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Jun 12, 2006 4:40 AM
Subject: monday and a Quite Awful pr agency....
Body: Well, after the story I read yesterday in the Gaurdian about a certain chart-topping singer whose PR agents really completely messed up her chance at any credibility she could've had in her career.....I'm sad to admit that I once paid that same PR agency money myself (and actually, it wasn't someone elses money....it was our own hard earned cash...)....and luckily, every time they asked me to lie....
I SAID " NO F(%&K-ing WAY"!
and every time they tried to make up some bullshit story to hand to the press (For example, to get an interview for GRAZIA magazine... this same PR agency asked me to pose with some guy to "suggest" he was my estranged husband and weird stuff like that...just to get what they called "quality" press)...
I said ..@$K-Off!!!
The girl at the agency kept saying "you just have to lie a little"..."we'll make you the star you deserve to be"...... I wrote her a very angry email explaining that I'm not interested in being a star at all. I'm interested in making music and I'm certainly not going to lie just to be in some gossip mag! I'm a musician and people can decide whether or not they like my music on their own....without a bunch a bullshit and made up lies thank you very much....
Anyway, back to the story. This Quite Terrible PR agency made up a story around this new artist without a clue about how technically impossible their lie was and then they fed the press with it. (This would have been clever if they would have told the truth....then it would've avoided the backlash the poor girl had to face from it....I tried to help/warn her; but, she didn't "get it" or understand what I meant at the time).
I was back stage at a festival in April where the poor victim and now sufferer of this Quite Stupid PR agency was playing a gig. We were both playing the event and I mentioned to her that "we once shared the same PR agency" and she sort of snickered. At that point, she was happy about them because they had gotten her a massive amount of press..... unfortunately based on lies. I was already feeling sorry for her then because we could all see it coming.
In April, I told her that this shared PR agency kept asking me to lie about things and so I fired them. ...but, I don't think she really understood what I was implying... which was..."tell the truth while you still got the chance because nobody knows about this media scam yet and when they sus it, it won't be good for you..."
It's really horrible because she's talented and shouldn't have to put up with this kind of negativity.....Now she's had a taste of that horrible media bite that comes from being deceitful to the public. I feel sorry for her because it probably wasn't her decision since she's with a major label, it was more like a command with a lot of money behind it. Maybe she should've been stronger and not went along with it....but, she's only young and probably a bit naive, eh?
I think it's pretty scary how far the press has taken things.... (and, pretty sincerely glad that it's not me who stuck with that Quite Horrifying PR company! I think people would be hiding the razor blades if I were in her shoes.)
It's terrible because it gives PR companies a bad name. There are actually a lot of good eggs. It's sure that it's not all smoke and mirrors out there. But, sure seems like there's a fair amount of that going on when you hear of horror stories like this. 'Cause you see, from an artist's point of view, this kind of thing is really your worst nightmare. They are calling her the "music antichrist".....I mean, why are they being so hard on her? Why don't they crucify her PR agent?
Anyway, I've waffled on long enough. Moral of the story: work hard and be honest however much they tell you to lie.......
(so that's my boring sermon for this monday morning guys.)
lots of luv,
indiana
ps: sorry for the references to crude swear words (which I dingbatted out)....it's just that I don't want to offend any of you; however, just want to emphatically get this off my chest!) Don't any of you sell your souls for anything....and try not to let anybody else do it for you either! x
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