Comment on PR Girlz Post, “Explaining the World of Social Media.”

Check out my comment on this PR Girlz blog post. This post is very simple, very informative, and most of all very useful. Great post!

Comment on Trevor Wilson’s Careerealism Blog Post “6 Things I Learned to do BEFORE Graduating”

This post is put in such simple terms and is so helpful for students like myself who are about to start exploring and eventually enter the working world. Check out this post and my comment on the Careerealism Website.

Comment on Mack Collier’s Post, “Do You Know the Social Media ‘Rules’?”

Check out this post by Mack Collier and the rules of social media and my comment on the post. The post is very interesting for new social media users such as myself.

February: The Month of Famous Flops

Disclaimer: If you read this post without ready my previous post on Image Restoration, you will be miserably lost and confused…unless you’re already an image restoration expert of course

As we all know, celebrities are always getting into trouble and doing downright dumb things (Why? We’ll never know.), but it seems as though this past month things got especially out of hand.

It all started when a picture of Michael Phelps smoking pot popped up in the media, followed by A-rod’s antics with performance enhancing drugs, and then Chris Brown’s clash with Rihanna. WOAH BABY! If these cases don’t call for image restoration, then I don’t know what does!

What Happened?

In case you’ve been living in a cave for the past month, here’s a little update on what’s been going on…

• Michael Phelps: In late January, this picture of Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps smoking pot at a house party at the University of South Carolina back in November gets published in a British Publication
• Chris Brown: The well known singer was arrested for beating girlfriend Rihanna on the night of Grammy’s.
  

  Before

  

  and After

• Alex Rodriguez: Sports Illustrated reports that the baseball phenomenon admits to taking performance enhancing drugs in 2003 when playing with the Texas Rangers in an ESPN interview.

Their Responses

So how did these celebs respond to their screw ups?? Keep reading to find out.

• Michael Phelps: Released the following statement regarding the notorious photo– “I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment. I’m 23 years old, and despite the successes I have had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner that people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public — it will not happen again.”

• Chris Brown: Brown put out this statement in regards to the incident with Rihanna– “Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired. I am seeking the counseling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones and I am committed, with God’s help, to emerging a better person. Much of what has been speculated or reported on blogs and/or reported in the media is wrong. While I would like to be able to talk about this more, until the legal issues are resolved, this is all I can say except that I have not written any messages or made any posts to Facebook, on blogs or any place else. Those posts or writing under my name are frauds.”

• Alex Rodriguez: Held an official press conference with the media regarding his drug use. He also responded to the incident in ESPN interview with Peter Gammons where the whole thing started.

Strategies for Success

Ok, we know what happened and we know how they responded, but what are the exact strategies these guys tried to use.

Note: This is where my previous post on Image Restoration really comes in handy.

Michael Phelps:

• Denial – Luckily, Phelps did not deny that he did smoke pot. I mean duh, the camera doesn’t lie. If he would have denied this, he would have just hurt his chances of being forgiven. Good move
• Evasion of Responsibility- Also to his benefit, Phelps didn’t try to blame anybody else for his behavior. He admitted that it was his fault, and that he acted under poor judgement. Once again, good call.
• Reduce Offensiveness- Phelps doesn’t bother trying to make the situation any less offensive. Obviously, it is what it is, and there’s really nothing he can do to make it any better so he didn’t even try.
• Corrective Action- In his statement, Phelps promises not to do anything of this nature again. He doesn’t mention doing anything in addition, but I guess he’s off to a good start…? I expect a little more from a man of his stature, but maybe that’s just me.
• Mortification- Again, this is pretty obvious, but Phelps does say he’s sorry, he does mention that he regrets the situation. However, if you read the statement closely, he’s apologizing for letting his fans down, which is all good and well, but what about that whole pot smoking thing?? Is he really sorry?

Chris Brown:

• Denial- No denial. He knows what he did and so does everybody else. Smart guy.
• Evasion of Responsibility- He knows what’s up, he took the blame, he knows what he did was wrong, and he’s not trying to brush it off on anybody else. Cha Ching!
• Reduce Offensiveness- None. Beating your girlfriend is not ok, and Brown acknowledges this. Nothing he can do can make this a more positive situation, so why bother trying.
• Corrective Action- Awesome use of this! He says he’s getting help from his pastor, his mother, and becoming stronger in his faith in hopes of emerging as a better person. Steps in the right direction, Chris. Way to go!
• Mortification- We can tell through Brown’s statement that he’s sorry, he’s sad, he regrets it, and it’s not going to happen again. What’s left to say?

