910 At last, Spectator.co.uk published this down-to-earth reality article by Ms. Carol Sarler

Here is a beautiful link to a Spectator.co.uk article by Ms. Carol Sarler, on the issue of Celebrities employing publicists to boost their image. The title of the Article is "The famous persons do not need personal publicists". Click here to go to Spectator.co.uk. to study Ms. Carol Sarler's Article, in depth. This article can also be read at DeccanChronicle.Com. You can see this on page 11 of their Print Edition dated 22nd Feb. 2017, Wednesday. The context of the Article is, the leakage of Emails sent by Mr. David Beckham, Famous UK Footballer, to his publicist, which have something to do with Knighthood for the footballer. In her article, Ms. Carol Sarler, made a brilliant observation:--

"... Whatever calamitous infelicities David Beckham did or did not email to his publicist, few will doubt that he has lived to rue the day. Nevertheless, I'll bet teeth that he is pointing his ruing in the wrong direction: that he is tormented by the moment he pressed 'send' — but not similarly kicking himself for hiring a publicist in the first place. It will be left to thee and me to wonder what was the point. When you are already richer than God, you are one of the sporting legends of your generation and your face would be recognised by a yeti in the wastes of Siberia — why might you ever want to fork out gazillions to a man who describes himself as 'managing David Beckham's global communications strategy’, which translates as ‘making him even more famous’? ..."

ybrao-a-donkey's views which are not intended to be imposed on others

Two things may have to be considered: 1. Whether publicists, also undertake the work of 'lobbyists' for getting the expected awards/honors/titles such as knighthood?

2. Whether the results of efforts of the publicists can be mathematically measured? Can they be tangibly estimated? E.g. say, in the case of Mr. David Beckham, what were his publicity levels before employing the publicist? What are his publicity levels after employing the publicist? The number of Twitter followers, Facebook Followers, Likes, etc. do not appear to be dependable indicators for these measurements.

3. Why do the names of only some SELECTED CELEBRITIES- such as politicians, cricketers, film stars, doctors, lawyers, business tycoons, etc. appear in the Press and Electronic Media frequently, and in a favorable tone, whereas several others who have equally credible performances and talents are ignored? What are the roles of the publicists employed by such high profile celebrities, in ensuring such larger-than-life publicities? Are the Publicists creating snake pits from mole hills?

Question: Do Indian Celebrities appoint publicists for Media Glaze, and lobbyists for Awards Chase?

Ans: It appears so, but more evidence and research is needed. Let us hope that India's Media does it, some day.

Whom can we include here? We need not mention individual names of India's who is who. Almost all the film stars seem to have personal publicists, including the Great Three Khans, Big B (this word itself seems to have been coined by Publicists), all the top Cricketers. It is also difficult to say whether this is a trait of the 21st Century or the 19th and 20th Centuries.

It is difficult to pin-point any particular Celebrity as the one who has depended on crutches provided by publicists. It might have started with Late Ms. Indira Gandhi, the Third Regular Prime Minister of India, who succeeded the First Regular Prime Minister of INdependent India, Late Jawaharlal Nehru, and the Second Regular Prime Minister Late Lal Bahadur Shastry. The cotere surrounding Ms. Indira Gandhi, tried to depict Ms. Gandhi, as the Savior of India, with "Amma" (Mother) image. A Congress President of Her days, Dev Kanth Baruva, called her "Indira is India, and India is Indira".

Ms. Indira Gandhi, Late Rajiv Gandhi, et al needed some type of prop-ups because, they have nothing significant such as Educational Accomplishments, Literary Creations, Contributions of Journalism, etc. to coo about, except their belonging to Nehru Dynasty and occupying the Prime Ministerial Chair (गद्दी సింహాసనం) through succession, either by their own volition or per force, pushed by sycophant politicians who wanted to use the scions of Nehru Dynasty as tools to serve their own vested interests.

When it comes to Late V.P. Singh, the Prime Minister who succeeded Late Rajiv Gandhi, it might have become difficult for his publicists to find out a niche to magnify him. They found Late V.P. Singh as a prolific painter and tried to present him as such. Actually, Late V.P. Singh didn't need any such prop-ups, because he was already Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, and earned some sort of reputation as some one who was not very particular about his power, post, and position.

