Film - Creative Writing Post

So I was supposed to do this post quite a while ago but was so swamped that it slippped my mind. As a mini assignment for Creative Writing, we are to blog about a subject that we studied. I was assigned film...

I guess anyone is qualified to blog about this subject but I wont lie and say that I am a diehard film buff like some of my friends in the program. I love watching movies but that is pretty much it. I rarely watch them more than once and don't often analyze them afterwards. I will use this post to identify my top 5 favourite movies.

5. The Awful Truth - This is a really old 1930s romantic comedy film feature Carey Grant and Irene Dunne. It is not well known by much of our generation but is highly regarded and AFI selected it for preservation in the registry or whatever it is called.

Carey Grant is one of my favorite actors and is spectacular in this film, which is often considered his coming out party. This comes from an era for romantic comedies were actually good and not the worst movies of all time. Check this one out. You won't regret it.

4. Goodfellas - Suuuuper cliche I know but this is a really fantastic movie that cannot be ignored. Everyone knows the story but I think it is the set that really works best and the way it is shot is great.

De Niro is unreal and this is Joe Pesci's finest hour. Ray Liotta is great to before he fell off the face of the earth and ended up in films like Youth in Revolt...

3. The Godfather - Considered the best movie of all time by many, it comes in at number 3 on my list. I have seen it probably 50 times at least and it never gets old for me. It is really breathtaking and so perfectly cast, as many of the film's actors were unknown at the time but went on to become big stars (Pacino, Caan etc.)

The film where Michael shoots Sollazo and McCluskey is probably the best of all time, in my opinion.

2. Raging Bull - This movie is close to perfect. De Niro has been in a billion great movies but this is the very best.

The story of boxer Jake La Motta, the film is a character study and done perfectly. It is so dark and so raw and you fall in love with La Motta while loathing him at the same time. De Niro's acceptance speech for the best actor award was magnificent and Martin Scorsese is a genius.

What a movie.

1. The Godfather Part II - "I know it was you Fredo. You broke my heart." For me, this is the most memorable line in the history of movies and this is the best film ever made.

It's awfully rare for a sequel to be better than the original but this is a rare case. The seamless movement between Vito's past (surprise, surprise its De Niro again) and the current story with Michael is just magical. De Niro in his prime, Cazale, Keaton and Duvall are brilliant, Strasberg is inspired as Hyman Roth and this is easily the best performance in the illustrious career of Al Pacino (honourable mention to his role in Dog Day Afternoon which almost made this list).

There you have it, those are my top 5 movies of all time. I'm sure many will disagree and there are tons more that could have made it...

So I guess I do analyze films after all...

Last Day tomorrow.

Today was our last full day of CreComm first year.

It's such a weird feeling and I am not sure if I should be happy or sad. Either way, its good to be done our Ad and PR exams. They went fairly well and certainly could have been worse.

Looking ahead to a summer of IPP, cutting grass and of course, partying.

The fun times start tomorrow at the Kingshead. 

Be there.

Or be square.

keith

Don Wittman Award

This evening I will be attending the Creative Arts Dinner to accept the Don Wittman Memorial Award for sports journalism.

The award is a major honour for me for a couple reasons. First off, it is for $1000 and I have no money right now so thats a huge help but more importantly, I get to recieve an award named after a real hero of the sports broadcasting industry.

My grandpa said he met Don Wittman in Saskatchewan back in the 60's just before Wittman came to Winnipeg to work for CBC.

Through the years, I can remember him having the mic for a number of really famous events in Canadian sports history. He worked on Hockey Night in Canada and did a lot of football but he was probably best known for his work on Track and Field at the Olympics.

Wittman's best call was, without a doubt, his famed "Saturday nights in Georgia" line after Donovan Bailey won the 100m dash at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Bailey shattered the world record and Wittman did an almost perfect job at encapsulating the joy being felt across our country.

Watching the video still gives me chills and it will be with great honour and also a heavy heart that I accept his award tonight.

Have a look.

Mike McDermott

Conventional wisdom holds that there are two kinds of people in life, those who dream, and those who do. Then there is Mike McDermott, who does both.

“Anyone can be successful if you take something you want and actually go out and do it, success is there for everyone to grab,” said the thirty-year-old skateboarder who went professional in 2008 with Ohio based Habitat International.

