Sadly, Britney Spears just never learns! I decided to update everyone about Spears since my first posting. Ms. Spears has had a very busy week. She failed her drug test and ran a red light, and of course, photographers were there to catch it all on camera and video.

Last week, gossip site, TMZ, reported that Spears ignored a red light and drove through a dangerous intersection in L.A. while text messaging with her two sons asleep in the backseat. Her ex-husband’s lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, said he plans to use the video clip in court during their upcoming custody battle.

 On Monday, TMZ reported that a source close to Spears said a drug test came back positive but claimed it was a false reading.  According to People, a missed drug test is a failed test, and Spears has missed eight of her last 14 tests.

While I was trying to find more stories about the drug test, I came across an article, once again on TMZ, about an argument Spears’ lawyer used in court. A previous court order requires Spears to respond within an hour to the drug-testing center, but apparently, Spears has been violating this order because the center sometimes calls the pop star as early as 8 a.m. Her lawyer, Anne Kiley, argued in court that pop stars don’t get up that early.

“You are not a pop star with a number one album, so you don’t know.”

In the article, it says, “the courtroom erupted in laughter.” How could you not? I find it hard to believe that that was a serious argument. Because she is a pop star, she gets to take her drug tests when it’s appropriate for her. This stuns me.

I realize celebrities get special treatment everywhere they go, but should the time they get drug tested be one of these special treatments? I don’t think 8 a.m. is that early, but  I am not a pop star with a number one album!

According to TPR Web site, this year it created 62 lists based on the responses of 120,000 students across the country. Results are based on survey questions about the use of alcohol and drugs, hours of study each day and the popularity of the Greek system.

As I was skimming the news section on Google last night, I found a response from the University of Mississippi about being ranked Number 2 on this year’s top party schools list.

In the article, Sparky Reardon, dean of students, said the school realizes it’s “part of a national culture of alcohol abuse on college campuses,” and is taking action to shake its party school reputation.

Ole Miss now requires freshmen to complete an online alcohol course before they’re allowed to schedule classes for their second semester. It also has an active alcohol policy on campus. If anyone breaks the policy twice, he or she is suspended for an entire semester.

The university’s decision to begin an alcohol-education program is a smart one, but I’m not sure if it’s an effective one. Many college students are educated about alcohol through high school programs, such as D.A.R.E., but still drink and party while in college. I was active in D.A.R.E. in junior high. I won’t go into detail about my college experience, but let’s just say I am a normal college student.

Although students may be educated, they aren’t thinking about what they learned through D.A.R.E. when they are trying to fit in at a party. Instead of educating students, I’d recommend for the schools on the list to focus more on academics than the rankings. I would hope students are choosing their schools based on academics and not which school parties the most.

I chose to go to Kent based on its programs and how faculty treated me during visits. Academics are the most important, and schools need to focus on publicizing its programs more than how well the students think they party.

Before I confess what book I bought, it’s important for you understand my obsession with the author and his career. In junior high and high school, I was a huge boy band fan, especially *NSync, so when I found Lance Bass’s memoir, Out of Sync, it jumped to the top of my must-read list.

*NSync began to rule the music world in the late 90s by selling millions of albums worldwide. The band sold more than two million copies of its second CD in its first week, making them one of the most successful boy bands in pop music history. But behind all the fame, Bass was hiding a secret to protect his band mates’ careers.

During the summer of 2006, Bass, 27, shocked the world by revealing that he was homosexual in an issue of People. Well, he might not have shocked the entire world, but he stunned me. I was obsessed with this band for years. I could tell you any useless fact about each member of the group, but I never saw this coming.

In the People article, Bass said, “I knew that I was in this popular band and I had four other guys’ careers in my hand, and I knew that if I ever acted on it or even said (that I was gay), it would overpower everything.”

Bass felt that revealing his sexuality would be the end of the band, so for years, he kept it to himself.

“My biggest fear was harming the band,” he said during an interview with ABC. “I totally blocked off the gay part of myself, and I walked the walk of a straight guy.”

Bass not only hid his secret from his former band mates, but also, from his Southern Baptist family. He decided to tell the truth about his sexuality when tabloids began reporting sightings of him with men after *NSync’s 2004 breakup.

Although his confession left me in shock, his sexuality would not have affected my feelings toward the band, and I don’t see why others would feel differently. I loved *NSync for the music, and Bass’ sexuality wouldn’t have changed that.

But I wonder if all the success was worth living a lie for Bass. He put that part of his life aside to protect the careers of his band mates, but in the end, they all went their separate ways. Some went on to greater success, including Justin Timberlake and Joey Fatone, but the remaining members have struggled to continue their Hollywood careers.

