Some PR Agencies do the stupidest things...

Yes, that title was a reference to 'Kids do the funniest things'. Here's why...

I've written before about having recieved shoddily directed e-mail proposals from pr companies. Whilst some pr agencies are clearly working hard, and the numbers who appear to have actually read The Potty Diaries before getting in touch is definitely on the increase, there are others whose approaches simply beggar belief. For all the attention that has been paid to what I actually write, I suspect that some of these companies have simply pulled their nearest work-experience intern out of the post room and said 'Here, find some parent bloggers, let's see how much free coverage you can get from them. There's a lollipop in it for you if you can get anyone to mention this turkey...'

Anyone at all familiar with this blog might have picked up on the fact that the well-being of children - primarily my own, but essentially all - is top of my list of priorites. Christ, I put my career on hold because I felt my children (disclaimer: that's my children, not yours, your neighbours, or anyone else's, just mine, no judgement here on other people's choices) would be better off having me at home.

So I was somewhat nonplussed to get the following e-mail into my inbox.

'I wanted to drop you a quick note to say that we are working on a new family TV show called 'xxxxxxxxxxxxx'. (I've deleted the name here because I don't feel like giving them free publicity).

'It's a really lovely concept as kids are put in grown up situations and are secretly filmed to see how they react... I saw your blog and I wondered if you might be interested in receiving more info on the show to feature on there. We have lots of fun content and clips, interviews by kids etc that we could send you.'

I checked, and the children they are referring to are 3 - 6 years old. Have I entered some kind of a parallel universe here? Where on my blog does it suggest that I might be interested in this? Am I the only person to whom this seems a just a tad exploitative and more than a little inappropriate? Putting children in 'grown up situations' and secretly filming them?

For some reason this seems so much grubbier to me than family-shot home videos sent in to be given a cheesy voice-over and used as part of a compilation. Don't get me wrong, I dislike those programmes too, but that's because I'm a tv snob and it's just not my cup of tea. In this case however, it's the 'professionalism' of this approach which leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Most of my working life was spent in the agency world, and for some reason the following scenario comes to mind. Some media execs are sitting round a table, sipping their cappucinos & Red Bull, and the big banana is pacing around the room...

"Come on, people. We've got that slot on Saturday night to fill. Those softies at the animal cruelty lobby won't let us use any more film of dogs water skiing, and the Japanese have stopped sending us shots of guys eating maggots for fun. What cheap crap can we sling in there?"

"Well, boss, it's probably mad, but..."

"No idea too crazy. We're all mad here, right? You know, like that slogan on my door? 'You don't have to be mad to work here but it helps'? I'm sooo wacky... Come on, spit it out..."

"Well, I had this idea. We take some kids - "

"How old?"

"Uuummmm - 7 - 10?"

"No, younger, got to get them younger and cuter."

"3 - 6, then."

"Yep, like it, go on..."

"And we put them in funny situations - "

"Funny situations? Been done before, seen that, got the video..."

"No, boss, this time it's different. This time we make them do things that adults normally have to do..."

"I'm listening, go on."

"And we see how they react."

"That's it?"

"Well, yes. Oh, and we film them too, of course. Secretly."

"And...?"

"And... we use that bloke to present it?"

"OK. Let me get this clear. You're saying, we'll take a load of kids, and get their gullible parents to sign release forms for nothing other than the possibility they might get to see little Lola on the telly. We put the kids somewhere they feel safe and are enjoying themselves, manipulate the situation so things get a bit out of control, force them to make possibly uncomfortable adult decisons because for some reason the adults who are supposed to be in charge can't do it, and film them secretly to see how they react?"

"Yeeessss. Um. When you put it like that -"

"Brilliant. Bloody brilliant. TV gold. Let's do it."


See my point?