After living in Vancouver for several years and working for major skateboard companies like Supra Distributions, McDermott returned to Winnipeg last year to open Green Apple Skateboard Shop. While he calls this the logical next step on his “skateboarding odyssey”, McDermott admits that he didn’t always see himself ending up on this path.

He says he started skating at age 11 to copy his older brother, who gave him his first board. While the learning curve was steep, McDermott soon developed a deep infatuation with the sport.

“When I first started, I just wanted to learn how to ollie. I could barely stand up on the thing. I took small steps but eventually I realized I had a pretty heavy passion for it.”

The love affair was almost cut off once McDermott turned 18 though as he worked in a mailroom while taking classes in marketing.

“I kind of quit skateboarding to try and move up the ladder, I didn’t think I could take it any further,” he says.

 

After a while, he realized that playing it safe in formal education wasn’t his thing and made the decision that changed his life.

“I sold everything I had and decided that I had a goal. I wanted to try and become a pro skater,” he said with a grin.

McDermott says the process of becoming a professional in skateboarding is much like it is in any business, a lot of work.

“It’s all about making yourself known and building a resume. You have to get out there and meet people,” said McDermott, who added that it was a crazy ride, with skating basically becoming his whole life.

“I just kept skating and skating until the right people knew who I was. I mean, let’s just say there wasn’t a lot of sleeping. Lots of partying, but no sleeping,” he said, as if to confirm it wasn’t all work and no play.

On returning to Winnipeg to open the shop, McDermott says it wasn’t something he had always planned to do but rather it had manifested itself out of another one of his dreams.

“Sometime when I close up I just think ‘wow that’s really cool that I created this’ but then I realize it really created itself because I wanted to do it. I set a goal and now here it is. It’s that simple.”

Montage Fest

Today, instead of studying or watching the Habs game, I am going back to school.

I know what you're thinking, but there is a reason for this. I am going to the first CreComm Montage Fest.

Im pretty stoked to watch everyones work and see what they did and it's this kind of stuff that makes me proud to be in the program.

Everyone should be psyched about what they've done and I can't wait to see it.

Ps. Habs and Canucks win tonight.

keith

MSA Blog

For my IPP next year, I am doing a promotional/reporting blog on the Manitoba Soccer Association. 

As you may know (haha), I love soccer and I am excited to see how the blog goes. 

I am meeting with their reps tomorrow to further discuss the blog and see how we can make it really work.

Does anyone else have suggestions on how it could work best? Let me know.

keith

Beautiful Day

Just got home from a sweet round of golf at Tuxedo. It's a beautiful day and I want to head back outside so i'll keep this post short.

Two out of three wasn't bad last night.

I think the Caps and Canucks win tonight. Both by big margins. Bank it.

keith

Oh Canada.

It was a great night for the two Canadian teams in action last night in the NHL Playoffs. It looks like there might be some hope that we'll see a cup come back north of the border for the first time since 1993.

Montreal shocked the world by beating Washington in overtime and, although they may not have deserved it, they fought hard and got their reward.

The first period was ugly and it looked like Montreal were little boys playing against Washington's men but they steadied the ship eventually, mainly thanks to Jaro Halak who was spectacular.

Full marks also to Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta who were great in leading the team. The fourth line also played really well and earned some big time minutes in the third period.

For Washington, Alex Ovechkin was brutal. I don't know what it was but he looked lost out there and didn't even get a shot in like 27 minutes of ice? If he doesn't wake up, the upset is possible.

Meanwhile, the Canucks are sweet, period. Big overtime win against a plucky LA team who played hard.

Quick was solid in the net for the Kings who surprised me with their toughness. Drew Doughty in particular kind of pissed me off with his lipping off at every whistle and I don't think Alberts should have been thrown out but, either way this looks like it will be a good series.

Oh, and Michael Samuelsson is a god.

Tonight the Blackhawks should hammer the Preds and I think the Pens even things up against Ottawa. The Sens used to be so likable but now they're just sort of annoying...

Devils, Pens, Hawks win tonight.

keith.

Dreams come true.

In the spirit of the hockey playoffs, this is a story I wrote for my journalism course a while ago at a moose game. It is an incredible story of a man from Winnipeg who got to work as an official at the Gold Medal Hockey game. Thanks to Gerald Andrews, the subject of the story, for being so great with me and telling the tale. Hope you enjoy.