I guess I am a bit selfish because I am not sure if I could live a lie to protect others. Yes, he was also protecting his own career, but in the long run, I feel doing what is best for yourself is more important than anything else.

Bass told MTV he has a new goal for next year, which is to prove that you can be openly gay and still have a career in show business.  

“People have said for so long that you can’t be successful in this industry and be out and gay, and I think that’s a bunch of bull,” he said. “It’s never been tested before, but I plan to test it.”

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Two weeks ago, I’m sure not many people outside of the Pasadena area knew about Mutts & Moms, a non-profit animal rescue group. But after Ellen Degeneres had an emotional breakdown on her talk show last week, Mutts & Moms has been busy protecting its repuatation and policies.

Degeneres and her partner adopted Iggy, a black Brussels Griffon mix terrier, from Mutts & Moms, but when the dog failed to get along with their cats, the women found Iggy a new home with Degeneres’ hairdresser.

When the organization learned about the new owners, it retrieved Iggy, saying Degeneres had no right to give the dog away because of legal papers she signed during the adoption process.

Last week, Ellen used her talk show as a way to plead with the organization to return Iggy because the new owner’s children, ages 11 and 12, had bonded with the dog. Here is a clip from the show:

Due to Degeneres’ on-air meltdown, fans overwhelmed Marina Baktis, co-owner of Mutts & Moms, with nasty calls and emails. Baktis eventually closed the organization for a day and temporarily shut down its Web site. It’s now redirected to another site with a description of its pet return policy. It states that the site shut down because its email and voicemail inboxes are overwhelmed.

According to the GlossLip, Baktis told Access Hollywood last week that she’s worried for her safety and that her own dogs are being threatened.

“Now we can’t go to work because there is all this media… And so we’re losing business… Our reputation, they ruined our reputation,” Baktis said.

Mutts & Moms spokesperson Kevin Fink said, it does not permit families with children under age 14 to adopt small dogs. In an article on the Dallas Morning News Web site, local and national humane associations said it’s not uncommon for pet rescue agencies to screen prospective owners and for pets to be returned if it doesn’t work out. These rules are enforced for the protection of the animals.

I don’t appreciate Degeneres using her popularity and show to get public sympathy to persuade the organization to make an exception for her situation. For once, a celebrity actually has to follow the same rules everyone else has to follow. Degeneres and her partner should have paid more attention to the paper work before signing it. Because of their carelessness, Mutts & Moms has endured a lot of unnecessary negative publicity.

Although I don’t agree with how Degeneres handled the situation, I do understand why Mutts & Moms is standing behind its policies, but the way it responded to Degeneres may have hurt its reputation in the long run. Click here to read more about Baktis’ response to Degeneres.

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But that’s just life when you’re dealing with the media. One second you’re reading about your accomplishments and qualities, but with one false move, the headlines can easily become negative.

If a negative situation is handled poorly, it can make matters worse and destroy a company’s reputation. According to an article, written by Rachel Meranus, a company has three options when dealing with negative publicity.

1. Take no action. 

Meranus advises her clients to take a step back and analyze the situation before taking any action. The evaluation of the situation should include which media the news story appeared, who may have seen the story and how many news cycles the story went through.

She said not responding to negative press can limit the attention brought it. But I think keeping quiet will make the company look guilty and force the reporter to search deeper for the dirt. In my opinion, keeping quiet is probably not the option to choose.

2. Contact the reporter or editor.

If the story is factually incorrect or one-sides, Meranus recommends contacting the reporter to print a correction or offer your side of the story to a one-sided story.

Focus on clearing up the situation and building trust with the reporter. She advises offering the reporter another angle on the story that includes new information. This adds credibility to the company and provides the reporter with a valid reason to reconsider his or her viewpoint.

3. Issue a Public Response

Meranus said if the negative press damages the company’s reputation, then it’s necessary to issue a public response.

I think a public response should be the first thing a company issues to protect its reputation from the beginning. As I stated earlier, remaining quiet will only make the company appear guilty, causing damage to its reputation. By immediately responding to the situation, the company can build trust with its publics by taking responsibility in correcting the situation.

My Advice

• Make sure all employees know who to refer reporters to
• Ensure only employees authorized talk to the press
• Never go off the record with information and answer truthfully
• Be prepared, have a plan, and enforce it.

When bad press occurs, it’s important to implement effective media relations efforts to minimize the damage.

