May 5, 2007

As a contributing blogger for the Huffington Post, John explores the tradition of public shaming, its internet-era incarnations and its implications for politicians and CEOs alike

Excerpt:
By now the tale of George Allen's 'macaca' comment has all but vanished from the public discourse. It has become little more than an election-year parable, a conservative spook-story. The news cycle has trundled on to bigger and better gaffes; Michael Richards said the n-word, Alec Baldwin verbally abused his kid, David Hasselhoff got drunk, Don Imus got caught. Yet, remove the names and you have the same familiar story: a prominent figure says or does something culturally inappropriate, a recording ends up on the internet, and a critical pile-on ensues. George Allen's particular brand of racism aside, his experience is a microcosm of a much bigger trend affecting politicians, celebrities and CEOs alike: American culture has reinstated the art of public shaming, and the era of media-management is drawing to a close.

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