Since the majority of us PR professionals work for agencies where we have a variety of different companies as clients (maybe I’m just imagining this, but that’s definitely the way it seems), there’s a sector of communicators that we all tend to forget about- the straight up publicist. More specially, celebrity representation. However, somewhere off in the great, big state of California (pardon me for my generalization), there lives a whole lot of people who work incredibly hard to keep the reputations of their clients squeaky clean, or at least a little bit less awful than they already are. Sometimes I become so wrapped up in agency life that I disregard them. But then I go on Perez, and I read about all those train-wrecks that we can’t seem to stay away from, and THAT’s when I appreciate them. That’s when I realize that although it MIGHT be glamorous to work with celebrities and get to go to great parties, it’s certainly not easy.
So, in honor of our counter-parts from the Golden State, here is my list of the top 3 celebrities I would never want to represent (or maybe I would, but only if I was looking for a little challenge and validation of my public relations skills), followed by my list of top 3 celebrities whose publicists do an incredible job of making them seem pretty perfect.
The Top 3 Celebrities I Would Never Want to Represent
1. Lindsay Lohan: A few years ago, Lindsay was on track to be one of the most successful actresses in Hollywood, thanks to her unforgettable performance in Mean Girls. After a struggle or two with substance abuse and a very public and tumultuous romance, her career and reputation are so far beyond repair that even a complete 180 probably wouldn’t fix it. There have been tons of celebrities who were able to bounce back after a stint in rehab, but this girl seems completely resistant to taking on any sort of acting role. And can someone PLEASE take control of her Twitter account? Every update that she sends out makes her seem like even more of a disaster than she already is. She needs a social media intervention!
2. Jon Gosselin: Everything this scum bag does is completely transparent, and unfortunately none of his actions suggest that he cares about his 8 little kids in the least. Instead of being there for them when he and his wife Kate decided to get divorced, he has spent every minute of his free time chasing after women who are only dating him for a little attention of their own. So not only does he completely NOT understand what it takes to create a positive public image (or be a good human being), he’s also too clueless to realize when he’s being used as publicity tool. Someone needs to make sure that he’s in a park the next time the paparazzi chase after him instead of in a nightclub that college kids consider a hot-spot.
3. Chris Brown: This one brings morality into play. I’m not sure that I could sleep at night after spending my days trying to make a guy who beat his beautiful, talented girlfriend into a bloody pulp look good. No matter how successful his future albums are, he’ll always be thought of as a woman-abuser.
(Honorable Mentions: Amy Winehouse, Lil Wayne, Avril Lavigne, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, Kanye West, Kristen Stewart, that golfer whose name I’m so sick of hearing)
The Top 3 Celebrities Whose Publicists Deserve Kudos
1. Taylor Swift: She’s sweet, genuine, and best of all, humble. Every time she wins an award, her honest-to-goodness surprise and awe at the honor make you automatically believe that she deserves it. Although she’s been romantically linked to a number of other stars, you never see her stumbling out of clubs or getting into trouble. Even if you’re not a fan of country music, you can’t help but love her. Authentic perfection or the work of a fantastic publicist? Hmmm..
2. The Beckhams: For two people that don’t seem to be doing much of anything (OK, I know David plays soccer, but still), this couple is EVERYWHERE! They’re a fantastic model of a Hollywood couple who has managed to raise a great family despite all the craziness and drama that tends to come with fame. It’s obvious that they take their commitment to their children and each other very seriously. David has also been known to participate in a number of heart-warming charities. I don’t mind if they stick around in the states for a while longer (and no, their ridiculous looks have nothing to do with it…)
3. Rihanna: On the VERY opposite of the spectrum from Chris Brown sits Rihanna, a woman who had every right to raise hell after her horrifying experience, but didn’t. Everything that she did to handle this situation was perfect – from the timing, from how much she said, to WHAT she said. She was the picture of class and grace when no one would have blamed her for being otherwise. And now her career is as big and booming as ever. Hopefully she won’t have to be a model for anyone else, but she should be.
(Honorable Mentions: Jennifer Garner, Hilary Duff, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Neil Patrick Harris, Conan O’Brien).
If we have any celebrity publicists who read PRBC, I would be very interested in hearing any stories of horror or triumph. As for our other readers, are there any celebrities who you would rather change your profession than represent? Or even any who you are dying to get your hands on? Leave ’em in the comments!
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