Alex Rodriguez:

• Denial: Fortunately for him, A-Rod does not try to deny that he took performance enhancing drugs. A drug test doesn’t lie…
• Evasion of Responsibility: There is a little bit of this in the ESPN interview with Peter Gammons. Rodriguez claims that his cousin was the one that suggested the supplement, but in the end he does say that he hold himself full responsible, and that this is nobody else’s fault. Smart move A-Rod.
• Reduce Offensiveness: There is a little bit of this in the press conference and the ESPN inteview. He does say that he know what he did is wrong, but at the same time he says that it was a whole different, culture and atmosphere back then in 2003. He didn’t think it was that serious, he claims that he was just a kid, and that he was stupid and naieve. Probably not the smartest thing to say A-Rod…
• Corrective Action: A-Rod is taking corrective action. He was recently contacted by the Taylor Hooton Foundation, a group dedicated to educating people about the dangers of steroids. He didn’t pledge any money to the organization, but he will be acting as a spokesperson. Great move.
• Mortificiation: He is sorry, he knows what he did is wrong, he’s not going to do it again, and that’s that.

Forgive and Forget or Not so Much…?

So are these celebs in the clear, or do they still have more image restoration work to do? I’ll let you decide for yourself, but here are my thoughts, take them for what they’re worth…

• Michael Phelps: Really dude? You release a one or two sentence statement days after the photo emerges? That’s not gonna cut it as far as I’m concerned. Get real. Yeah yeah, he’s a hero, a sports master, a human fish, people hail the ground he walks on…so what?? He’s still a real person, he still smoked pot, and as far as I’m concerned if that’s illegal for me, it’s illegal for him. But noooo–he slips through without a scratch? My respect for Phelps is gone, and it’s gonna take a lot more then just one or two sentences to get it back. I want to see legal action, I want to see some action within the anti-drug community, I want to see sincerity, and until I see these things he’s a goner.

• Chris Brown: I’m very impressed with Brown’s response to his situation with Rihanna. I would have liked to see some sort of press release or public statement by Brown. I think this would have emphasized his sincerity and remorse, but his written statement does the job too. When I read Brown’s statement, I could tell that he was truly sorry, I knew he was concerned about Rihanna, I understood that he’s taking steps to make things better in his personal life, and that’s all I need to know. Rhianna’s forgiven Chris and they’re now back together. If she’s ok with him, then so am I. As long as nothing like this happens again, he’s clear in my book.

• Alex Rodriguez: Eh–I like it, but I want more. I loved the ESPN interview. He was open, he was real, he had nothing to hide, and he was sincere. His press conference on the other hand is a whole diferent story. He was reading straight off of crinkled paper. He was short with what he had to say, and he was not holding himself in a very positive manner. I do not approve of steroids, but I do believe that he is sorry, and that it won’t happen again. All in all, it works, and I do forigive him, but he wasn’t the nicest character.

So to Sum it All Up…

Chris Brown (or should I say his press agent), know what’s up. Though his response was not in person, it was the best. It contained the best of Benoit’’s 5 Image Restoration Strategies, and I think he’ll get the most positive response from fans.

Phelps and A-rod on the other hand have a little more work to do. Some a little more sincerity, a little less arrogance, and some corrective action would be awesome from these two a-list athletes. Maybe they’re not done yet…we’ll just have to wait and see.

What are your thoughts? Do you think these celebs handled their individual situations well? What would you have done if you were in their shoes? If you don’t quite get it or hav questions, suggestions, advice, or any other feedback I’d LOVE to hear. Keep me posted

Famous People Faux Pas

Beware. This post will be very blunt and could be offensive if you live the lifestyle of the rich and famous. This a very straight forward post because quite frankly I don’t know how to say it any differently.

