Howard Bragman, a longtime PR strategist and crisis manager, weighs in on the college admissions scandal that has ensnared “Desperate Housewives” star Felicity Huffman and “Fuller House” actress Lori Loughlin. Neither actress is a client of Bragman’s.
Seeing your spin doctor is just like seeing your medical doctor after a scary diagnosis: Everyone wants to know how bad it is.
That’s the question everyone is asking right now about Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin. What will their careers look like post-scandal?
Actually, there are some objective ways to predict whether this will be a speed bump or a sink hole. Here are the things I look at:
1. How egregious is the act?
Racism is the worst; ask Michael Richards and Paula Deen. I explain that race is the “third-rail” of reputations. In Felicity and Lori’s case, there is a lot of anger, but most parents understand that as parents, the pair wanted what was best for their kids, even if it was wrong and misguided. They may not have even known that what they were doing was illegal. They do now.
2. How visible is the scandal?
This is an amazingly visible scandal. It’s making worldwide headlines, and although many others were involved, Lori and Felicity have become the poster ladies for this one. There’s a certain Hollywood blowback here. This is not an entertainment industry scandal, it’s a rich people scandal. But that’s the price of fame.
3. How much blowback is there on social media?
The answer in this case is LOTS. People on the Hallmark Channel website are asking the network to fire Lori. Others are angry and suggest drastic measures to make their unhappiness known. This is huge on social media and will continue to be for a long time as the case unfolds.
4. How humiliating is it?
Oprah once said the worst thing people can go through is public humiliation. These actors and their families are going through it in the worst way. It has to be taking a huge emotional toll.
(Excerpt) Read more in: Variety