Impressing the Press: Have you ever been ribbed about being a "Beauty and the Beast" fan?
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| Title: | Impressing the Press: Have you ever been ribbed about being a "Beauty and the Beast" fan? |
| Creator: | Stephanie Wiltse |
| Date(s): | February 1989 |
| Medium: | |
| Fandom: | Beauty and the Beast (TV) |
| Topic: | |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Impressing the Press: Have you ever been ribbed about being a "Beauty and the Beast" fan? is an essay by Stephanie Wiltse, editor of Pipeline.
It was printed in v.2 n.2 of that zine.
This pep talk for fans, included a list of media contacts - newspapers, magazines, wire services, press, Morning TV, TV Entertainment News, and Talk Shows to contact.
Some Topics Discussed
- reporters are lazy, so fans can try to manipulate that to their advantage
- find your self a hook
- fans and their attraction to the show are misunderstood and misrepresented
From the Essay
Have you ever been ribbed about being a "Beauty and the Beast" fan? Does it tend to be something you don't mention when you meet people for the first time?
Not surprising. The problem, I think, is one of public image, though pigeon-hole would be a more apt description. Many times ads, press coverage and/or interviews don't quite settle on whether B&B is vegetable or mineral, so they emphasize animal. As one Pipeline subscriber put it, "All they ever ask about is sex... it reflects on me as a fan...It's a little insulting, know what I mean? ...like being made out to be a 'hormone on legs' or something!"
It's true that people who never watch "Beauty and the Beast" have an altogether different expression of the show and its 'loyal following.' When you explain 'Romantic Era' and they respond 'Harlequin Romance,' you know you're not on the same wavelength. Self-avowed realists, particularly, dismiss the whole premise of a Utopian world Below as more soft-headed than soft-hearted. One viewer spoke of being stuck in a dark, damp, smelly section of Lincoln Tunnel (in NYC) during rush hour when her companion suddenly exclaimed, "THIS is where you'd like to live?!" An argument ensued — the companion's poetic license having obviously been revoked, years before.
My favourite example of the 'Bah Humbug' type however, is a newspaper columnist, who, having watched just one episode (and written a scathing review), called on Kimberly Hartman of the "Helper's Network" afterwards for more information — he wanted to know why ANYONE would want to watch this series! ...This is what we are up against.
And this is what we can do about it. You guessed it pen in hand again! Look back over the various press or video clippings you've collected about B&B. You'll notice in many of them an "angle" — a quick, easy hook that the writer/interviewer has used to hang the main idea of his/her piece and draw you in to reading about it. It's a catch-all phrase oft repeated, like the term "sex-symbolism," or it's right in the headline, as in the case of "Sticks and Stones" coverage: "The Sound of Silence;" Or "Silence is Beautiful on Beast."
Imagine the headlines you would like to see about Beauty and the Beast. What would be the angle? And don't forget people like to read about people. It's called human-interest Can you put into words how you feel about B&B? Is there a story behind it? What kind of a person are you anyway, that you can enjoy watching a show like Beauty and the Beast?
Answer any one of the questions above (as succinctly as possible) and you have an idea for a personal press release. Send it to any or all of the addresses below and you've done part of the reporter's homework. And just maybe you'll see a version of it in print. Add your phone number as well, and you may see your name in print too. (No promises, but it has happened before.)