Tuesday night’s clash between the Worcester Sharks and the Manitoba Moose at the MTS Centre was a unique home coming for American Hockey League off-ice official Gerald Andrews. It was his first game back on the job after what he calls the thrill of a lifetime working as an off-ice official for the men’s gold-medal game at the Olympics.

Andrews has worked for the AHL part-time for four years after being recommended by Wade Flaherty, a former Moose goaltender who lived with Andrews while playing for the team. At work, Andrews keeps stats on things like goals, assists, penalty minutes and plus-minus. He says, he saw the opportunity to work on one of the sport’s biggest stages and went for it.

“It sounded like a great opportunity so I started the process of a lot of interviews a couple of years ago and was lucky enough to get chosen,” he says.

“It was an incredible thrill, obviously, for a regular guy like me to get to basically help referee Olympic hockey. You just kind are shocked,” added Andrews who kept stats on face-offs during the Olympics in both men’s and women’s games.

Mid-way through the festivities, Andrews was told he had been chosen to work the final. He says that while it now ranks as a great memory, he was so caught up in his job that he was unable to be a true fan at the time.

“It was something that was pretty spectacular, obviously, but as you’re watching you have to be doing your job,” he says.

“Even when the winning goal was scored it was like it was just another goal. You had to do your job and record everything properly,” he adds before describing how he was sure to take tons of pictures of the celebrations afterwards.

Scott Brown, director of corporate communications & hockey operations for the Moose says the organization is thrilled to have guys like Andrews on their team.

“To know we have people who work that hard and are that good at their jobs, it’s something we are happy to brag about,” he says.

“Not a lot of people realize the work that goes on and the pressure these guys face to get stats out that people take for granted every day,” he adds.

Moose fans haven’t been able to take much for granted in this up and down season but Andrews was able to record a 3-1 win for the home team in this game, the second victory in a row for the inconsistent Moose.

Andrews story drew little coverage in major local media outlets. He says he isn’t surprised and doesn’t really care, happy to get back to his normal life.

“I don’t want to be famous or anything. As long as I know and my family knows and we can share these special memories than I don’t need anyone to know my name,” he says.

While this may be true, it’s clear that Andrews will never forget his time in Vancouver.

“It doesn’t get bigger than that. I mean, I was a part of history,” he said.

keith

Blog is Back.

This semester in CreComm has been so crazy that i've been neglecting this blog out of sheer lack of time to do otherwise. That is ending now.

I am doing a blog for my IPP next year and am determined to end this years blog with a bang. Besides, what better topic to blog about than the NHL playoffs which started yesterday!

First off, how did the Sens beat Geno and the pens? Someone forgot to tell them they were supposed to roll over I guess. Same goes for the Avs who...oh wait...they are playing the Sharks. I can see that noose tightening around the perennial choke artists' neck as I type. 

Anyway, tonight features two games that I am stoked about, the habbies go into Washington to try and take down Ovechkin and caps. After that, the Canucks start their march towards immortality (yeah I said that) against the Kings.

I smell a couple Canadian winners! Check back later for my thoughts on the games.

peace out.

Keith

Finland...what happened? Olympic analysis

As I type the USA are hammering Finland 6-1 with plenty of game still to play. The Finns basically threw in the towel before they even started as they were down 6-0 within the first 15 minutes. Frankly, I am shocked.

This is a Finnish team who are, or at least had been awfully good in this tournament. Sure they didn't have as much skill or talent as some of the other countries but they did have the best work ethic, the best defensive system and the best goalie. Or so we thought.

Plain and simply, the United States beat Finland at their own game.

The USA are winning at these Olympics because of speed, grit, good system play and a white hot goaltender in Ryan Miller. With Miller playing this well and their young team coming together so well. Who is to say they can't win the whole thing? Players like Kane, Kesler, Parise are the next generation of hockey and they look awesome.

In tonights big game, I would caution Canadian fans against being so confident of a big win over Slovakia. This is a Slovak team who have beaten Russia and Sweden already in this tournament and have some great players. Gaborik. Hossa. Chara. Palffy. Demitra, Handzus. The list goes on.

The biggest Slovakian surprise has to be Jaroslav Halak who has had an unreal tournament. Carey Price must be watching (in between his partying instead of trying to get better at hockey) back in Montreal and wondering what he will have to do to get his job back. Halak seems to be establishing himself as the true top goalie the habs need.

That said, Canada should and will win. 5-2 is my prediction.

