A story circulating through the media highlights some comments that actress, Shailene Woodley made during a short interview with E! News on the Emmys Red Carpet.
In the past Woodley has informed the public that she does not own a television; interesting considering her successful career in the movie and television industry. When asked about it Sunday evening, Woodley said, “All my friends who watch TV, I always ask them when they have time to. When do people have time to? I’m a reader, so I always read a book instead of turning on my TV.”
These comments did not sit well with fans and viewers. Some Emmys viewers expressed their feelings over Twitter, most feeling that Woodley’s comments took a jab at people who do watch television. Some commented on the irony of her comments as she made them on the Emmys Red Carpet where she received 16 award nominations. Others expressed that they felt she was being condescending. Basically there was a collective eye roll from the public.
Woodley’s comments were a very poor Public Relations move. If Woodley has hired a Public Relations professional, they’re probably thinking of ways she can make up for lost ground with the public. What was supposed to be a simple difference opinion came off as a diss to her fans. Most of the issue wasn’t the fact that she doesn’t own a television, but that she made it sound like her fans weren’t spending their time wisely by watching her films and shows.
Good Public Relations means knowing your audience and your setting, especially for actors and other entertainers. For celebrities, it is vital to cater to the public in a way that says “I’m a professional but also human” instead of “ I’m a human but also a professional”.
As much as people think they want to see someone be the real version of themselves, they don’t. They want to see someone they can look up to and idolize. You can’t very well idolize someone who is saying that watching television is a waste of time when they make their money off of people watching television.
Incredulous. Reaction Gifs. http://reactiongifs.com/?p=11763 Accessed: 20 Sept 2017 Lenker, Maureen Lee. “Shailene Woodley Disses TV Watchers at Emmys.” EW.com, Time Inc, 17 Sept. 2017, ew.com/tv/2017/09/17/emmys-shailene-woodley-disses-tv-watchers/. Accessed: 21 Sept 2017 Shailene Woodley attends the 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on September 17, 2017. http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/emmys-2017-shailene-woodley-hasnt-owned-a-tv-in-years-w503729 Accessed: 20 Sept 2017
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