Eminem: On the Forefront of Public Relations

In college, I took a couple of Public Relations classes because I thought putting spin on the truth was interesting. After two semesters of fake writing and a D+, I quickly realized why this wasn't for me. I like to be honest and don't try to sugarcoat a pile of crap.

Like 741,000 other people, recently I bought Eminem's new album Recovery. I was listening to the whole album, which is basically Eminem dissing on himself, calling himself out and owning up to his mistakes and drug problems, even calling his last album "ehh" (which is true). Eminem's honesty leaves no room for the media to question him or TMZ the opportunity to have an exclusive on what drugs Eminem did. Because he lists them off himself.

Every day on the show, I have the journalistic job of reporting the entertainment schmuck of the day. My journalism studies have gotten me far and taught me how to read blogs and report borderline true information to the listeners. Having a deep understanding of what is going on with Jesse James/Sandra Bullock, Tiger Woods/Elin and Britney Spears/Jason Trawick has led me to the conclusion that their spokespersons are the problem. And that every PR practitioner needs to take some advice from Eminem.

Here's why.

Back in March, as Sandra Bullock's Oscar buzz was thriving, reports came out that Jesse James had been cheating with "Audrey-Hepburn-like-women." After days of blog sites, news outlets and pundits releasing exclusives, opinions and past interviews, Jesse James came out with a statement that read:

There is only one person to blame for this whole situation, and that is me. It's because of my poor judgment that I deserve everything bad that is coming my way.

This has caused my wife and kids pain and embarrassment beyond comprehension and I am extremely saddened to have brought this on them. I am truly very sorry for the grief I have caused them. I hope one day they can find it in their hearts to forgive me.

What I gather from this statement is Jesse James looking for a pity party for himself. He basically apologized for the results of his actions, not the actions themselves, which according to my 8 years of Catholic education is no apology at all.

Tiger Woods gave a big long press conference that can be read here, apologizing, yes, but never explaining exactly what he did. He ran us through the ringer, had choreographed hand movements and even faked a tear, like Chris Brown at the 2010 BET Awards.

It's apparent to me that people in the PR industry either don't know what honesty is or don't think honesty pays. Clearly, they need to go buy Eminem's CD. Wouldn't their job be so much easier if the blunt truth was released? Yes, my client cheated. Yes, my client is dating her. No, my client is not pregnant. Instead they release a fluffy line: "My client is single and focusing on their career" but the next day, the client is photographed making out on the beach in Cabo.

If Tiger Woods would have come out days after Thanksgiving and released a statement saying:

The multiple reports that have come out recently about me may or may not be true. What is true though is that over the years of my marriage to Elin I was unfaithful with multiple women. Much has transpired over the past few weeks with me, Elin and my family and I have realized how selfish I have been. Elin and my children do not deserve to be treated the way I have treated them as a father or husband. We are talking with an attorney to figure out the best way to handle this so it will be smooth for our children. They are the ones whose lives have been flipped upside down. I want to say sorry to my fans for not possessing the integrity you all believed I had. I ask for everyone to respect my family's privacy and you all will be kept in the loop of what is going on because I owe everything I have today to my fans.

Had Tiger said something remotely close to this, every news outlet would not have been so intrigued by the controversy because the unknown suspense of Tiger/Elin would no longer be there. It would have faded off and Texts from Tiger, Behind the Gates and many other raunchy websites would not be the ones weaving the story.

I'm not sitting here saying everyone who practices public relations is bad. I'm saying every person who tries to spin a story that could be crystal clear is doing their client long term damage. If a news outlet claims someone is pregnant, why deny it now and confirm it in two months?

Go read the lyrics to Eminem's "Not Afraid" single and you'll know everything that he's been through lately. I don't think you can say the same for any other celebrity or public figure.

Bravo Eminem. Take notes PR practitioners, press secretaries and advisers.

 

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Comments

[Ghost803]

09:58 PM on 07/08/2010

All the seriousness of this article aside. I don't usually listen to rap. But Eminem sometimes makes me think with his songs, but more often than not laugh out loud. His old stuff were some of the funniest songs I've ever heard.

[Tim Mihalsky]

05:44 PM on 07/10/2010

Christina Aguilera better switch me chairs so I can sit next to Carson Daly and Fred Durst and hear 'em argue over who she gave h#$% to first. hahahaha

Thanks for reading.

[Sarah Moore]

04:21 AM on 07/08/2010

I am amazed at the range of people I meet who are fans of eminem. People from all walks of life, from all kinds of moral platforms and of all ages. I think that you've pinpointed the reason for his mass appeal. Besides being incredibly talented and paired with the best producers in the business, he is so refreshingly honest and down to earth about who he is. Sometimes that's an ugly picture, but he doesn't shrink from that- and he doesn't glorify it the way so many others do. He's not wearing his mistakes like a badge of street cred, he's exploring who he is and why. Ironically, we trust his credibility without question as a result. That's the mark of a great artist- someone who bares their soul to the art and brings the audience along for the ride.

[Tim Mihalsky]

05:46 PM on 07/10/2010

He brings all ages, races, and backgrounds together through his relatable honesty. Even though I didn't grow up in a trailer park like Eminem, I can relate to the struggle he went through while growing up, just like most people who aren't trustfund babies went through at some point.

