Screaming Tom

What a grand old parade!
Tom Dempsey

As usual, the week after Gay Exposition and Pride is followed with reports about how the local press covered events.

All the press I heard was NY, SF and other bigger cities. Even on Gay.com and OutQ. No Atlanta...

This year had a boon with the Supreme Court handing us some goodies a few days before most events. I could not have planned that better myself. So the print and TV people were all over the park getting reactions and background pieces. All the while the general media is reporting America is going to hell in a pink hand basket with the Canada decision to allow marriage and US Supreme Court decision. I suppose that is balanced reporting.

A surprising piece I saw was in Southern Voice this week. SoVo has been building to the "veritable" level over the last few years (they also bought Genre Magazine recently) and then had a story "Pride press coverage growing more prominent" quoting the "Coors whore" Donna Narducci. I have to wonder if her contract stipulates she hold a cold, refreshing Coors while being interviewed by the press while wearing a GW Bush shirt? (Fantasy moment - Donna sipping a Coors Light and then proclaiming "I have seen the light. I am straight. Praise the Lord!)

I believe the truth of the matter is mainstream people see Atlanta Pride the same way they see Freaknik. Instead of helicopters flying over the city showing gridlock and total city melt-down, we have cameras filming drag queens, men in chaps with pimply asses and dykes on bikes. The bottom line is "don't be here in this mess!" in Piedmont Park or ITP.

I have become involved with the journalist community over the last five years by accident. I edit several web sites and it overlaps with many journalists and writers in the community. Hell, I WAS the news for a few years not too long ago. But all this has taught me to understand the going-ons in this industry.

Yes, the local press does not cover Pride - especially in Atlanta. It's not what the general audience wants to see. I can see Creative Loafing throwing us a bone since they are alternative, but the AJC is a very conservative paper and will not be printing the Pride Guide anytime soon. I was surprised to see AJC do a fluff story about Bubba D. Licious but I doubt they were looking into his past as the CFO of several major AIDS Service Organizations. (But, then again, neither does SoVo). Bubba is a hooker - er, drag queen story with a heart of gold raising money for "something"! Maybe Julia Roberts or Reece Witherspoon will play Bubba in a movie. Most likely Eric McCormick. :(

And how about the people who actually do the Pride interviews for TV? Donna Narducci is a stereo-typical lesbian with a short, butch flat-top and Glen Paul Freeman [edited] - and no, this is not Disney World. When I was involved with Atlanta Pride, I proposed setting up a press corp to help with the interviews and steer the press around. I actually suggested having cute girls and guys for the media interviews - and setting up interviews with the general public. (It worked for the Gay Games bid when I was involved) But egos are egos, and the press usually gets the biggest ego. So much for framing an issue.

So, in the end, Donna and Glenn were stars, Coors and Donna got another year of confusing people, businesses got they advertising message out, no one knows what went on on stage because they couldn't find them, Cindy Able was saved from another PR embarrassment like last year (but who really cares), people got their VIP tickets, and the press was just warning viewers about the dangers of going downtown during the weekend.

It was another great Pride! (Yawn!)

Tom Dempsey
Fort Lauderdale, FL
http://www.bizbox.cc
Mobile: 404-376-3958

posted by Tom Dempsey @ 7/13/2003