Then every Canadians dream of getting another shot at our southern neighbours will actually come true. Gold medal style.

keith

But...there isn't any snow...

Remember when the Winter Olympics were in the Winter?

Apparently the IOC didn't when they awarded the games to a city where its always warm by this time of year. Watching the Olympic coverage in the CTV studio, it looks like they are in Hawaii when you look through the back window. 

I am not being anti-Canadia or anything and I bet it's a party out there but really? Come on. Refunding tickets cause there is NO SNOW on the mountains? Ridiculous.

Sort your life out Vancouver. 

Facebook and Twitter...What's the Deal?

Facebook and Twitter eh? What's the deal there? 

I admit, I use Facebook and Twitter for all the wrong things. I use Facebook to chat with friends and look at photos instead of doing work. I use Twitter purely to see what Bob Saget is up to. 

First off, if this is wrong, I'm not sure I want to be right. That said, I do understand that Facebook and Twitter have a ton of useful issues. I just sometimes feel they are overstated.

First off, what are Facebook and Twitter? Well reader...since you asked...

Facebook is basically a site that you can use to post pictures, information and talk to others. It is like an extension of you.  You become friends with people, you can talk to them, you can join groups etc. It is like an online version of yourself. For this reason, I like it better than Twitter which is where you post little 140 character tweets about whatever. I don't get Twitter and I don't like it. There just isn't enough you can do. Both of them have faults but at least Facebook is comprehensive and has tons to do. I can actually interact on Facebook. On Twitter, I can just tell people what I ate for breakfast.

 In my opinion, it takes a special kind of person to really use either for all of their good features; someone who is genuinely interested in PR, newtorking and the like. 

I think a lot of people still use Facebook to "creep" other people's profiles, try and get dates, post rowdy pics and chat with buds. Ok fine, by "a lot" I mean pretty much everyone I know.

None of my friends use Facebook to communicate or network or do anything like that really. They use it as a time filler. There are still some major kinks to be worked out before that changes, I think. Right now, Facebook is too much like a playground. There's too much to do that is fun but just wastes time. It really needs to be tightened up if it is going to be used for what a lot of people say it should be used for.

Maybe I am not professional enough yet? Who knows. I just see Facebook more as fun than as productive and I think a lot of people feel the same. 

If Facebook has problems with people not using them effectively, than Twitter is a train wreck. 

Very few people use Twitter for anything other than following celebrities. The celebrities just use it because they are self centered ego-maniacs.

Twitter could be used to tweet on major issues and share super useful information with others but, with the exception of a minority, is it? Not really. Unless you count how many guns Gil Arenas bought today as useful...

To sum up:

Facebook can be super useful in PR by allowing you to learn a lot about someone, see what interests them and what interests large blocks of people, make a page for your organization with features you think will attract an audience etc. 

It can also be a way to try and pick up chicks and look at photos from your drunken escapades.

Sadly, the latter seems to have too much control and I think it will be a while before this changes.

Twitter can also be useful with bite sized news, links to solid information and the ability to follow people you can learn from.

It can also provide you with a chance to see what hair gel John Stamos used last night.

In this way, I don't really see Facebook and Twitter as competing with one another. They are both striving to be the best they can in being effective social media outlets. They do it different ways but their goals are the same. They both want to bring people together in effective ways. Unfortunately, the features they offer are easily manipulated into pointless time wasting exercises that are just easier for the audience. Down the road, they may have to make some changes to truly be what they want. I think Facebook is closer to the destination, but still has some way to go.

In closing, Facebook and Twitter are big in the present but are also the future. Until more of us really understand what they are about and stopping using them to mess around (I include myself), that future will always be just out of reach.

Cheers.

keith

Anxiety...

Crecomm is insane. 

Assignments are coming thick and fast and it's getting a bit mental. 

Don't get me wrong, most of them are fun to do. The radio drama assignment was especially fun with my group of myself, Jeremy, Jim and Alexa taking forever but doing an awesome job and eventually getting picked by our class mates. It was so much fun putting it together and getting picked was maybe the most fufilling part of crecomm so far for me.

Other assignments like our magazine article, radio presentation and Zooey and Adam stuff are also rad. 

I am super freaked out about IPP, Montage and Newsletter though. I have like zero ideas for these and Im definitely feeling the pinch.

Oh well, I'll take this weekend to chill, watch the Colts win the Superbowl and get back at 'er on Monday. 

Until then,

Keith.

