Ellen DeGeneres on "O"

On Nov. 12, the new issue of “O” will appear on store shelves. Ellen DeGeneres began her quest to appear the cover of Oprah’s magazine as a New Year’s Resolution.

Although DeGeneres’ original wish, to be the first person to share the cover of “O” with Oprah, did not come true (Michelle Obama appeared with Oprah in April), DeGeneres accepted Oprah’s request to join her on the holiday issue.

In her campaign to join the cover of “O,” DeGeneres created many funny mock covers for Oprah’s consideration. Also, she had an “O Yes I Can” segment in each show where she spoke about her efforts to get on the cover.

DeGeneres’ quest for the cover of “O” worked as a promotion tool for the magazine and for Oprah’s show. Also, the "Ellen" Web site provides links to purchase copys of the magazine, a video of the photo shoot and a time countdown until the release.

Oprah should thank DeGeneres for her extreme promotion of "O."

To purchase a copy or check out the funny mock ups DeGeneres created check out http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/200912-omag-ellen-degeneres-oprah-cover.

Countdown to "Precious"

“Precious,” opening in select theatres on Friday, is produced by Oprah and Tyler Perry and is rumored to be Oscar-worthy. I am very excited to see the movie. It features Mariah Carey, Mo’nique, Lenny Kravitz, Paula Patton and Gabourey Sidibe, and is based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire.

The story takes place in Harlem and traces the life of an overweight, uneducated girl, who is pregnant with her second child and endures daily abuse from her mother. The movie’s goal is to show that there are stories behind those the world sees as irrelevant.

In preparation for its release, some of the main characters appeared on “Ellen” to promote the movie. Many people are surprised with the talent of Gabourey Sidibe, who plays Precious, because she had never acted before. In her interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Sidibe said that she was able to produce such talent because she has known characters like Precious in her life.

Mo’nique, who plays Precious’ abusive mother, also spoke with DeGeneres about how she was able to channel her monstrous character. She spoke of her experience being molested by her older brother and how the part actually helped her gain closure.

I predict that the film will be successful because of the promotion of the film before its release and the powerful message the film has to offer.

Visit the "Precious" website for the trailer and more information about the movie.

Adam Lambert's controversial album cover

“American Idol” runner-up Adam Lambert released his album cover online yesterday. His new album, “For Your Entertainment,” will be released on Nov. 23. Overnight, many people have been buzzing about the rocker-glam style of the cover.

I am a huge fan of Lambert from “American Idol,” and the cover does not surprise me. Lambert has an iconic style, which requires him to be different. However, the cover’s “campy” look had some bad responses.

Lambert responded to this criticism by tweeting, “‘Thank you to those who appreciate and understand that the album cover is deliberately campy. It’s an homage to the past. It IS ridiculous. For those that don’t get it: oh well… Glad to have gotten your attention,’” reported “Entertainment Weekly.”

Lambert used an outstanding public relations technique, social networking, to directly communicate with his supporters and opposition. By using devices like Twitter, Facebook, or MySpace, artists can quickly access problems, build a relationship with their supporters, and reach potential fans.

Also, by releasing his controversial cover before his actual album is released, Lambert made another smart public relations decision. Every artist wants everyone to talk about them and what they are doing. More people will be aware of his album release after the buzz created by the cover.

Adam, you are such a smart rock star!!!

Tom Cruise is immature and homophobic...fact or fiction?

While being interviewed by "The Onion A.V. Club," Bronson Pinchot accused fellow "Risky Business" actor Tom Cruise as inappropriate and homophobic.

Pinchot and Cruise spent quite a bit of time together on the set of the 1983 box-office hit. In his interview, Pinchot stated that Cruise was “tense and made constant, constant unrelated homophobic comments.”

In response to this allegation, Cruise’s representative reported to "Entertainment Weekly" that “Obviously, this [the allegation] is so far removed from who Tom Cruise is as a person, this must have been said in jest.”

Not only is this allegation far-fetched, but the statements supposedly made occurred 26 years ago, when Cruise was 20 years old and probably immature and unaware of the repercussions of his jokes.

From a public relations angle, by negatively name-dropping Cruise, Pinchot created bad buzz for himself. There was no need to attack a fellow actor so long after working with him. Also, Cruise’s response should have addressed the time aspect of the allegation and Pinchot’s lack of proof. Saying his supposed statement was made “in jest” might evoke that he regularly jokes about homosexuals and has not matured since this incident. If he receives more media attention from this allegation, he should re-think his response.

Oh Farrah, how we miss you

Almost four months have past since our beloved Farrah Fawcett passed away. The famous “Charlie’s Angels” star died after a long battle with anal cancer. To commemorate her life and struggle, long-time friend Alana Stewart produced a movie called “Farrah’s Story” and wrote a novel called “My Journey with Farrah.”

Released on May 15, 2009 on NBC, “Farrah’s Story” is an inside look at Fawcett’s struggle with cancer, and what helped her live through it. This is an inspiring work that shows the main reason Fawcett was able to endure cancer is because of the people that loved her.

However, rumors have begun to circulate about the profits from the documentary. Many accuse Alana Stewart as benefitting from her best friend’s story. The New York Post reported, “Upon her return to the United States [from accompanying Fawcett to Germany for cancer treatments], Stewart threatened to withhold the footage unless her ‘co-producer’ credit was upped to ‘producer’ and her compensation doubled to $200,000.”

When dealing with the death of icons like Fawcett, it is often difficult to determine when someone is creating a work to commemorate their life, or to profit off of their death.

Although Stewart claims she only received compensation for her expenses in creating the documentary, these allegations reveal something quite different, especially now after her recent release of “My Journey with Farrah.”

But, she was able to resolve some of those rumors when she recently appeared on ABC’s “The View” to promote her new novel. Stewart reiterated that she was only reimbursed for creating the documentary, which she says she created at Fawcett’s request. She also clarified the reason she wrote her novel was to share the Farrah she knew with the world.

This was a wonderful public relations tactic for Stewart. She was able to correct the rumors that she had profited immensely from the documentary, and to clearly state the reasons that she created the works. Also by appearing on ABC’s “The View,” Stewart reached the women that would be concerned and affected by Fawcett’s story. She ended her visit by giving each member of the audience a copy of “My Journey with Farrah,” another smart promotional tactic. Good job Stewart.