A Little Sax Appeal Couldnt Hurt
Poor Prince Charles. If anyone needs a new image, it is HRH. So we went to the royalty of Hollywood publicists, political spin-meisters and political consultants for their advice.
- Chen Sam, Chen Sam and Associates (Elizabeth Taylor, Vendela): “Come down from your polo horse and remember—saints walk amongst people, not above them.”
- Stan Rosenfield, Stan Rosenfield Public Relations (Joan Lunden, Robert De Niro): “If Roseanne pulls her show, he may contact ABC about taking that time slot. After all, if he’s going to do some pretty funny stuff, he might as well get paid for it.”
- Jim Margolis, Greer Margolis Mitchell and Associates (Bill Clinton, Barbara Boxer): “He needs to get out of his snooty breasted royal attire…
“He needs to look for the right opportunity to tell his side of the story, to look for a sympathetic setting to show he’s gone through pain and hurt…
“Look at what Clinton and Hillary tried to do with the ‘60 Minutes’ interview. I have more confidence in the Clintons’ capacity to come across as believable, in genuine terms, than I do with Prince Charles, just because he’s so tight.”
- Pat Kingsley, PMK (Tom and Roseanne Arnold): “I would advise him to just unwind, relax, be more personable, spend more time with his kids. He’s far too stuffy…
“Go to rock concerts, just look like he’s having a good time. He never looks like he’s having a good time.”
- Michael Reese, (press secretary, Kathleen Brown): “He should go on the Oprah show. It begins and ends with Oprah. He really has the same problem Clinton does: the tabloids are the filter, and he has to figure out a way to get around that media lens. Clinton did—he went straight to the people, Donahue MTV, Arsenio. I don’t know if Charles plays the sax…”
- Dick Taylor, president and CEO, Hill and Knowlton Entertainment Division Worldwide (damage-control guru to entertainment and corporate clients): “Some people might suggest that Prince Charles learn to play the saxophone and appear on the Arsenio Hall show or do an interview with Oprah, show off his castle and announce his dating habits.
“I would propose that Prince Charles show a commitment to being a parent and focus his attention on showing responsibility to his children and the citizens of Great Britain. He might do a one-hour, in-person interview with Barbara Walters and speak about the realities of the past turbulence and his desire to move forward and help re-establish the prestige and heritage of the House of Windsor.
“I would refocus the sensationalism toward grooming his son for the future, while beginning to show the strength of mature convictions. It is time for him to appear as an adult.
“Of course, saxophone lessons might also be helpful.”