Women, Reality Television, and Public Relations

This week, I learned that socialite/gossip magazine favorite Kim Kardashian is producing a documentary on the world of celebrity public relations.

These shows truly fascinate me. Ms. Kardashian's show joins a reality tv marketplace already occupied by another show focusing on celebrity/fashion pr titled Kell on Earth.

The focus of Kell on Earth is on a Ms. Cutrone who apparently has made a name for herself due to her aggressive "diva" style to management . According to news reports, she fired (and threatened to sue) an intern for blogging. In addition, some of the show's episodes explore the issue of firing her employees in extensive detail.)

And who can forget the short lived Power Girls on MTV which focused on publicist Lizzie Grubman (who went from representing stars like Puffy Combs & Jay Z to serving jail time for a road rage incident in which she injured 16 people).

In my classes, I make a point of discussing the myths these shows perpetuate:

A. You simply have to be pretty to succeed in public relations.

B. Making a spectacle of yourself and your client are simply what pr is about.

C. Aggressive, type-A careerists with a take no prisoners attitude are those who succeed in pr.

D. PR is simply about partying with socialites

I am not against anyone making a living. Ms. Cutrone and Kardashian have a right to sell whatever vision of public relations they feel is appropriate. And to be honest, what they are portraying is (in some cases) not far from the truth. As my father always warns " Don't be too judgmental of others."

My question, however, is: How can we highlight the numerous women who work in public relations, do good work, and do not engage in any of the "interesting" behaviors the shows portray.

The majority of my bosses in public relations have been women. Whether in Washington DC where I worked with smart women at the American Insurance Association or in Indonesia at UNCEF, I have met some very talented women in pr.

They are hard working, family oriented people who come in, put a long day of work, and go home to work another shift to take care of their families.

I think their stories need to be highlighted. As pr people, we can use our skills to showcase these women because out there in the world, the women of pr people are seeing are not representative of numerous pr professionals I have encountered.