PR Machine

Yesterday we heard from Dan Gilgoff at US News and World Reports that Rick 4.O Warren wasn't giving any interviews before the inauguration. We were thrilled. It seemed like a wise move from a leader who recognized the media frenzy had spun out of control. Gilgoff went further saying the decision, "is basically a vow to stay off the news for the next week to let Obama have his moment. Warren knows that anything he says about the invocation could be fodder for headlines, so he's keeping his head down. Pretty classy." Yes, indeed, staying out of the news would have been pretty classy. Too bad the PR machine couldn't abide. Warren's media moratorium seems only to apply to the interactive kind since he issued a statement praising Obama for including Gene Robinson in the inaugural festivities. Warren says "I applaud his desire to be the president of every citizen." A stark contrast to the statements made by Robinson when Warren was chosen. While we are happy to see a positive statement from Warren, we're a little cynical here at BC. Somehow it doesn't feel like a warm fuzzy so much as a calculated cold prickly that was hashed out by PR people looking to regain the moral/civil high ground after the whole Beliefnet debacle. Maybe that's unfair but all of these holy men have been playing games through, with and by the media. We just can't help but question these things. We are equally critical of Robinson for his ridiculous NYT interview about Warren's selection. BC has its own ideas for how to tone down the tension. Remember when you were in second grade and the class got out of control? The teacher would flip the lights off and say "heads on desks!" We think ALL the celebrities of God should take a cue from our second grade teacher, Ms Traventi. HEADS ON DESKS, NO MORE TALKING.