RIP Mr. Salinger...

Earlier today, one of the best and strangest authors of the 20th century died. J.D. Salinger was 91 and died of natural causes.

He is best known for his book The Catcher in the Rye which is also one of my favourite books of all time. The character of Holden Caulfield is one of the best ever created and truly represents teenagers everywhere,

across generations. The raw honesty in the book is unbelievable and the story timeless. The ultimate story of teenage angst and trying to find your own way, I recommend anyone who hasn't read it checks it out. I still read it at least once every year.

His collection of short stories Nine Stories is another one of my favourites. Everyone should read that to. In fact, find something he has written and read it. Now.

His brilliant writing is too often overshadowed by the fact that he only published a few items, other than the most famous two that I mentioned, before withdrawing completely from the spotlight and living as a recluse for almost 50 years, at the very home where he died in New Hampshire. In my opinion, while he was clearly a weird guy, he should have been allowed to live in peace and not be constantly questioned as he was. 

At the same time, it is sad that a man who had the potential to be one of the best authors of all time, checked out so early.

A quote in the obituary in the New York times really caught my eye and summed up his strange but magical nature.

“Salinger had remarked that he was in this world but not of it."

 

“His body is gone but the family hopes that he is still with those he loves, whether they are religious or historical figures, personal friends or fictional characters.”

Everyone who loved his writing hopes exactly the same. 

Thanks for the words J.D. 

With love and squalor,

Keith.

Sleeping giants...

The FA Cup: The premier cup competition in British football. The oldest soccer competition in the world. A tournament that can often pit the best teams in the league against semi-amateur sides and create magical upsets.

Leeds United: For decades an arch-rival to the legendary Manchester United. One of the biggest, most famous clubs in England. Financial mismanagement brought them to their knees, relegated down two full divisions beneath their true home in the Premier League now forced to play against tiny teams who draw no fans. Even in this state, still drawing 50,000 fans to their home games. Fans dreaming of a return to the greatness they once held. 

My first love.

The last bit is true. When I first started truly following soccer, Leeds were my team. I loved them and they gave so much back challenging for titles both in England and across Europe. Then the unthinkable happened. A complicated mix of financial mismanagement and poor results saw them relegated not once but twice. Forced into obscurity in a low level league, Leeds famous slogan "Marching on Together" was unofficially changed to "Not Famous Anymore" by fans. I admit, I jumped ship, found refuge in following other teams. Despite this, I never really found anything to equal my love for Leeds. One day a couple weeks ago, my love was rekindled.

Leeds were drawn against long time rivals Manchester United in the cup. They brought an unprecedented 15,000 traveling fans into Old Trafford, Man U's stadium. The fans were dreaming of past glories but were treated to a new one. Jermaine Beckford's goal saw Leeds pull off the fairy tale upset and move to the next round. Suddenly, Leeds were "famous again." 

With their name once again being a hot topic in the soccer world, Leeds were first in their division, looking to move one step closer to getting back into the big leagues. They faced another massive obstacle in Tottenham Hotspur, currently 4th in the Premier League, today in the Cup.

Down 2-1 with less than half a minute on the clock, Leeds fans were taking solace in putting forth a good effort. I, in my 2001 Leeds jersey, was dejected. 

Then Beckford was pulled down.

Leeds were given a penalty kick.

Beckford scored.

2-2.

Magical. 

A replay will be played next week back in Leeds with their chance to "march on together" arriving once more.

Even sleeping giants can sometimes awaken...

In The Chamber 2010

On Friday night, a large group of first year Crecomms sacrificed their evenings to watch a production at the Rachel Browne Theatre. The play, entitled In The Chamber 2010 was made up of two monologues that each lasted about an hour. While the acting was very solid, the excitement level simply wasn't up to par for casual theatre fans like myself.

The play was the fifth installment of the In The Chamber series and showcased two original pieces. The first, Last Man in Krakendorf, was written and performed by Gordon Tanner. This was my favorite of the two parts and featured really impressive and energetic acting from Tanner who has established himself as a true Manitoba talent. 

It deals with a man who has reached the end of his rope and, enlightened by a fire in a hog barn, realized that he has little to live for in his dull life. He wants to escape from the "middle of the herd" and is sending a video message to Warren Buffet in an attempt to show just how rotten the system in which he works has become. The scene works because of solid acting and almost permanent doom mongering but misses the mark at the end of the day because of a complete lack of interaction between characters. In addition, the subject matter is alarming dry and difficult to follow. Essentially, despite his best efforts, Tanner fails to hold the audience's attention for the entire length of his work and in my opinion this equals a failed attempt.

