Law And More

Roger Who? - Ailes Documentary Boxoffice Bust

That was fast.

A sexual scandal, a forced resignation, an accidental death - then, it appears, it's all over for the legacy of Roger Ailes.

Once he was so powerful in cable broadcast that some speculated his boss at Fox Rupert Murdoch was afraid of him. Ailes even had his own personal public relations representative. That was Bob Dilenschneider. His creation of the unique conservative channel, at the time, disrupted television. 

Now, the first of the three documentaries on him has been a boxoffice disaster. It only has brought in $12,431, reports The Hill. 

That must be scaring the jesus out of those producing the two other documentaries. One hasn't been named but will star John Lithgow. The other is based on Gabriel Sherman's book "The Loudest Voice in the Room." 

Guess even media genius can have a short shelf life.

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"The Inventor" Explores Psychology of Deception - Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos

How so many were duped by Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes still remains a mystery. They range from Henry Kissinger to Rupert Murdoch.

Yes, the dynamics and details of the elaborate con were provided by The Wall Street Journal reporter John Carreyrou.

He broke the story in that newspaper.

That was despite how hard Holmes' celebrity lawyer David Boies huffed and puffed to not have the first expose published. Eventually it seemed to tarnish the Boies brand to have been associated with Holmes. Yesterday, he announced he was stepping down from leadership of the law firm he founded Boies Schiller. Here is the coverage in Law.com.

Eventually Carreyrou published the book "Bad Blood." A feature film derived from the book could be released in 2019.

But, the hunger to understand still exists - so much so that a second feature film will also be released about that saga. It's "The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley." The movie will have its debut at Sundance in Utah in 2019. Directed by Alex Gibney, it will explore the psychology of deception. Here are more details from TechCrunch.

A third probe into this kind of collective delusion has been Dan Lyons' book "Disrupted."

Fifty-something Lyons was laid off from his journalism job at Newsweek. To provide employer-paid health insurance for his wife and two young children he grabbed any job he could.

It turned out to be another example of tech startup magical thinking. More a cult than a contrived fraud it made no business sense. 

His next job stop was Gawker. And we all know how "Hulk Hogan v. Gawker" represented the beginning of the end of digital native hipster fun and profit, posing as journalism. 

Will all this analysis prevent the next tech con? The odds are against it. When I was interviewing sources for a book on tech entrepreneurship I asked why was so much money being risked. Most of the time there was no guarantee of reward.

The answers ranged from the anticipation of fast wealth to wanting to be close to the action. Those needs cast spells. That kind of voodoo has become standard. 

Attention is the currency of the 21^st century. Jane Genova helps you get it for products, services, points of view, causes, branding, careers after-50, and college admission.

In addition, this blog welcomes sponsored content.

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Noir Film Genre - Lawyers, Warn Your Deep-Pocketed Clients

It's straight out of the noir film genre.

The smart, cynical who should know better fall for, well what was crudely called in those days, "a dame."

Today, that's has been playing out big time, in tech.

There have been Marissa Mayer (Yahoo), Elizabeth Holmes (Theranos), and most recently Sheryl Sandberg (Facebook).

As a result, those deep-pocketed clients of lawyers have lost or could lose a lot of money.

Maybe it's hard-wired: the need to believe in a female presence. After all, despite technology, the continuity of the human race depends on the reproduction and nurturing of females. 

Lawyers must alert their clients: #MeToo ideology shouldn't necessarily create trust.  

Litigation Communications

Making points of law, policy issues, and politics accessible and engaging for the public, media, investors, and more. Complimentary consultation. Please contact janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Film-Maker Jay Roach - Yet One More Interpretation of the Fall of Roger Ailes

Outsized media genius Roger Ailes will live on among the ambitious and creative. Like film-maker Jay Roach they will find material in Ailes rise and fall to create or enhance their own Brandnames.

Currently for the stars playing in the Roach movie the stakes are high. That's what Hillary Busis introduces in her article in Vanity Fair. For example, John Lithgow depicts Ailes himself.

