Tag Archives: COVID-19

A Post Dedicated to Our Friend Phin Johnson

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Back in January, our friend Phin Johnson died of COVID and a heart attack. The loss has been felt not only by us but also by many in our industry. Phin was the nicest guy and an uber fan of many of the girls. He went to all the trade shows and was always positive, smiling, and fun.

I met Phin when we worked with ArchAngel over five years ago–he was part of the Freaky Crew that promoted their brand and helped with social media. But Phin stood out, he was always offering to help in any way he could, and we became friends going out to dinner and texting each other. Phin sent us clients like Carmela Clutch and Rachael Cavalli.

I think the thing I will miss the most is his texts saying, “E how’s it going? Everything OK?” Of all the people I have known in the 15+ years I’ve worked in the industry, he was one I knew really cared about the girls, industry, and me. I trusted him completely and even hired him as security for one of our clients during AVN. As I write this, it’s still not real–I feel like he’s still going to text, and I can’t take his contact out of my phone.

If you didn’t know Phin, you really missed out. The Daily Memphian recently published a piece about him and his love of the Memphis Tigers. It’s a small snapshot of a great man who will be missed and definitely not replaced. Check it out at dailymemphian.com/article/19371/calkins-a-tiger-loss-a-tiger-death-and-why-hope-is-the-only-answer

Everyone Is Getting Canceled?

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Lady Gaga is a great example of using social media correctly.

A recent Yahoo article discussed how more stars are getting in hot water than ever before (aka canceled), in just the past few weeks.

Lana DelRey claimed she was “more unfairly treated than various women of color”.

Dojacat is rumored to have been in “an incel-friendly chatroom and recorded a song with allegedly dog-whistling lyrics”, which led to the trending hashtag of #DOJACATISOVERPARTY.

Ellen DeGeneres paralleled self-isolating in a multi-million dollar mansion to being in prison and has also received flack for treatment of her employees.

And, Jeffree Star named his latest eyeshadow palette “Cremated’ during a pandemic, which was received as “insensitive’ and got unwanted harsh criticism.

Because of the current COVID-19 climate, stars are under even more scrutiny than ever. When life and death come into play, these types of missteps get even more magnified.

A PR expert interviewed for the Yahoo article news.yahoo.com/everyone-getting-canceled-quarantine-why-073133054.html?soc_src=community&soc_trk=ma had some very interesting thoughts including:

“Online backlash regarding celebrities’ lavish lifestyles is unwarranted because that’s just the reality of the rich and famous. ‘You’re looking at celebrities! Of course, they’re going to be in a beautiful home. If you can’t handle it, then don’t look at celebrities and don’t listen to them.’

We disagree–there is a time and a place for everything. When many people can’t afford to feed their families or pay their bills, it’s not a time to flaunt your wealth.

Eileen Koch, founder of Los Angeles based EKC PR, advised that celebrities should try their best to stay above the drama because not all of them are “emotionally strong” enough to interact with random social media users. “You’re not dealing on a fair basis. You’re not in a court where it’s controlled.”

Yes, they should try to stay out of the drama and think before posting to social media. It has nothing to do with being emotionally strong.

According to Koch, if a public figure makes a mistake, they should keep their apology to a minimum. “Less is more, if there’s something that you really did and you’re owning up to it, there’s nothing wrong with saying ‘I’m sorry.’ But if it’s someone’s negative opinion, then you’re just going to fuel the fire.”

Yes, you should apologize publicly. But, you should also consult your publicist for the best way to attack each situation–there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.

We advise our clients about how to use social media when they start with us to avoid these types of blunders. Knowledge and self-control are your allies when using social media. If you would like to know more about our services and how we can help you, check out our site therubpr.com.