The second half of the play was considerably worse in my opinion. It was called Last Man in Puntarenas and was written and performed by Steven Ratzlaff. 

This one dealt with a beaten down older man giving a speech to his former co-workers as he leaves his job. The speech is an intentionally sputtering and long winded diatribe about his frustration with society over losing his child. He blames failed medical procedures for the loss but ends up going off track and attacking his co-workers throughout the speech. As he speaks, more and more of his "audience" leave and he ends up speaking only to the bartender as he finishes his tirade. 

This half of the play left me confused and bored. I was already fairly worn out from the difficult to follow first production and this one was even harder to follow. Ratzlaff was far less energetic in his acting and his speech was just kind of creepy. Some of his comments were strange and inappropriate. The entire thing seemed a little too true for me and while this should make it more sad, it just made it more disturbing in my view.

If this wasn't enough, the speech was simply impossible to follow. For starters, it included too much medical vernacular for the average person to understand. While that was difficult, a more pressing problem was the fact that the dialogue was all over the place. It touched on cancer, sex, broken marriages etc. There was too much there for me to be able to continue paying attention.

The two halves of the play were tied together by their general subject matter dealing with two men who have become totally disillusioned with society and checked out mentally. Both feel that others are to blame not necessarily for their mistakes, but for constantly failing to learn from them.  They have looked closely at their world, and seen nothing they liked. In short, they have surrendered, given up. 

In this way, they work as a fairly poignant and interesting look into our society but, again simply don't stimulate the audience enough to make them carry much weight. Some sort of actual movement or interaction on stage was needed to help bring the spectators, many of whom do not attend many plays, into the action.

As a side note, I was very confused as to why the audience laughed so constantly at "jokes" made during the play. Perhaps I am just not a seasoned enough theatre attendee but I found is very odd to hear so much laughter for lines that were so embarrassingly not funny. If these same people had gone to an actual comedy show, the roof probably would have come off with laughter if this is how impressed they were by such mediocre wise-cracks.

Overall, while the acting was very good and the memorization stunningly impressive, the writing and the excitement level were just not good enough for me. If I am going to go to a play, I want to be entertained and I just wasn't. Indeed, it felt more like I was the one being locked "in a chamber." 

Bloggers block...

Hey Guys,

Here's the deal, I am thinking about changing my blog topic. I love talking about soccer but I want to branch out a bit and write about more general things.

I might just change things up a bit and mix it up. I hope that works. Be on the lookout for some coolio new shiz.

Cheers,

Keith.

Sacha Baron Cohen: King of the Publicity Stunt

For our PR class, we were asked to look up and do some research on a successful publicity stunt. I immediately thought of Sacha Baron Cohen.

Better known, as his most popular characters Ali G, Borat and Bruno, Baron Cohen is essentially a master at generating publicity for his characters by doing ridiculous things and staging outrageous interviews. While promoting his most recent major movie, Bruno, Baron Cohen staged a number of hilarious publicity stunts.

The premise of the character is simple, Bruno is a fashion designer from Austria who plays up every stereotype of a gay male fashion designer possibly. The character is intentionally way over the top, just as all of his characters are. In this way, what better publicity stunt could there be than to crash an actual fashion show? Thankfully, Baron Cohen felt the same way and did exactly that.

Baron Cohen managed to get onto the runway at a high class fashion show in Milan and walk down the runway wearing a black cloak that had velcro on it which he stuck a bunch of handbags and boots to. He was of course pulled down by security and arrested but not before he had made his point and generated tons of publicity for his movie.

It worked for a bunch of reasons. First off, it was hilarious. Secondly, it poked fun at the industry that he was parodying in his movie and did it in a way that made the public almost take his side against the fashion industry which is percieved as elitist by many.

Interestingly, the event may not have had that major an effect because it fit perfectly with Baron Cohen's reputation. People almost expect him to do these things now and were surely waiting for this to happen. In this way, the event may not have been as shocking as it could have been as people were saying "oh he's doing it again" and all that good stuff.

The point is, Sacha Baron Cohen is hilarious and perfect for this assignment because he's made his living as a walking publicity stunt basically. Keep up the good work Sacha. VERY NICE!