Those who loved reading about Jenna Bush’s wild college days will be disappointed to hear the President’s daughter has put down the bottle for a more respectable hobby: writing a book!

She is currently touring the country promoting her first book, Ana’s Story: A Journey of Hope. The book tells the story of an HIV-positive girl Bush met during an AIDS workshop. After the main character, Ana,  loses her entire family to the disease and suffers abuse at relatives’ homes, she finds a center for those living with AIDS, falls in love and eventually gets pregnant.

In promotion of the book, Bush been interviewed on CNN, FOX and MSNBC and has made numerous in-person readings and signings, but also to defend her reputation.

The former party animal, now a teacher and author, was asked by Diane Sawyer about earning a reputation as a “wild thing.” Jenna responded, “No, I think I was a pretty normal freshman or sophomore in college…It’s been like eight years. I hope I’ve changed.”

According to an article in the Austin-American Statesman, Jenna and her twin sister, Barbara, were barely out of high school when they first attempted to “score margaritas.” Before she was of legal drinking age, Jenna made headlines twice for being cited for underage drinking.

During an interview with the Associated Press, Bush said she is more than the “social butterfly” the media makes her out to be.

Being the first daughter obviously comes with many responsibilities, including representing the first family at all times. Jenna made the same mistakes millions of college students make everyday. The only difference was she had cameras documenting her college experience.

It’s obvious to me that she has matured since her “wild college days,” and she’s not afraid to admit she has made mistakes.  She is ready to move on and be taken seriously for the work she has done as a teacher and with the United Nations Children’s Fund.

Comments posted on the PopWatch Blog about Jenna and her book are definitely not positive. This book may be a good first step, but she has a long way to go to improve her party-girl reputation.

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The verdict was negative for Thomas, but according to an article on the Newsday Web site, his players remain behind him. Thomas went directly to the Knicks evening practice after the court hearing on Tuesday and was greeted with hugs and encouraging words from his players.

Although Thomas still claims his innocence, it’s clear that this lawsuit has damaged both Thomas’ and Madison Square Garden’s reputation severely. Yet, David Stern, the National Basketball Association Commissioner, has not suspended Thomas.

According to Sports Illustrated, the NBA has stated that this is a civil matter not a criminal one.

This statement says it’s out of the NBA’s jurisdiction to suspend Thomas. That makes no sense considering Stern issued a dress code for the players, telling grown men what they can and can’t wear during NBA business matters because he didn’t want the league to have a “street thug” image. He will suspend any player who breaks this dress code but remains silent about the Thomas situation.

But silence is nothing new for Stern. This past summer, Jerry Buss, the owner of the Lakers, was arrested for drunk driving, and Stern made no public statement about the issue. On Tuesday, the jury also found James Dolan, the chairman of Madison Square Garden guilty in the Thomas decision for helping to create and maintain an inappropriate work environment for Sanders. Stern has no made no public announcement about his actions either.

The NBA owes fans and employees, especially the female one, to add its own punishment to the jury’s decision. If Stern wants to send a message about what the league will and will not allow, he cannot remain silent now. If he does, both the NBA’s and the Knicks reputations are at risk.

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Someone’s reputation is one of the only things he or she has complete control of. But with one wrong move, it could all come crashing down. Many say there is no such thing as bad publicity, but I disagree.

Take Britney Spears for example. For years, the pop princess was envied by teenagers all over the world for her ability to sing, dance and entertain. Recently, she has been entertaining the world with her ability to party, shave her head and lip sync. Crabbie Hollywood refers to Spears’ career as a “floating turd in the toilet waiting for the flush.”

Within a week, Spears shaved her head, attacked the paparazzi  with an umbrella and entered and left rehab three times. It was obvious Britney needed help, but she continued partying and conveying a bad-girl image.

Then Spears’ highly anticipated “comeback” performance on the 2007 Video Music Awards on MTV turned into a disaster.

During her MTV performance, Britney clearly lip synced (video is posted below) and rumor has it, she was intoxicated! Since the performance, both her lawyer and manager dropped her as a client. Spears’ former bodyguard thinks Spears is her own biggest threat. Read more about it here.

When I do something wrong, I try to fix it immediately. It seems like the logical thing to do, but many celebrities have a hard time grasping this concept. It seems that making the same mistake over and over again is the thing to do in Hollywood.

I am not sure what goes through celebrities’ minds when they do things, but I would imagine their career and supporters would constantly be on their minds. Without people to buy their music or watch their  movies, they wouldn’t have a career or money. People stop listening and buying  products after a reputation is tarnished.

Bad publicity may generate more media attention, but is it really worth losing your reputation?

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