March 18, 2008

McCain Untethered

Dennis Dale explains John McCain's Media Magic:

I'll give [McCain] this much: he's figured it out. To get the press on your side, humor the bastards night and day. Flatter them. Give them 'access' and they'll love you for it so much they won't ask you any tough questions. Give 'em access and they'll do nothing with it, lest they lose it. Brilliant.

That's the trick Tom Cruise's old PR agent, Pat Kingsley, figured out as well. Tom's just about the hardest-working man in show biz, so she gave the media outlets a deal: they could have tons of Tom's time, as long as they didn't ask him any interesting questions ("So, Tom, what's the deal with this moon man religion of yours? Has the space monkey cult figured out some secret way to keep you from going gay?") If press did ask him something besides whether he does all his own stunts or just 99% of them, they'd not only lose all access to Tom, but to the rest of Kingsley's stable of clients. It worked for years, and then he fired her and put his sister in charge. You've seen the results.

My published articles are archived at iSteve.com -- Steve Sailer

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why are so many press agents named Pat?

Anonymous said...

Because they are experts at standing pat.

Anonymous said...

When Tom throws his head back and laughs that laugh of his...I wonder if maybe the idea that aliens are implanting women with their seed to make so-called hybrids...well sir,maybe its true!

Anonymous said...

My favorite Tom Cruise press moment comes from the June 16, 2005 USA Today in a joint interview with Hillary Duff and Heather Locklear:

On 'dating' Tom Cruise

Locklear's string of celeb beaus, which include '80s heartthrob Scott Baio, began in 1982 with a handsome young Hollywood newcomer named Tom Cruise. But not really, she clarifies all these years later, acknowledging: "I don't think we kissed. It was more friends."

That admission sort of confuses Duff, who expresses her suspicions when she is shown a photo of the two out on the town.

"Oh God," Locklear sighs, telling Duff, "It's a long story. I'll tell you the secret part of it later. The real story."

"I think I know," Duff says.