Most of us will pony up the ticket price to see the movie because we are eager to find out how Ailes, his loyalists, and his enemies are portrayed. No human being is really knowable. So it's interesting to reflect on how others position and package the minds and hearts of celebrities like Ailes. 

Busis' round-up of characters in the movie does not include Ailes' personal public relations representative. That was Bob Dilenschneider.

In many ways a dead ringer for Ailes, Dilenschneider was outed by the media for purchasing $15,000 in advertising promoting a vanity biography of his client.

The trouble was this: That bio had been published a year earlier. Duh.

Also, the promotion was perceived as a stratagem to distract from Gabriel Sherman's negative take "The Loudest Voice in the Room."

However, the caper backfired, boosting interest in Sherman's book. Here is the media analysis of all that. 

So, one wonders if Dilenschneider is part of the movie. In Sherman's book he makes a cameo appearance. His firm provided an internship to Ailes' pre-teen son Zack who arrived for duty in a limo. At Ailes' memorial, Zack, then all grown-up, defended his father against the allegations of sexual misconduct. 

Attention is the currency of the 21^st century. Jane Genova helps you get it for products, services, points of view, causes, branding, careers after-50, and college admission.

In addition, this blog welcomes sponsored content.

Free consultation janegenova374@gmail.com

 

Divided Congress - "Entitlement Reform" Stalled

Legislative gridlock can be a very good thing. 

The divided Congress, reports Bob Blancato in MarketWatch, means that the push for "entitlement reform" has lost traction. That happened as a result of the midterms, in which 48% of us over-65 voted for Democrats.

"Entitlement reform" is Orwellian-speak for cuts in benefits for the aging such as Social Security and Medicare. Fortunately, that won't happen in Congress in the near term.

Right now, we aging who are receiving "entitlements" are sitting pretty.

For 2019, our Social Security payment will be increased 2.8%. Meanwhile, the monthly cost of our Medicare, pulled from the Social Security payment, only will increase $1.50. 

In addition, in many locations around the U.S. there are Medicare insurance supplement plans which have no monthly premium. They also have a ceiling on the out-of-pocket co-pays for any year. Even at the high end, such as $6000+, the expense is manageable. 

Fortunately, fewer of us are depending primarily on Social Security.

Those of us who want to continue to work have figured out how to find it. Here is my guide, free to download, on how to navigate both boom and recessionary economies to earn a buck  Download Outwitting ageism.

In addition, as The New York Times reports, employers are recognizing our value. In fact, our generation represents the fastest growing age group in the labor force. 

The rub comes when struggling to land, hold, and get promoted in those "good" jobs. In that niche, age bias is still dominant. To manage that reality more of us are discovering that we have to evolve into The Scrambling Generation.

Daily we have to manage both the setbacks and opportunities in our professional lives. There is no settling in, at least not if we are determined to continue to earn income.

Here is an e-book, also free to download, on doing the scramble. 

Coaching and Thought Leadership Ghostwriting about Issues Associated with Aging.

Complimentary consultation, sliding scale fees. Please contact Jane Genova at janegenova374@gamil.com.

 

"Bad Times at the El Royale" - Gene Grabowski Type Crisis Communications Provides Emotionally/Morally Satisfying Resolution

A PTSD Vietnam veteran dies in peace.

The film tape FBI agent Laramie Sullivan (played by "Mad Men" Jon Hamn) is burned, remaining secret forever.

A cult leader is terminated. 

Suffering human beings take that shot at redemption. 

And, two underdogs get to enjoy funding for a whole new life.

That's the emotionally and morally satisfying ending for film noir "Bad Times at the El Royale."

Set in 1968, when California was full of infinite promise and Nevada was the only BigCasino game around, the movie focuses on seven strangers who arrive at the lodging which has seen better days.

Only two will get out alive.

And those two have been able to snatch redemption from a lifetime of suffering. Salvation includes the money from a 1956 bank robbery to start their lives over, this time on their terms.

