Ramsey to Suze Orman to name two, and whole networks of business and financial information: CNBC, Fox Biz, Bloomburg are all running coverage telling us everything we need to know … so they say.

Money I still believe is the greater secret in most people’s lives. Everyone wants it. Everyone wants to look like they have it, and even if they don’t have it - many people want to express an ability to access it when they need it. Right now, I am writing this from Michigan, a state with 14+% unemployment. Our largest city, Detroit, has a 25% unemployment rate - that’s one out of four.

I don’t necessarily believe that a simple publicist can solve all our economic ills. I however have to know that we need both systemic solutions and solutions rooted in dignity. Access to capital and credit are crucial to business growth, which is key right now. Yet, should parents have to make choices like food over health care and gas because of inflation and unemployment?

I say that awareness is the only answer - increasing our awareness and understanding of the system, and scrutiny of the ways that it is working. A key part of the free market system I believe is freedom to observe what happens, comment and use the regulatory tools as appropriate. I know that many Americans, including my household, need help to get through this time. I also know that I don’t want to see our children and grandchildren burdened with debts that would take a tsunami of prosperity to balance.

NEXT ON OUR MAKE OVER LIST: The product known scientifically as Brassica oleracea Gemmifera Group. A much maligned little green friend that could help us get all the Vitamin A, C, Folic Acid and Dietary Fiber we need.

When you were young, what were the dream cars of your youth? If you are a baby boomer, this could be a long drive through Nostalgia Town USA.

I myself think of a late 60’s Ford Mustang or Chevy Camero, A Late 70’s Mazda RX-7 and a 1990’s Plymouth Prowler as the cars I wanted to own … and to a certain degree still do.  Of course, your answers should be different. Maybe you wanted the two seater For Thunderbird or a huge Chevy Bel Air with the fins or wouldn’t mind having an original El Camino or a A Road Runner or GTO?

To the present —  which of today’s offerings by Ford, GM or Chrysler if you could drive one totally free would you want? I’ll even expand it to Toyota, Nissan, Kia or even BMW, Mercedes or Volvo. I will bet that many of you are thinking a model you would settle for … if I could deliver it. According to US News & World Reports, the top ten best-selling vehicles of 2008 were:

1. Ford F-Series

2. Chevrolet Silverado

3. Toyota Camry

4. Honda Accord

5. Toyota Corolla

6. Honda Civic

7. Nissan Altima

8. Chevrolet Impala

9. Dodge Ram

10. Honda CR-V

But do any of them really truly capture your imagination? I don’t think that any car, built domestic or foreign captures our imagination they way the cars of our past do. Here is a simple way to rebound our automotive industry; build really cool cars that people want to talk about and subsequently own.

I bought two Dodge Intrepids because of their cab-forward design - it captured my imagination. They took this and went through the whole product line, from Neon and PT Cruiser on up.  My sense is that Ford is trying this … but I have yet to see a Twenty-something go wild when a Fusion goes up Main Street. GM’s Impala has a bit of buzz to it, but I don’t see people going totally ape over it. The American car culture hasn’t died, it just has gone to sleep, since it has no reason to come awake.

I’m sure if you asked the average 17 year old male what would be his dream car, he should have an answer, but I know it would lack the heart and passion that a 17 year old would of answered twenty, thirty, forty or fifty years ago.

If the car companies want to have a real renaissance and not just be a functional box of plastic, sheet metal and an internal combustion engine, give us cars that make us go “WOW!” - Show us something that we want to own, would be proud to own, and if we couldn’t own that model, maybe own her a bit more plain sister.

It would be easy to fill this blog with all sorts of steps on how to build brands and identity. Here’s a lesson in public relations and marketing that the car guys know in their heart … if a head doesn’t turn when it drives down the street, the only imagination that’s been engaged is an engineers. Give us something that makes our engine purr, and then put it in the whole brand line.  The rest will take care of itself. You need proof of what a car can do to capture imaginations? Three simple words: Classic Car Cruise.

She went from young and aspiring ‘Disney Darling’ to party scene princess to punch line. Lindsay Lohan is just another in the series of young starlets and pop divas who has had her career explode in a good way, and then her personal life implode in a bad way.

We could have chosen many others, but unlike some of them - industry people feel that she has talent. But that talent is being hidden under a public persona of life is just a party and that the party is going to last forever. When a studio exec’ calls you out for your work habits and professionalism in public, there is a real problem.

Anyone over 30 knows her problem - she thinks that she will be a teenager forever. Any C list celebrity knows her other problem - she thinks she will always be successful and people will want her. Any friend of Bill W. knows her problem - she doesn’t think she has substance abuse problems.

Lohan needs the counsel of Hollywood’s Favorite Jewish Mother - Joan Rivers. She would give her the best words of advice, “Oh, Grow  Up!”

In fact, take a cue from the career of Drew Barrimore, who had her own issues - and has since moved from party girl to a highly in demand actress. producer and spokesperson.