There were, there are, and there will be many scientists of great accomplishments in India, who contributed greatly to India's Scientific progress, and India's Defence Preparedness. Yet, Late A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (I do not want to belittle his scientific accomplishments) received special publicities right from the days he was Head of DRDO in Hyderabad, and the processes went successfully to such levels that he received the attention of both the Congress and BJP Top Leaders, who might have found him as an acceptable minority face to occupy the Chair of the President of India. I do not wish to say that Late APJ Abdul Kalam was ill-qualified to be the Rashtrapati. But, there were/are many others who were/are equal to him in several respects, but yet, they did not reach their zeniths, or get opportunities.

DANGERS OF VAGARIES OF FORTUNE BECKONING SOMEBODY EITHER AT RANDOM OR IN SOME OTHER MANNER / COURSE

The main problem with this type of somebody getting lifted to top by quirk of luck, or what I do not know, results, at least in one fall out. Ambitious bureaucrats, politicians, film stars, cricketers, even doctors and lawyers, judges, start trusting astrologers, and tantrics with a hope that they will turn-around their sluggish-not-so-fast-raising fortunes. India has several God Persons, astrologers-tantrics-God-persons who receive patronage from bureaucrats, politicians, who suffer from an erroneous belief that the miracle-makers can change their future.

The following paragraph from the article of Ms. Carol Sarler, linked to above, is very very important:

"... Make no mistake: the personal publicist has nothing in common with the traditional PR machine that has always played midwife to the launch of a book, play, film or sporting event. The machine concentrates on the project before the person; an interview with, say, the leading actor is only part and parcel of the wider aim to nudge interest and consequently ticket sales. Few, indeed, hold the personal publicist in greater contempt than the more experienced public relations expert. ‘We don’t share the same DNA,’ sniffs one such. The personal publicist gives small damn for the bigger picture. Unlike an agent or manager, who works for a percentage of earnings and thus is invested in the long-term success of the collective project, the personal publicist is paid a fee to concentrate on the individual, even at a cost to the rest. ..."

In the above paragraph, Ms. Carol Sarler has clearly brought out the subtle distinction between the "Public Relations (PR)" Staff and the Publicists. In Indian Government Departments, Corporations, Institutions and Organisations, this tribe of who are known as "Public Relations Officers" and "Liason Officers" are very common. IN my last birth as a "Public Sector Bank Officer", I have seen some such creatures. Bosses seem to use them less for their own personal publicity tasks. The PROs and Liaison Officers seem to be used for some tasks which the Boss (bureaucrat/politician/Corporate Head, or whoever it may be), himself would hesitate to do personally on behalf of the Organisation, even if he-she has time.

Example: Booking Air-Tickets from an Airline, for Bigger Bosses, at the last moment, jumping the queue.
Booking Guest Houses owned by Corporate Clients, for use of Bigger Bosses and their families.
Sending sarees, suits, silver and gold articles to the Bigger Bosses and their families, as gifts.
Sending booze bottles/giving booze parties to Journalists, Government Officials, to get publicity or to get favors. etc. etc.

Govt. / Public Sector / Private Sector Corporate Bosses consider these tasks as menial, to do themselves personally, and somebody has to be entrusted with this delicate work.

INDIVIDUALS, AND PRIVATE ORGANISATIONS CANVASSING FOR GOVERNMENT AWARDS SUCH AS BHARAT RATNA, PADMA VIBHUSHAN, PADMA BHUSHAN etc.

Like the United Kingdom, United States, France, in India also, lobbying for Awards, Fellowships, Rajya Sabha Memberships, Foreign Jaunts etc. is quite common. If some publicists help the wannabe with props-up, such appointments and services also get respectability.

ARRANGING FACE-BOOK LIKES, TWEETS AND RE-TWEETS, HASHES TO PROMOTE INDIVIDUALS AS GREAT STARS, FUTURE PRIME MINISTERS, PRESIDENTS, CONDUCTING INTERNET SURVEYS

These things, even when carried on magnitude of millions, yet do not attract criticism. They are all accepted as STATE OF THE ART, and PART OF ARTS OF LIVING.

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