Those two blessed humans are make-believe Roman Catholic priest Daniel Flynn (played by Jeff Bridges) and striving African American singer Darlene Sweet (payed by Cynthia Erivo). Since the counterculture was just getting off the ground then Sweet experiences extreme racial abuse and bias.

But it is Sweet who provides the exit strategy. She does this through the kind of wise crisis communications made iconic by kglobal partner Gene Grabowski. As Grabowski hammers, communication represents 80 percent of the manager's job. Sweet proves herself a brilliant manager. Here is one of Grabowski's thought leadership essays on the transformational power of communications Download CommunicationTrainingGeneGrabowski. 

It is Sweet who provides the template when to hold and when to hold with the strongman cult leader.

She overlooks Flynn's shady past, enlisting him as an ally.

She rallies the tormented veteran Miles Miller (played by Lewis Pullman) to kill once again.

Later when he is wounded, she convinces the fake priest Flynn to help Miller's passage by facilitating the final confession.

With his death Miller finds peace for having slaughtered 120 in his past.

She makes legit taking the bank robbery money.

It is her decision to burn the tape which could have undone faith in a deceased former leader. 

And, it's clear that Flynn will have human caring as he continues to slip into that horrific abyss of dementia.

Before arriving at El Royale, he had spent 12 years in prison for the robbery and had lost a brother as the result of it. The odd morality of the noir film makes audiences cheer that he has not only found a friend. He is freed from financial angst.

All the flashpoints in "Bad Times at El Royale" should get those on the front lines of community, business, and personal crisis to reflect on how they communicate. In his new series "FBI," Dick Wolf might incorporate some of kind of communication training Grabowski recommends for those accountable for managing a world which no longer has absolutes. 

Litigation Communications

Making points of law, policy issues, and politics accessible and engaging for the public, media, investors, and more. Complimentary consultation. Please contact janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

"Dateline" Effect" - Defense Attorney Lemarr Carver Commits Suicide

On "Dateline," those husbands who are suspected of murdering their wives wind up in court. 

It is becoming common, though, for husbands who murder their wives to commit suicide.

Could it be that they know from watching "Dateline" that they won't get away with the murder? That the husband is the first person the police suspect and that the evidence usually proves the police right?

That's only a theory.

No one will ever know why Lemarr Carver, 42, committed suicide by a gunshot to the head. He had been a criminal defense attorney in Oregon. Eventually, law enforcement may determine that he murdered his wife. Or they might not be able to assemble enough evidence to make such a ruling.  

What we do know is that Carver's dead body was discovered yesterday by police when they went to his Hillsboro, OR home with a search warrant. Two days earlier the body of his wife Tricia Carver, 46, had been found in a field near St. Paul, OR. Here are more details from the Daily Mail.

Both on "Dateline" and in these murder-suicides, the puzzling issue is: Why didn't the husband go the divorce route? Divorce lawyers should pilot a reality show on how divorce, despite what an ordeal and expense it can be, usually creates a fresh start for unhappy human beings.

Litigation Communications

Making points of law, policy issues, and politics accessible and engaging for the public, media, investors, and more. Complimentary consultation. Please contact janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Courage - Nowhere Near Getting Our Values Around It in 2018

Are those female law firm partners, ranging from Kerrie Campbell to Dawn Knepper, courageous for suing BigLaw for alleged gender discrimination?

Or, are they simply piggybacking on third-wave feminism which, in turn, has become a platform for #MeToo?

Or, horrors, are they reckless? 

In these unusual times it's a struggle to get our heads around what is "courage."

On Twitter, public affairs thought leader Richard Levick praised an instance of courage.

In coaching a 40-year-old woman in her personal essay for law school I am having her dig deep to describe how her unique version of courage listened, looked, walked, and talked.

And, among those in a recovery group in central Connecticut there had been an undertow of criticism that a lawyer shot himself in the head instead of having the "courage" to embrace the consequences of his third DUI.