As each day passes another famous person is dong something else to screw up. Whether it’s smoking pot and getting caught, or beating up your girlfriend, or taking performance enhancing drugs, they’re just flat out stupid. I don’t seem to understand how someone in the limelight that much, who has a publicist, spokesperson, and agent (or any one of the a fore mentioned) could do something so ridiculous and think they wouldn’t get caught? These celebrities are admired, adored, dreamed of, obsessed over, followed, and flat out stalked, and they seem to think that they can get away with anything. I think not.

Chris Brown, A-rod, and Michael Phelps are just a few of these absurd a-listers, but to be honest, the list could go on forever…

In my next few posts I will be singling out some of these celebs examining what they did wrong, why on earth they did it, and how the heck they plan to make up for it. I’ll admit, I’m pretty much an image restoration junkie (see my previous post), so admittedly I like it when the rich and famous mess up because that gives me the opportunity to see what they do to fix it and how the rest of society responds.

Please stay tuned for future posts and keep me posted with new famous people faux pas.

Image Restoration: How to Clean Up When You Mess Up.

Whether it’s you, the average everyday Joe Schmo, or President Bush, we all screw up. Some more than others, but hey, it happens. Whether it’s with your friends, or with the nation, whether it’s gossiping and getting caught, or getting the country into a war that you can’t seem to get out of, everybody goes through the process of trying to restore their image. “Human beings frequently must attempt to restore their reputations after alleged or suspected wrong-doing” (Benoit, 1995). Basically, we all try to save face.

But, did you know there are actually strategies on how to do this, and whether you knew it or not, you’ve more than likely used at least one of these strategies in your lifetime? William Benoit is the genius who came up with these five image restoration strategies and eventually sub-strategies. They are denial, evasion of responsibility, reduce offensiveness, corrective action, and mortification (Benoit, 1997).  Some of the categories also have sub-strategies that I’ll briefly discuss.

Alright, so the first strategy is denial, and there are two variations of denial. The first is when someone accused of bad behavior denies committing an offensive action (Ware & Linkugel, 1971)…duh. The usual “I didn’t do it.” Another variation of denial is known as shifting the blame, or victimage (Benoit, 2006; Benoit & Hanczor, 1994). This is when the accused tries to blame someone else for committing the action that he or she is taking the blame for. Denial is probably the most simple of the five strategies, but I wouldn’t recommend using it unless you really didn’t do anything, otherwise more than likely you’re going to get thrown under the bus.

Ok, so moving on to plan B: evasion of responsibility. There are four variations of this strategy (Benoit, 1997; Benoit & Czerwinkski 1997; & Benoit & Hanczor, 1994). The first variation is provocation, which means that the accused will claim that his or her action was done in response to someone else’s offensive act (Benoit, 1997; Benoit, 2006; Benoit & Czerwinkski, 1997; & Benoit & Hanczor, 1994). The second variation is defeasibility:  when the accused claims that he or she had no control over certain elements of the situation (Benoit, 1997). The third variation is to claim that the action was an accident. If the accused can prove that the act was an accident, then more than likely he or she will be held less accountable (Benoit, 1997). Finally, the fourth variation is to claim that the offensive act was done with good intentions. If the accused claims that they were trying to do something good, they will not be held as accountable (Benoit, 1997). Evasion of responsibility could also be helpful, but only if you’re positive you didn’t do it.

Ok, two down three to go.  The third strategy is to reduce offensiveness, and there are six variations of this strategy (Benoit, 1997; Benoit, 2006; Benoit & Czerwinkski, 1997; Benoit & Hanczor, 1994). The first variation is bolstering. This is when the accused builds up the audience’s positive feelings towards him or her, which in turn takes the public’s attention off of the wrong-doing (Ware & Linkugel, 1973). The second variation is minimization. This is when the accused minimizes the negative feelings that are already associated with the action. (Benoit, 1997; Benoit, 2006; Benoit & Czerwinkski, 1997; Benoit & Hanczor, 1994) If the feelings towards that action are more positive than they were before, then the image of the accused should be easier to repair. The third variation is differentiation. This is when the accused compares his or her action to a worse action which then makes their wrong-doing look better (Ware & Linkugel, 1973). The fourth variation is transcendence. This is when the accused tries to make the offensive act sound better and more positive than it really is (Benoit, 1997; Benoit, 2006; Benoit & Czerwinkski, 1997; Benoit & Hanczor, 1994). The fifth variation is attacking the accuser. This is when the accused tries to ruin the credibility of his accuser (Benoit, 1997; Benoit, 2006; Benoit & Czerwinkski, 1997; Benoit & Hanczor, 1994). The sixth variation is compensation. This is when the accused tries to give back to the victim in a positive way (Benoit, 1997; Benoit & Czerwinkski, 1997; Benoit & Hanczor, 1994).