Here’s what I would have her do:

1. Stop showing skin. A quick google search to find a photo for this blog showed all sorts of intentional nip slips and panty poses. We all know you have these parts. But you are more gratuitous in showing them them many porn stars. And, you can’t retract these shots later … even if you are proud of your body.
2. Produce and act in roles that show your skills as an actress. You had a self parodying stint on Ugly Betty where you were so mediocre, you were written out as quickly are you were written in. Peek at the Demi Moore file for ways to do this. But don’t go remake something like the Scarlet Letter.
3. Work on your family of origin issues — but only tell us when you’ve made a real and lasting breakthrough. I won’t rehash what her folks put her through, but you are traveling with unresolved baggage. You can work on it now, or work on it in 15-20 years … choice is yours. I suspect you will find more than a few reasons why you have such a live for the moment party perspective. Only tell us when you can say “I saw that … and to move past it, I then …”
4. Stay home. Channel surfing through TMZ, you seem to appear on the screen more then you need to. No paparazzi are going to stalk you in your living room. What you do there is your business.
5. Make a plan, implement it and stick with it - Get a new vision for what you want the second half of your career to be.

I don’t like to reverse myself as a matter of public practice, but in this case I have no choice.

From the time I wrote my earlier blog post to now, Matt Millen has spoken. In conference calls and an interview for SI.com, Millen has basically taken to blaming the city of Detroit for his demise. Yes, he does talk about his lack of performance as President of The Detroit Lions. But, he has committed some of the top public relations sins: he portrayed himself as a victim and showed no remorse to those who his actions effected.

The sad thing about this is that Millen still has a financial interest in the Lions. He is due for an arbitration hearing to settle the rest of his salary. I believe his words could haunt him.  I also believe that he feels that he really did nothing wrong, and that his actions are no worse then you or I losing a fantasy league football season.

It’s easy to kick something or someone when it’s down. One of the roles of a professional sports team, and its leaders, is to give us a momentary distraction from the chores, tasks and duties of our lives. While trying to pay bills, provide for our families and attempt to carve out something better is stressful for all of us, we use sports as a point of local pride and excape.

I do know this of Matt Millen. Long gone are the days when he and Dick Stockton were the 1-B announcer team for Fox’s Broadcasts. He will have to prove himself as a legit football expert, in the light of his performance. Casual fans and those who are students of the game will here his comments and wonder where they are based. He will have to rebuild his image. Whether he uses any tools we outlined earlier or not has yet to be seen..

As for the Detroit Lions Football Franchise, treat him like you treated Charles Rogers. Use his anemic performance to demonstrate why he doesn’t deserve the compensation that you would pay a Team President.

On September 24, 2008, Matthew George Millen was reported to no longer hold his positions as President with the Detroit Lions. This announcement ended a reign that started with the highest of expectations and ended with the lowest demonstrated results of any pro football executive.

Millen has reappeared, first with spot duty on the NBC Football Night in America broadcast, where he admitted his role in the team’s downfall, saying he would have fired himself after the 2008 season. Currently, he is signed to do color commentary on the NFL Network’s slate of games and be in studio with ESPN.

Millen’s reputation as an expert has been quite damaged by his team’s poor performance. Millen needs a serious make over to his reputation if he wants to remain on air longer then 2009. Here are our suggestions include:

BE THE MESSINGER, NOT SOLEY THE MESSAGE  – His evaluation of talent turned out to be highly suspect. Witness his fondness for offensive skilled players, such as Wide Receivers. Few of his choices are even on NFL rosters, let alone are still Lions. With this track record, it’s hard for Millen to state a blunt opinion about a players abilities and not invite a raised eyebrow. He can overcome this by mixing in third party evaulations about players - “The GM’s I’ve spoken to …” “His time at the combines was among the fastest …” “Statistically, he’s shown to be …”

BE RIGHT A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THE TIME - No one is right 100% of the time, but Matt better not ‘write any more checks with his mouth that his arse can’t cash.” At the risk of playing it too safe, his color commentary better be more like the 8 pack of Crayolas - simple and straightforward - then the 64 pack. And, never offer any social commentary or be critical of non-football topics, no matter how passionate he may feel about a subject. This becomes easy fodder for his critics.

DO SOME GESTURE FOR THE DETROIT AREA THAT SHOWS YOU REALLY CARE - Matt needs to show Michigan that he cares about the people here. Many in the State of Michigan feel that he took the money and ran, like a showboating know it all. Millen needs to at some point show the Greater Detroit community that is right now in economic and emotional distress that he is a caring person. Criminals will do community service as part of their rehabilitation. It also needs to be more then just writing a check.

SUCCESS CURES ALL THAT AILS YOU  - Having a lousy football general manager for a decade may be painful for many fans of the Lions, but it really isn’t terminal.  The Lions have had a few blips of upward achievement, but haven’t been in the Hunt for a Championship since 1958. If the current management crew can turn things around … this will put a bandage over the latest round of pain and suffering which he left behind. Detroit sports fan have seen all their teams go though rough periods, but the Lions need to be about the task of winning.

Next:  A promising young starlet left being a Disney Darling to a life of parties and experimentation. How she should grow up and get her career back on track before all she can get is roles on reality shows.

From reality shows to news magazines, a staple segment of these are the makeover. Some sweet and wonderful woman has their hair cut and make up done professionally. Then they are outfitted with a wonderful addition to their wardrobe. Every in the audience loves it and applaudes robustly.

In public relations and publicity, many firms, industries and individuals also need makeovers. In these cases, it’s more then a new suit and a new face. In the next several days, I am offering up my list of those who I feel could benefit from better communications and a new focus to their idenity.

As you read these, I want for you to think how you project your own personal brand and communications style.

Look for a link to each new post. Our first subject: a local former sports executive who is making a return appearance to the broadcast booth - but will he walk is talk?