Stuff I Learned While Not Blogging for Two Weeks: 5.49

Sorry about the lack of posting. Of course, no one really emailed to say they missed me all that much. You guys still visit, though, which is sweet.

But here's what I learned.

1) Doing exec duty/doody for awhile dulls the writing senses. As much as I thought not blogging would lead to my working on my various scripts in an attempt to get paid the big bucks for writing small amounts (and plan for a viable Internet TV network while I'm at it), I largely failed. Oy.

2) I am no longer surprised that superflacks get work and get paid big bucks. Because frankly, it is rare that a Hollywood actor nowadays ain't got some major skeletons in their closet. And it's not just Tom Cruise and being gay, it's the Gubernator and dildos. I've heard so much dirt these past few weeks it's amazing. You'll probably get to hear some of it in the upcoming weeks. I'm spreading it out to protect and/or keep my sources in the dark, but I've heard some stories whose tellers certainly believed they were true. And often, they just seem to work out.

3) And speaking of publicists, I've discovered that the people of one of my favorite occupations are mostly afraid of bloggers. Mostly, I think this is due to the totally uncontrolled nature of the Internet. And bloggers react much differently to PR entreaties than what most PR types are used to. Add the fact that a number of bloggers are totally nuts, and you can see where apprehension is justified.

Unfortunately, that makes running PR-related activities is tough if you operate in the New Media arena at all. You guys know how I like New Media. But unfortunately, I haven't gotten much traction in my actions to push my media masters that way, despite all the business publication hullaballoo about how the industry is being redefined by New Media and shifting ad dollars around and the like. Bloody rot that, as my English friends would say. More on that later (#6)...

4) Something else I learned: Even Americans can be embarrassed by Americans abroad. It's one thing to have your people embarrass your in your home country at your home airport, but it's another thing entirely when they do it in front of the French. Case in point: the fanny-packin' Americans at Orly airport who were literally grabbing people as they ran through the airport, screaming at them: "DO YOU KNOW WHERE MY GATE IS?" Um...tried checking your tickets? Or one of those bright screens with all the flight numbers and cities on them? Numbers are the same in French and English. Trust me on this one.

What else have I learned?

5) It's a tough business, this Hollywood industry is. Fortunately, the Internet has made things more fluid and uncertain and given young people a fairly unique (but not unprecedented) ability, in historical terms, to leverage technology to their financial, and perhaps cultural, benefit.

6) Starving me of resources, as my bosses are doing, is not a good idea. If only they knew to invest in the future. Any ideas or comments on how to convince superiors to do this? I welcome them...

Perhaps that shall be a future post? Stay tuned, kids, this crazy train ain't nowhere near the station...

TECHNORATI TAGS: Hollywood, PR, publicists, Jetsetting, Travel