Roman Polanski- Artisan or Rapist?

In TIME magazine’s ‘Inbox’ this month there was a heated discussion about the sentencing of Roman Polanski in 1977 and the confusion as to why the American art scene is outraged at his recent arrest. A reader commented

‘It is ironic that Hollywood is exuberant about throwing a demonstrably contrite Mel Gibson under the bus yet is eager to rally around an unrepentant Polanski. Somehow the moral compass is askew and rigged against those who don’t genuflect properly.’

It was this comment that made me question P.R and the ethical issues involved.

For those who may not know the story of Mr Polanski, he had non-consensual sex with a 13 year old girl in 1977 and has an outstanding debt to pay to her, hence the arrest in Switzerland a mere 32 years after his conviction. The story has only re-entered the news as he was arrested by Swiss guards while receiving a lifetime achievement award at the Zurich Film Festival.

Mel Gibson on the other hand has effectively been banished from Hollywood for directing and acting in ‘The Passion’, a film criticised for its anti-Semitic views.
How has it come to be that a rapist is still celebrated and nominated for Academy Awards and Lifetime Achievements and yet an actor who participates in a rather controversial movie is cast out?

Roman Polanski is a skilled artisan who should be celebrated for his work however I believe every action has a consequence and in this case it requires a considerable punishment. Instead a rather large group of influential people believe he should not have to repent his actions. What does this say about similar offenders? Move to another country and your convictions shall be forgotten? Make a movie and it will all be ok?

Mel Gibson I feel has received a far greater punishment than Polanski for a far smaller indiscretion. If Polanski had been publicly slandered across a multitude of magazines, websites and newspapers for his actions I would feel a little better about his lack of sincerity.

Roman Polanski’s publicist has been keeping the story to a minimum, portraying Polanski as a victim who is being unrightfully detained. Clever man. Is this ethically right? Should he not tell the truth? That Polanski ran off to America before his conviction was complete and therefore has to settle it now that he is back in the E.U. Apparently not. However where credit is due I have to commend the publicist on his tight reigns on the story by giving the press the bare minimum to prevent a scandal from forming.

I am still trying to understand the limits and crevices presented to public relations practitioners. To what extent are we able to ‘tweak’ the information? Obviously in the case of Roman Polanski I would do everything in my power not to represent him, problem solved. But how is the current situation ethically viable? Roman Polanski is a convicted rapist who has not entirely paid his debt to society. Part of this said society is saying it is perfectly fine to let Polanski go free yet we must out-cast Gibson. Is it because Polanski makes better movies then Mel?

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Surgically Sterile Environment- Live Free From Swine Flu

Not only does the world have to deal with terrorists, global warming and an economic recession, but apparently there is something far, far worse looming in your very own house. Germs.

Thankfully however Dettol, the saviours that they are, have created a liquid to combat 99.9% of the nasty little bugs. Worried sick mothers can now sleep a little easier knowing that any Swine flu bacteria has been swiftly annihilated after the immediate Dettol shower the three children and husband were subjected to the minute they came through the door.

This fear has not stemmed from a detergent advertisement but instead the NHS P.R campaign to inform the nation of the swine flu and how to combat it. Now every time I walk into an elevator I have to push the button with my elbow, which has at least two layers of material on it or feel an overwhelming need to sanitise my hands within seconds of touching a hand railing in the fear that someone dirty has been there before me. No I do not have ODC (obsessive compulsive disorder) I have merely been mentally inflicted with these messages.

P.R does have the power to influence and inform, and although their intention was good it has merely added to over zealous parents list of things to do. And the slightly neurotic.

For example there has been a great boom in ‘Kinderkords’ which are effectively little human leashes allowing your child to get a whole three feet away. Why would someone buy this product? It's another way to control your immediate environment. Keeping them away from germs, nasty men, and naughty words. Spray your child regularly with anti-bacterial solution and keep him on a leash and he will forever be safe from harm. The campaign about the dirt on your child’s high chair has more bad bacteria than a toilet seat had good intentions but the consequences were far greater and are now actually threatening a child’s right to play.

I think the time has come to run a new style of campaign. For example one that does not generate fear to such a limitless extent. Neurosis and anti-bacterial substances have replaced the simple, non-threatening campaign style. Do not get me wrong, I understand the whole germ mania however like most things in this day and age ‘everything in moderation’. Even germs.

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Graffiti Sprayed Positive

Finally Glasgow City Council has realised the power of public relations and how essential it is to establish a relationship with their community.

In a bid to stop graffiti in Glasgow they have decided to fight fire with fire and bring in Sam Bates, an extremely skilled graffiti artist. This P.R strategy has at long last created an understanding between graffiti artists or ‘vandals’ and the local community. To Glasgow City Council it is a win-win situation.

I am completely flabbergasted as to why this approach has not been used before. I was discussing it with my delightful mother who chirped “that’s the suggestion you made when you were eight.” What can I say, I am a child genius. Either that or the fact it was so obvious an eight year old could come up with the ever so simple idea.

My point. By bringing in Sam Bates, Glasgow looks nicer and Glasgow City Council is saving millions of pounds each year in clean-up costs they would normally have to spend cleaning up the, let’s be honest, rather awful ‘menchies’ that non-skilled graffiti artists would spray on walls.

The council saves money; Sam Bates is a Scottish artist showing his work; the Glasgow community have stunning Commonwealth Game scenes to look at; and fellow graffiti artists appreciate the work and don’t doodle all over it. I believe this is what we call Symmetrical Communication. It rarely happens. And yet here is Glasgow, the slightly jagged edged city, making all those who occupy her, happy. They just made a city-full of relationships! Let us hope to maintain them.

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Guerrilla P.R

When advised to discuss P.R, the most obvious topics that spring to mind are how public relations differs from marketing and the dominant paradigm and how it influences P.R practice. Surprisingly I have decided not to dwell on either of these issues. Instead I shall move away from them towards the more practical and adventurous side of public relations and will look at Guerrilla P.R and its marvelous techniques, as unconventional and outrageous as they are.

As effective as news releases and mailing lists are, it sometimes takes a little bit more to establish a relationship with the key public. Consider it a romantic gesture if you will. A romantic gesture that is creative, thoughtful and unique. Let’s be honest, we all love to feel special.

The Guerrilla P.R guru Michael Levine explains it as the Tiffany Theory. Levine states that “a gift delivered in a box from Tiffany's will have a higher perceived value than one in no box or a plain box. That's not because the recipient is a fool; it's because in our society, we gift-wrap everything: our politicians, our corporate heads, our movie and TV stars, and even our toilet paper. Tiffany paper places a higher perceived value on things”

I believe if I were told to pick one box from a selection of plain boxes and one was from Tiffany’s, I would pick the pretty blue box. Surprising? Not in the slightest. Guerrilla P.R is effectively making an organisation stand out from the standard clutter of campaigns. Using slightly unorthodox and irregular techniques is simply providing the public with more evidence as to why they should persuade themselves to become an active public within the organization.

Do not get me wrong, I think conventional P.R tactics are most certainly needed to maintain relationships, however sometimes a little ‘off-the-wall’ public relations can attract the non-active public and establish a long anticipated relationship with those who were unreachable by the standard methods.

For an example of a Guerrilla P.R company and their case studies look at www.guerillapr.com as they have worked with some of the world’s biggest brands.

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