There, of course, is no shortage of templates of courage.

President John Kennedy published his book "Profiles in Courage."

Mr. Smith went to Washington.

And, in "Stuart: A Life Backwards," there is the real life character alcoholic who chooses to live his life on the streets. 

There are also templates of downright stupidity.

The classic example is the teacher in "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" who encourages little girls to become political heroes. 

In between, there are so many questions. Unfortunately, most of the answers have been filled with 20th-century platitudes. 

Where can we find insight to help sort out even some of this?

Litigation Communications

Making points of law, policy issues, and politics accessible and engaging for the public, media, investors, and more. Complimentary consultation. Please contact janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Death Penalty Wrong Move in Robert Bowers' Case - Others Could Find Becoming a "Martyr" Seductive

The U.S. Attorney's Office is seeking the death penalty in the case of alleged mass murderer Robert Bowers. 

As the New York Daily News reports, U.S. Attorney Scott Brady has requested permission from U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions for that. 

Introducing the death penalty for a crime in which the alleged miscreant was acting on a belief system could position and package him as a kind of "martyr." To those with extreme values that could be seductive, motivating them to also engage in behavior which would result in the death penalty.

The recent film "Paul, Apostle of Christ" glorified being a martyr.

Before the followers of Christ were fed to the lions, Apostle Paul told them it would only hurt a bit, then they would enjoy eternal salvation. He himself was looking forward to martyrdom. Soon enough, he was beheaded. As the ax was being swung, Paul's face registered bliss.

Those who were socialized in an extreme religion such as Roman Catholicism likely were encouraged to engage in risky behavior to promote their beliefs and attract other members.

For example, in St. Boniface Roman Catholic School in downtown Jersey City, New Jersey, we children of immigrants were encouraged to embrace the career path of missionary in primitive regions of the world. That sure appealed to many of us until society overrode the message and directed us to college and a career path in Corporate America. 

Yes, children are impressionable. But so are myriad troubled adults. They could feel emboldened by the "sacrifice" Bowers had allegedly taken.

In addition, the death penalty rules out the possibility of redemption. In prison, Bowers, like Watergate lawyer Chuck Colson, could come to see things differently. 

Also, taking Bowers' life won't bring back the 11 in Squirrel Hill. 

Attention is the currency of the 21^st century. Jane Genova helps you get it for products, services, points of view, causes, branding, careers after-50, and college admission.

In addition, this blog welcomes sponsored content.

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Megan Luloff Goes Blackface at Halloween Party - School District Investigating

Megyn Kelly isn't the only one who has been oblivious to how offensive - and hurtful - blackface can be.

In Iowa, the Davenport School District is investigating a first-grade teacher who wore blackface at a Halloween party.

That particular district is being reviewed because it seems that an excessive number of minority students might have been channeled into special education.

Therefore that teacher at Walcott Elementary School should have been sensitive to the issues associated with blackface. However, she didn't connect the dots.

Megan Lulfoff put blackface on her face, arms, and legs to portray a character out the 2004 movie "Napoleon Dynamite." According to the coverage in the Daily Mail, no one at the event reacted negatively to the depiction. 

Teachers are usually expected to be hyper vigilant about what their behavior could be communicating. Yes, they are held to a higher standard. That's the way it is.

Incidentally, it isn't only African-Americans who experienced the pain of not being white.

Those of us who were officially "white" but from dark-skinned ethnic groups also suffered. Back on the mean streets of 1950s Jersey City, New Jersey, the fair-skinned WASPS, Irish, Germans, and Polish harassed us Italians. The nuns in St. Boniface grade school seemed to favor the cute little blondes, both girls and boys. 

In psychotherapy when I was 25, one issue I struggled to sort out was "being dark." 

Attention is the currency of the 21^st century. Jane Genova helps you get it for products, services, points of view, causes, branding, careers after-50, and college admission.

In addition, this blog welcomes sponsored content.

Free consultation janegenova374@gmail.com