Media a PR barometer

Celebrities and publicity go hand-in-hand. The celebs (unless they’re “no-talents”) usually feature when they have something to sell.

I picked up The Weekend Australian Magazine yesterday and there was a pinter to an article on Eric Clapton, whom I haven’t heard about for a while.

I commented to my wife: “he must have an album coming out.”

Close call. In fact he has an autorised autobiography.

This is not a rant at Eric Clapton, or any other performers. Rather, it’s a casual observation that they only appear in the media when they want something: publicity. One of the most obvious vehicles for this is the 60 Minutes TV program. Robert De Niro suddenly surfaces and, surprise, surprise; he’s opening a restaurant in Melbourne.

Even the movies shown on television usually link with a new release. A re-runs of Oceans 11 signalled the release of Oceans 13. In the past three weeks, Channel 9 has shown all three installments of Back To The Future. I’m still working on that one. Maybe there’s a fourth due.

Out there somewhere the PR people are pushing products. Stay tuned.