The
way Donald Trump has comported himself, first as candidate, then as the Republican nominee, and now as the president-elect, he has permanently altered public discourse and has forever
changed how we come to view or treat what we hear from – or learn about –
people. How might this impact how you
promote a book?
The
news media rightfully jumped on the vitriolic statements coming from the
blistery tweets and impromptu speeches of Trump. We heard crude things about women, blacks,
Hispanics, the disabled, and just about any group you can think of – except for white, aging men. But whatever he said
or did never came back to hurt him. In
fact, it seems like it made him stronger.
Instead
of being diminished by his racist, mysogynistic, and egomaniacal statements,
they became bumper stickers for his supporters, as if he was saying what others
apparently were thinking. The public
legitimized bad behavior and greatly lowered its standards of what it will
accept from a public figure.
Okay,
so whether you supported Trump or not, almost everyone cringed at some point
when they heard him talk about grabbing women by their womanhood or when he
used gutter language to size up competing candidates or the women who accused him
of sexual misconduct. Still, nothing
happened.
There
can be any number of reasons why Teflon Don scaled through a gauntlet of
missteps that would have done anyone else in, but the fact is he is a
trailblazer. He crossed a line -- numerous
times – and not only survived but thrived.
He’s the Jackie Robinson of his day, breaking a social barrier that’s
existed for centuries. Trump has shown
that one’s personal behavior or public comments mean nothing.
I
don’t know that it’s such a good thing, but it does remove hypocrisy and
double-standards from the equation. We
can’t vilify another for behavior or speech we ourselves may have participated
in. Sure it’s a huge lowering of
standards, and worst of all, consequences are out. No one gets penalized for saying the wrong
thing or doing something bad. Instead, we reward it.
Welcome
to a new era, of bullying, bullshit, and verbal bitch-slapping. Public discourse has turned into the
pre-match banter boxers and wrestlers normally embrace.
The
good news is that authors can feel free to say whatever they think and not fear
repercussions. Got a skeleton in your
closet? No worries – stick it at the top
of your social media profile. Tweet it
out. Go viral.
Perhaps
people are simply becoming more forgiving.
Blame it not just on Trump, but on social media. For the past decade we simply have gotten
used to the release of sex tapes, secret documents, recordings of embarrassing
conversations, or transcripts of disgusting emails. Wikileaks, good old hackers, and worst of
all, each of us willingly airing our dirty laundry have turned our standards
upside down. It’s the end of shame.
People
now take pride in their deficits and no longer fear the exposing of things they
willingly share. The blackmail business,
must be way down. You can go bang your
neighbor’s wife, lick your dog’s butt, curse out your mother, take a bribe or
join the KKK. No one seems to care. Anything with kids still seems off limits,
but who knows?
So,
writers, if you are concerned that your FB photos of public sex or getting high
in church could be viewed with scorn, have no fear. Think your negative tweets about people you
know or do business with can come back to haunt you, think again. Fearful of confessing to something in your
book? Pile it on. No one seems to care.
The
bad news is the bar for outrageous is very high.
You used to make the headlines when a book revealed affairs, drugs, or
other salacious gossip. Now it barely
gets a mention. You’ll need to kill
someone to get some attention.
We’ve
come a long way since our Puritan founding.
In the 1950s television couldn’t even show a married couple sharing a
bed or mention the word pregnant. It
wasn’t until the 1970s that a black family had its own show. It wasn’t until the 1990s that gay characters
on TV were accepted. Now you can say
anything, do anything – on TV or at home.
No one cares.
All-New 2017 Book Marketing & PR Toolkit
Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog
are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter
@theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more
important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by
BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2016 ©. Born and raised in Brooklyn, now resides in
Westchester. Named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby
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