Thanks for reading!

[dodgertru]

02:40 AM on 07/08/2010

Like most everyone else in this section, I agree with Tim's points. Other rappers should take note of how Eminem just bounced back from a lackluster last album, and sold 740k copies of the new one in his first week. Honesty in the content was one of the big reasons I gravitated toward hip hop twenty years ago. Everybody's become a cartoon now. These dudes are uber-gangsta, uber-ballin' and super pimpin' to the point where I just don't believe any of it anymore. There was always exaggeration in the music from the outset, but now it's just ridiculous.

[Tim Mihalsky]

05:42 PM on 07/10/2010

Yes!!!! Listening to most rap songs you can figure out what kind of car they drive, what city they live in, how big of a house they have, where they go out, how many ladies they sleep with and then 6 months later a report comes out that the same rapper is filing for bankruptcy.

Thanks for reading.

[aznurse]

01:43 AM on 07/08/2010

and he made some powerful political statements against the Wars and the previous administration when hardly anyone else did.

He seems like he likes to be in control and you're not when your high.
I wish him the best!

[Tim Mihalsky]

05:40 PM on 07/10/2010

Yes you're very right and present a great point. He did make very powerful statements against the administration and he did it at a time of wiretapping/who else knows when people were a little more leery to do so.

Thanks for reading

[Detourz]

11:27 PM on 07/07/2010

I agree with everything you've written here. I've long thought that his fearless ability to be honest is what put him at the top and kept him there. Well, in addition to his seemingly natural lyrical rhythm. Lots of people could learn from that, sadly most won't.

[Tim Mihalsky]

05:38 PM on 07/10/2010

Absolutely... Luckily, my life is nothing crazy so there is nothing to cover up nor is it "newsworthy"... yet haha.

Thanks for reading.

[Libertarian09]

08:38 PM on 07/07/2010

I too have always been a fan of Marshal's honesty and ability to cut right to the heart of the issue at hand. I am not a big fan of rap or hip-hop (don't really know what the difference is) but in a sea of celebrities who are afraid to present themselves as they truly are I find him to be refreshing

[Tim Mihalsky]

05:37 PM on 07/10/2010

Refreshing is a great word to describe him. Its nice to know that what you see is what you get with Eminem and no one else in any of the "famous" industries really allow that.

[Rick Short 21]

05:20 PM on 07/07/2010

Excellent post, topic, and comments!

Which brings us to the next phase of PR, Marcom, branding, etc., which is SUSTAINABILITY.

Yes, Eminem does a good job of calling himself out on his transgressions. Trouble is, he does it a lot!

It's admirable for any person/organization to do this, but there is a limit. If Tiger or BP (or Eminem) did it once, it would be rare, appreciated, effective, and appreciated. If, like Eminem, BP did it (outing themselves) repeatedly, they'd be considered a serial polluter and a bad corporate citizen.

In conclusion, THANKS to Eminem for showing us the next step in 8 MILE. We should all master it and move on to more sustainable behavior: having little or nothing to confess.

[Tim Mihalsky]

05:34 PM on 07/10/2010

Yes if we all had little or nothing to confess there would never be room for "exclusive" "Facebook findings" "texts from last night" situations.

Thanks for reading. I will be publishing another good one early next week.

[kimujnr]

01:17 PM on 07/07/2010

Eminem mastered the mea culpa and he's been on it since he blew up into the scene. It must hark back to his battling days, being the only white guy in a volatile and black dominated hip hop environment he had to use his weaknesses as a weapon since being white was a massive handicap for him.

[Tim Mihalsky]

03:54 PM on 07/07/2010

I completely agree he had to use his weaknesses as a weapon. But someone who is willing to do that is rare and obviously why most public figures sugar coat most everything. Thanks for reading

[Mr Grieves]

11:45 AM on 07/07/2010

The man's honesty is undeniable, no matter what you think of the man himself.

[Tim Mihalsky]

04:04 PM on 07/07/2010

Agreed. Thanks for reading.

[MrLucasBrice]

11:41 AM on 07/07/2010

Tim confuses public relations practitioners with a publicist. They are not the same thing. Someone in the public relations industry might help a business get on a TV show or write a press release when a company announces a newsworthy product. A publicist manages publicity for celebrities.

[Tim Mihalsky]

04:00 PM on 07/07/2010

I agree that Public Relations and publicist are completely different. Even with corporate public relations though there is a lot of dishonesty and sugarcoating. Look at BP. Why don't they just come out and say they made a huge mistake for XYZ reason and we're going to do XYZ to fix it.

I'm not a fan of "spin". I'm a blunt and honest person so I think public figures should be as well to make it a lot easier on themselves.

Thanks for reading though

[justbenice]

10:41 AM on 07/07/2010

So very true! I have been an Eminem fan for a very long time and have always admired his ability to just spit out the truth, no matter how undesirable it may be. I wish I could be half as honest with myself as he can be. If PR folks knew when to just be honest without the spin, you are right, people would have a whole lot more respect for their clients! Especially in the case of Tiger Woods... geez! Great post!

[Tim Mihalsky]

04:02 PM on 07/07/2010

Thank you! I'm glad we agree on all counts! Should we start our own PR firm!??!

Thanks for reading!