Here’s an updated post originally published last year at this time.

31 years ago today, a major news story broke in the middle of a Monday evening. There was no Facebook, no Twitter, no Social Media, no Internet, and no 24 hour cable news.

How did most of America hear the news? Via Howard Cosell.

Cosell was broadcasting ABC’s Monday Night Football and broke in with an unforgettable announcement:

“AN UNSPEAKABLE TRAGEDY…JOHN LENNON…SHOT TWICE IN THE BACK…DEAD ON ARRIVAL.”

Check it out here

Cosell Interviewing Lennon, 6 Years Earlier on MNF

Here’s my list of the best Christmas songs of the Modern Rock Era, which I’m defining as roughly the mid- 1970s through the early 2000s. You will find no Perry Como, Andy Williams, or Bing Crosby here (wait, we do have some Crosby….see #2…) What are your favorites to add?

10. Squeeze – “Christmas Day” (1979)

9. Captain Sensible – “One Christmas Catalogue” (1984)

8. Slade – “Merry Xmas Everybody” (1973)

7. Weird Al – “Christmas At Ground Zero” (1986)

6. Ramones – “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)” (2001)

5. Pretenders – “2000 Miles” (1983)

4. The Kinks – “Father Christmas” (1977)

3. Band Aid – “Do The Know It’s Christmas” (1984)

2. David Bowie and Bing Crosby – “Little Drummer Boy / Peace On Earth” (Recorded / Originally Broadcast 1977; Released 1982)

1. The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl – “Fairytale of New York” (1987)

"As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly."

Here’s an update from last year’s post about Gordon Jump, turkeys, and a new list of pros for whom I am thankful this year.
But first, let’s watch a clip of the WKRP turkey drop!

Several years ago, I had the privilege of meeting Gordon Jump, aka Arthur “Big Guy” Carlson of WKRP in Cincinnati. He was passing through town on a PR tour for Maytag (he was the Maytag Repairman in the commercial campaign at the time) and did a live studio interview at the radio station I was programming.

What a pro! Mr. Jump was a PR person’s AND a media outlet’s perfect interviewee: he promoted the Maytag event for which he was the guest, and also was open to reminiscing about his WKRP glory days. It was near Thanksgiving, so he gave us his best on-air recreation of his classic quote from the WKRP turkey massacre episode. He was thankful for having such a good run and for still acting and portraying fun characters.

In honor of the late Mr. Jump’s spirit of thankfulness for lasting in his chosen industry, here’s a new list of just a few of the folks in the Franchise industry and specifically involved in Social Media Marketing with whom I am thankful for collaborating in 2011 and recommend following in social sphere:

@debce

@bj_emerson

@brandjournalist

@PaulSegreto

@franchise411

@akstout18

@jennimacdonald

@LorriW

@robin_ce

@joematty

@justinthesouth

@faithfulpr

@pamdemoniumpr

@marketing4mom

@goddardsystems

@johnboyens

@greglacour

@josephcaruso

@jeremyladuque

@davemurr

@jbgrafx

And everyone from #Francamp!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
-Jack Monson

Oh, the humanity!
-Les Nessman

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Pearl Jam – Ten
1991

Twenty years ago this week…what!?!?! Twenty years? Yes, on March 27, 1991, Pearl Jam began recording their Epic debut, Ten.
 
While Nirvana’s Nevermind was first, I’ve always preferred PJ’s Ten as a much more complete, and overall better album.
 
Give it a listen again you may find that the layered sounds give an even darker feel than you may have remembered. I guess that’s what 20 years of light hip-hop and shiny happy alternative-so-called-rock has done to our popular music palate.

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Here’s my list of the best Christmas songs of the Modern Rock Era, which I’m defining as roughly the mid- 1970s through the early 2000s. You will find no Perry Como, Andy Williams, or Bing Crosby here (wait, we do have some Crosby….see #2…) I would love to hear your thoughts on these and others!

 
10. Squeeze – “Christmas Day” (1979)
 
9. Captain Sensible – “One Christmas Catalogue” (1984)
 
8. Slade – “Merry Xmas Everybody” (1973)
 
7. Weird Al – “Christmas At Ground Zero” (1986)

6. Ramones – “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)” (2001)
 
5. Pretenders – “2000 Miles” (1983)
 
4. The Kinks – “Father Christmas” (1977)
 
3. Band Aid – “Do The Know It’s Christmas” (1984)
 
2. David Bowie and Bing Crosby – “Little Drummer Boy / Peace On Earth” (Recorded / Originally Broadcast 1977; Released 1982)
 
1. The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl – “Fairytale of New York” (1987)
 

How did most of America hear the news? Via Howard Cosell.

Cosell was broadcasting ABC’s Monday Night Football and broke in with an unforgettable announcement:

“AN UNSPEAKABLE TRAGEDY…JOHN LENNON…SHOT TWICE IN THE BACK…DEAD ON ARRIVAL.”

Check it out here

Cosell interviewing Lennon, 6 years earlier on MNF

"As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." Click image for video clip.

