This morning, as I was writing the lead item for today’s issue of my ezine on how to piggyback your news off of celebrities, the gals on the set of the ABC daytime hit “The View” were knee-deep in a discussion about the Middle East.
As co-host Elizabeth Hasselbeck, a conservative, was making a comment about “radical Islam,” liberal Rosie O’Donnell, who had joined the show only a week before, let loose with this zinger:
“Radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam in a country like America where we have a separation of church and state.” You can watch the clip here.
Conservative talk show hosts pounced on the comment. Bloggers seized the moment. And smart Publicity Hounds, from anti-war protesters to Christian churches, will recognize the perfect opportunity to weigh in one way or the other. How? By writing a press release and posting it online, or writing a letter to the editor or column for the local alternative weekly, or a column for a religion magazine.
In my “Special Report #50: How to Piggyback onto Celebrity News to Promote Your Product, Service, Cause or Issue,” I explain that tying into celebrity gossip, or controvesial statements like the one on “The View,” is one of the best ways to generate publicity.