PRSA local update V: This Month in PR/Marketing History (by Jeff Rodriguez). It was a real sweatshop. On Oct. 8, 2009, the excitement at a sweat lodge ceremony in Sedona, Ariz., got life-or-death
steamy. James Arthur Ray, a motivational speaker and self-help author whose television credits included
an appearance on Oprah Winfrey’s show, led the ceremony. Alas, he was better at speaking and writing than sweat
lodging. After water was poured over heated rocks, temperatures rose to a point
where participants became disoriented and had trouble breathing. Two people
died in the lodge, a third died later, and more than a dozen others were
hospitalized. Ray subsequently was found guilty of negligent homicide. His
punishment included three years in prison and having to read every book written
by
Deepak Chopra. • It was a real hot tub: On Oct. 18, 1974, legendary soul singer Al Green was in his house taking a shower when Mary Woodson White, a former girlfriend, burst into the bathroom and threw a pot of scalding-hot
grits (grits!) on him. White, apparently upset that Green would not marry her
(although she was already married), then went to his bedroom, found his gun and
shot herself dead. The attack left Green severely burned, and he had to be
hospitalized for months. It was a key factor in his decision to turn away from
pop music and embrace the ministry. To this day fans of the Reverend Al wrestle
with questions: Why would White do such a thing? Cheese-flavored grits or
plain? And if Green got grits, what might the cosmos have in store for
Justin Bieber? • So that’s what happened to Blockbuster. On Oct. 5, 1990, the film “Henry & June” premiered, and under a new rating, NC-17. The category was intended to replace
the X rating, which had come to be associated with pornographic films and was
shunned by most first-run theaters. The Motion Picture Association of America
said NC-17 signaled content “appropriate only for an adult audience,” a gentler version of an early draft of the statement that read “will blister your eyeballs and nasty up your neurons.” As it turned out, the mainstream media rejected advertising for most NC-17
films, and the large video chains refused to stock them. In case you’re wondering, “Henry & June” is about a writer, features
Uma Thurman in some really awesome sex scenes, has some stuff in it about the writer’s wife, features Uma Thurman is some really awesome sex scenes, has some other
stuff in it about another writer, and features Uma Thurman is some really
awesome sex scenes.
PRSA local update VI: Standing reminders. Note several improved features on the DFW Communicators Job Bank. A job listing can now be created, edited and removed directly on the site, and
page view counts show the level of interest. And job seekers can now push
alerts for specific keywords to their personal e-mails. The job bank lists
full-time, part-time and internship positions in PR, media affairs,
advertising/sales, event planning, graphic design, marketing, and corporate and
employee communications throughout North Texas. Employers who are members of
the participating organizations may post a job for $75; the cost for nonmembers
is $100, for nonprofits $50. Each posting runs a month. Greater Fort Worth PRSA
receives a portion of the proceeds when a member marks his or her membership
status on the submission form. More from
Jerrod Resweber, GFW PRSA job bank chair, at jresweber@webershandwick.com or 469-375-0216. ... Stay on top of emerging trends and industry news, extend
your network while increasing your knowledge, and keep learning and stay
competitive. Any practitioner with at least two years in the field is eligible
for membership in the world’s leading organization for PR professionals. Those with fewer than two years
experience or who recently graduated from college and were active in PRSSA may
join as an associate member. More from chapter president-elect Richie Escovedo at richieescovedo@misdmail.org.
PRSA local update VII: Dallas PRSA’s Communication Summit 2013, featuring a presentation on the evolution of Dallas
and public relations since the assassination of President Kennedy 50 years ago, will be Friday, Oct. 11. Info here. Registration deadline Oct. 7.
Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas update: Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office has ruled that a state lawmaker’s documents related to the American Legislative Exchange Council must be made
public. Abbott rejected requests by Rep. Stephanie Klick, R-Fort Worth, and ALEC to withhold information related to their communications
and legislation proposed by the council. The Wisconsin-based Center for Media
and Democracy sought the records. FOIFT filed a brief in the case supporting
release of the documents. With its Sept. 25 ruling the attorney general’s office rejected claims by ALEC, a conservative think tank, that releasing the
information would infringe on its members’ freedom of association. It also rejected Klick’s argument of deliberative process privilege. “The communications between Rep. Klick and ALEC are governmental information, to
which the public has a qualified First Amendment right of access,” attorney
Joe Larsen wrote in the FOI Foundation brief.