   
Several years ago, I had the privilege of meeting Gordon Jump, aka Arthur “Big Guy” Carlson of WKRP in Cincinnati. He was passing through town on a PR tour for Maytag (he was the Maytag Repairman in the commercial campaign at the time) and did a live studio interview at the radio station I was programming.
 
What a pro! Mr. Jump was a PR person’s AND a media outlet’s perfect interviewee: he promoted the Maytag event for which he was the guest, and also was open to reminiscing about his WKRP glory days. It was near Thanksgiving, so he gave us his best on-air recreation of his classic quote from the WKRP turkey massacre episode. He was thankful for having such a good run and for still acting and portraying fun characters.
 
In honor of the late Mr. Jump’s spirit of thankfulness for lasting in his chosen industry, here’s a new list of just a few of the folks in the PR and Social Media Marketing industry I am thankful for meeting, collaborating with, or working with in 2010:

@PaulaBerg                  @kamichat                       @geoffliving

@cldegoede                 @_LaurenShapiro_      @cgflood

@Engage121                @JackSerpa                     @nperold

@reynmorgan            @evelyntimson             @emailfray

@kristinepfeiff            @AllisonB023                @PaulSegreto

@jeswal06                    @terrimcculloch           @StoryAssistant

@chuckhester             @JessicaNorthey          @jillianmk

@rebeccafoss              @brandjournalist         @prsachicago

@acappellamedia       @shashib                        @shelholtz

Stage 1 Andy: All Laughs

We dig into our own history of past success and use those same tactics when launching our social media engagement. Sometimes it fits, but more often than not, marketers need to tweak their voice and role, leading to…

Stage 2: Getting down to business and finding our role

After the first season or so, Andy realized that it would be best for the show if he played the straight man and let those around him get the laughs. His decision to pay it forward catapulted the show into legendary status.

Stage 2 Andy: Paying It Forward

 
The character of Andy as the normal and wise hub for the crazy Mayberry citizens’ shenanigans is a great role model for how Social Media Marketers should carry themselves within their online communities. Be the Andy by helping solve your connections’ business problems, mediating different point of views, and most of all promoting others before yourself.

Note, many so-called Social Media “Experts” or “Gurus” are the equivalent of Deputy Barney Fife. They take credit for others’ heroics, crow about their own expertise, and obsess on the tools of the trade rather than the message. Barneys don’t really make a community worse; in fact, they can be funny. But in the end, we’re just laughing at them. 

 
Stage 3: Getting annoyed by and tired of those around us

It would be best if you as a Social Media Marketer could stay in a perpetual stage two. Toward the end of The Andy Griffith Show’s original run, Andy’s character further developed into a role that you don’t want to be. These episodes are easy to identify as they are in color and “Angry Andy” is constantly irritated by the dimwits around him.   

Stage 3 Andy: Annoyed

In Christmas cartoons created in the past few years, you will not find any of the above tragedy and anxiety-inducing melodrama. For the past few weeks, I have been studying the Christmas specials of three popular current kids’ series (and by studying, I mean a constant viewing every evening with my daughter):

• Nick’s Diego Saves Christmas

• PBS’s Super Why and ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas

• Disney’s Little Einsteins and The Christmas Wish

In these recent shows, I found no character’s mother dying, Misfit Toys, evil Burgermeisters, scary wizards, or killer magicians. All you find in the above three is positive messages, interactivity, learning, and good animation (well, not so much in Diego).

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Now let’s talk about the best Christmas Cartoons of the pre-PC media era, filled with oddities and freaks:

#7 Frosty The Snowman

Nothing merrier than a cartoon where our star snowman melts into a pool of water and dies.  Merry Christmas, kids! Spoiler: He comes back to life in the end. 

#6 Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey

I’m only including my wife’s all-time fave to keep peace at home this holiday season. It does have some catchy tunes by country-folkie Roger Miller and, yep, Momma donkey dies. Nice.

#5 A Charlie Brown Christmas

“Isn’t there anyone…who can tell me…what Christmas is all about?”

This poor bald kid had the first documented case of childhood holiday depression. Relax, Chuck. It’s all about a dog saving your crummy tree, Linus’ sermon which I always tuned out, and Dolly Madison commercials.

#4 How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Stop with the Jim Carey remake already and watch the original with narration by Boris Karloff.  Yeah not too freakin’ scary.

#3 Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town

Best line by Keenan Wynn as the deadly Winter Warlock: “Hey, maybe I’m not such a loser after all!”

#2 Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer

Cool: Island of Misfit Toys (yeah!) which is so weird yet cool that Verizon effectively uses it to slam AT&T 40 years later.

Not cool: Rudolph’s voice is the most grating sound of the holidays

#1 Year Without A Santa Claus

Five words: They. Call. Me. Heat. Miser.

****Honorable mention (not fully animated): ***
The Star Wars Holiday Special which included Wookies celebrating … something. But it did feature the whole Star Wars cast along with special guests Harvey Korman, Bea Arthur, and Jefferson Starship. I can’t make this stuff up! Hey, if you were a kid in 1978, this is why TV was invented. It was the closest thing to seeing Star Wars again in the pre-home video age.