Turn the Page

Juli Freeman, United States

Years from now when we look back at this past decade’s trends (or until VH1 does part two of “I Love the New Millennium”) standouts might include American Idol, the iPhone, Sudoku, and the Snuggie (a true classic), but I think the new millennium is also marked by the rise of the celebrity author. Nowadays everywhere I look there’s another D-lister promoting his or her latest venture, be it a tell-all memoir, how-to guidebook or the like. It seems like book deals are the new reality show, and celebrities seem to have invaded publishing. Miley Cyrus, Nicole Richie, Carrie Fisher, Victoria Gotti, Valerie Bertinelli, Howie Mandel, Lebron James, Tori Spelling, and the list goes on and on. For every Madeline Albright and Frank McCourt, there’s a Nene Leakes (of “Real Housewives” fame) and a Russell Brand (whose memoir “My Booky Wook” sounds truly compelling…) who seek the reputation-boost that comes with putting the pen to the page. Even Jenny Sanford, wife of the Governor of North Carolina Mark Sanford, is telling her story of the “heartbreak behind the headlines”[1] in 300 pages or less. I’m anxiously waiting in anticipation.

In this age of Twittering and Tivo, I can’t help but wonder why good-old-fashioned books are still so popular. With all the debate over the death of traditional media, it seems like books have made a comeback and have proven to be a great way to get one’s message out there and gain publicity.

So, is traditional media really dying? Are people really trading television for YouTube and books for blogs?

One person has recently proven that we should not mourn our old-fashioned ways just yet, and that person is none other than former teen star, nay heartthrob, Neil Patrick Harris. At this year’s Emmy Awards when NPH crooned, “Put down the remote,” he was really talking about how the television landscape has changed. No longer is it TV dinners in front of the black and white console, but it’s fast-forwarding through the commercials on your DVR and logging on to Hulu to catch the latest episode of “Glee.” (No shame, I’m obsessed too.)

OK yes, the landscape has changed, but that doesn’t necessarily mean people are ready to accept it whole-heartedly. In a day when you can watch the Emmy’s online, YouTube the acceptance speeches, read the live-blog and follow the red carpet OMG moments on Twitter, Neil Patrick Harris struck a chord with his performance, and not just because of what he was singing about. His performance was truly a nod to the likes of Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, and it made the audience remember a time when people surfed waves and not the internet and there was no such verb as “to google.” Some say sex sells, but so does nostalgia. “Mad Men” is wildly successful, “Melrose Place” and “FAME” are the latest in a long line of TV shows and movies that have been revamped, and this summer’s DVD release of the TV series “Thirty-Something” had Boomers a flurry with revisiting the struggles of Michael and Hope, garnering tons of media coverage, including at least three pieces in The New York Times.

Maybe, just maybe, releasing a book is in some ways a throwback to the olden days. For some people, picking up a book and feeling the turn of the pages, without music or TV in the background (gasp!), is a welcome change to the glow of a computer screen. An escape from technology is what they’re looking for, and a good-old book provides that.

So maybe the Kathy Griffins and the Countess de Lesseps of the world have it right. They have tapped into a form of communication that is evergreen. PR has the ability to communicate cohesively, seamlessly integrating Twitter and websites with viral campaigns and Facebook groups. But maybe the wave of the future is advising our clients write a book (in addition to creating a blog, web series or Twitter handle).  After all, if a new book can elicit such immense publicity for authors as I see nowadays, then it can surely summon the “Today Show” gods for a brand in need of a little hype.

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[1] The New York Times, September 22, 2009, http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/22/wife-of-governor-sanford-signs-a-deal-to-write-a-memoir/