We're Still Spinning

We are back after a one-week hiatus, and there is no shortage of PR crises and clownery. We cover the recent media highlights and try to uncover the motivations and next steps for all parties with our combined 40+ years of PR expertise. Buckle up, pop a "DRAMAmine"...the PR library is open.

In this week's episode, we explore the recent news cycle around Brittany Mahomes and the PR choices she is making to address her engagement with a Donald Trump post. Spoiler alert: She's always been this girl who claps back...loudly...to the masses. Now that her fame is elevated from the Taylor Swift halo effect, does Brittany Mahomes have more to lose? Or is she the next Harrison Butker? In the spirit of fame, we look at Jools Lebron and her forecasted 15 minutes...which could be closer to 12 if she keeps making the same joke with brands like Lyft. Should she secure the bag while she can? Or should she try to make a meal from her 15 Minutes of Fame and push for something more sustainable? Lastly, we look at the curious case of Jimmy Donaldson. AKA, MrBeast. He is arguably the antithesis to "15 Minutes of Fame" - but can his empire survive its current Internet attack?

In this episode, we examine Donald Trump's recent use of AI to create an unauthorized candidacy endorsement from Taylor Swift. It kind of reminds us of the movie CLUELESS when 'Cher' sends herself flowers and accepts them in front of a room of people she is hoping to impress and influence. We look at the media coverage around this news item, noting that outlets are choosing NOT to include the AI images in their coverage. We explain why that is and propose ways for media to include AI images that are relevant to the articles without risking the spread of misinformation or other legal recourse. And more importantly, what should Taylor Swift do about this? And will we see her on a political stage between now and November 5th? Should we? Like that time Beyonce took the stage with Hillary in 2016. Speaking of Beyonce...SirDavis Whisk(e)y represents the latest effort of the People's Queen B to create a legacy product after over a dozen attempts that never fully made it into the zeitgeist. Why is she doing this, and will this product be "the one" for her? We discuss. Lastly, The Would-Be Greatest Love Story Never Told comes to a full-circle end with Jlo filing for divorce from Ben on their wedding anniversary. It turns out that we are move invested than we thought.

In this episode, we focus on the PR swirls surrounding "This Ends With Us," specifically relating to Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. What was Justin's process of hiring a crisis comms expert, and why did he do it? Does he still need one? How did the PR tables turn on Blake Lively, and how does she get out of this entanglement? (Which is arguably her first PUBLIC PR crisis). Who will help her now? We have an educated guess...! What really happened on set and during the press tour? (We also examine Blake's birth chart to forecast her outcome and suggest PR tactics inspired by her astrology to help her exit the current PR shit storm). This is the first time we, the hosts, let ourselves fall into a PR war room, as we strongly disagree on this situation and its various paths forward.

Welcome back to "We're Still Spinning," your NEW(ish) favorite podcast where 2 very seasoned, semi-anon PR professionals scroll through the latest headlines to reveal the hidden agendas, brand strategies, and overall chaos of the media machine. And most importantly, we help explain how it all affects YOU. In this episode, we look at the misinformation case of the allegedly (but not) transgender Olympic boxer, Imane Khelif, and the dangerous news cycle swirl that ensued. (With the help of Elon Musk, J.K. Rowling, and Italy's Prime Minister, Giorga Meloni). This naturally brings us to our show's first official "Media Literacy Moment" - an educational interlude on how to know whether or not to believe what you're reading. We then stay on the topic of the Olympics and anti-gay/trans narratives and look at the PR statement put out by the Vatican, one whole week after the opening ceremony of the Olympics that left Catholics and Christians in a Last Supper kerfuffle. We then move to a lighter course of headline news and revisit the Curious Case of Ben and Jen. They didn't try to bury a divorce announcement the day Biden withdrew from the 2024 Presidential Race...so what is happening in the Bennifer PR Camp? Lastly, the biggest headline of the week...Hello, My Name is Tim Walz. There has been a PR timeline shift with the Democratic Party, and we speculate on who is behind it.

Buckle up. The news cycle hath giveth us many a PR crisis since our last episode. After pulling the curtain back on the day-in-the-life of a PR girlie during our weekly "cold open" - we look at the recent release of Down Syndrome and blind Barbie via Mattel, plus the recent comments about Spongebob Square Pants' autism. We share thoughts about representation through children's toys and content. Then, we swiftly move to the religious outrage over a brief moment in the Opening Ceremony at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Blue/black dress or white/gold dress...Last Supper or Greek God Dionysus? We talk about it through a PR lens. Lastly, news broke that Donald Trump is going to appear at the National Association of Black Journalists Convention (NABJ) in Chicago this week. We ask why, and we (the hosts) disagree on the answer.

Following the historic election drop-out of President Biden, a newly rebranded campaign slogan ("Let's finish the job" to "Let's WIN this!")...and some unexpected line-drops into internet culture, VP Kamala Harris is on deck for the 2024 democratic nomination. We look into the PR shifts she is implementing at speeds unknown to the painfully slow town of DC, and we forecast the outcome based on the PR trajectory (and some light tarot, of course).

What a time to be alive! This week, we talk about a possible "PR Kumbaya" moment between Biden and Trump following the assassination attempt. It involves an unexpected roast/debate hybrid that would break barriers. Speaking of roasts and jokes...Tenacious D broke up! Over a 1-liner comment. We look at PR statements that were made and speculate as to why a whole tour was cancelled. Lastly, people in Miami are pissed following not having access to their high-priced ticketed seats at the recent Copa America Final. This is a PR nightmare for Ticketmaster - we pitch a path forward.

In this episode, we get personal and talk about some unforeseen political discoveries in our daily routines. Then we discuss George Clooney's recent New York Times Op-Ed, which calls for Joe Biden to step out of the race, only one month after George Clooney co-hosted a major fundraiser for Biden in Los Angeles. How curious. While in Los Angeles, we look at the Skydance acquisition of Paramount, PR statements that were made, and ideas that could make "Paramount+" a thing. Lastly, writer/creative/performer Lena Dunham bowed out of directing/writing Mattel's Polly Pocket movie earlier this week, after 3 years of workshopping the story. We look at her PR statement and pitch ideas for a director replacement.

In this episode, we discuss media fallout from the recent Presidential Debates and look at the PR tactics on each side of the election. Personal political opinions aside, we look at the PR playbooks of why some strategies are resonating, and some are flopping like a dick at the end of a very long night of drinking. (Did that get your attention?). Where does our country go from here? How can we move forward with the collapse of journalism? Is my passport valid?