Ok sweet! We’re in the homestretch. Now pay close attention to these last two. They’re crucial for effectively rebuilding your rep. The fourth strategy, and one of the most beneficial strategies within image restoration theory is corrective action. This is when the accused makes a promise to fix the problem (Benoit, 1997; Benoit & Czerwinkski, 1997; Benoit & Hanczor, 1994).  This includes promising to prevent the reoccurrence of the offensive event that caused the accused to have a tarnished image in the first place.  Short and sweet sure can go a long way in the grand scheme of things!

And finally, the make or break moment. The fifth strategy of image restoration theory is mortification (Benoit, 1997; Benoit, 2006; Benoit & Czerwinkski, 1997; Benoit & Hanczor, 1994). This strategy is when the accused confesses of his or her offensive behavior, and then pleads for forgiveness. Having discussed the five strategies of image restoration, I will now go on to discuss apologia.

Ok, not so bad after all, right? A little more and you’ll be an Image Restoration expert too. Research has shown that all of these strategies can be successful depending on the situation and the person/people involved. Individuals must choose the best strategies for their particular situation.

Soo…why did I write this novel of a post going into every little detail of Image Restoration?? Great question! In today’s society, particularly the wonderful world of athletics a lot of people have been screwing up, to put it bluntly. I plan on analyzing these situations case by case on my blog, and I just wanted yall to know where I was coming from in my posts so I wouldn’t have to go through this theory over and over again. Hopefully this is simple enough to follow. If you just don’t get it, no biggie! Leave a comment asking a question and we’ll get it figured out

Keep reading and look forward to upcoming posts about current events involving this topic! (Ideas and suggestions are always welcome!)

Comment on Mihaela Vorvoreanu’s blog post “Social Media & Politics”

Comment on Michaela Vorvoreanu’s blog post “Social Media & Politics.“

Comment on Lyn Mettler’s blog post “Free Speech on Twitter?”

Comment on Lyn Mettler’s blog post “Free Speech on Twitter?“

An Inauguration of More Than the President

Last Tuesday was  a day that will never be forgotten…the inauguration of president Barack Obama. The inauguration of the first African-American to become president. The inauguration of the ultimate “change” in society. Yes…we know all these things, we’ve heard all these things, and most of us are proud of all these things as American citizens.

What many American citizens don’t understand is that this inauguration was also the inauguration of social media in a mass context. In reading many news articles published in days following the election I stumbled upon this CNN article about the inauguration and how the social media world played in.  

When people hear social media, the first thing that comes to mind is the blogosphere, but more than just the usual bloggers were involved in this election.  Several sites provided live streaming of the inauguration ceremonies for those who couldn’t watch on tv. There were also sites who partnered with social media networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to give people the opportunity to share thoughts, both good and bad, on what ws going on. Twitterville was jumping on election day with usuers twittering anywhere from their couches, to their office, to their classroom, to the mall at the Capitol. Everyone seemed to be in the know on election day. How? SOCIAL MEDIA!

So is this inauguration of social media a good or bad thing? The way I see it,  it’s great! It opens doors for so many brilliant minds to express just what’s on their mind, whether it be pleasant or not. It also allows for people with similar opinions to connect and eventually form relationships.

In today’s society it is common for people to have opposing opinions, and it always has been that way. What’s not so common is for people to be open and willing to share these opinions no matter what they may be. Atleast I know I’m a little more reserved as far as this goes. Hopefully the inauguration of  boldness and openness will go hand in hand with this recent inauguration of social media and the president.

No matter what it is you do, whether you have a blog, a Facebook profile, a Twitter account, or another form of social media, be brave, be bold, and put yourself and your opinion out there. If not now, then when??

Comment on Christ Brogan’s Blog Post “Be Realistic About Time”

Comment on Christ Brogan’s blog post “Be Realistic About Time.”