*Ever wonder about that white guy behind Rosa Parks in that iconic Montgomery, Ala., bus photo? He looks like an awkward prop as he stares off in an opposite direction. He is. That’s Nicholas Chriss, a UPI reporter, who was participating in a staged photo in December 1956–shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled that segregation on Montgomery’s bus system was illegal. Rosa Parks was arrested on Dec. 1, 1955 after having refused to give up her seat to a white passenger.
Last week President Barack Obama helped unveil a statue of Parks, the first black woman so honored in the Capitol.
* Imagine, the highest-profile American to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is Dennis Rodman. While he could have done more pre-visit homework–no, that “Gangnam Style dude (Psy)” is actually, uh, SOUTH Korean–perhaps the outrageous, erstwhile “Worm” was actually an appropriate ambassador to a country that is in a pathetically parallel universe. For what it’s worth, Rodman seemed genuinely impressed with the chubby, young despot. “Guess what, I love him,” pronounced Rodman. “… really awesome.” Maybe he meant Lil’ Kim.
* Every journalist appreciates the need for a good, attention-grabbing lead. But you don’t expect that principle to apply to memos. Well, give it up for Groupon co-founder Andrew Mason who stepped down as CEO recently. His employees-only memo began: “After four and a half intense and wonderful years as CEO of Groupon, I’ve decided that I’d like to spend more time with my family. Just kidding–I was fired today.”
* Australian billionaire Clive Palmer has eye-catching plans to build his own, historic throw-back, luxury cruise liner with state-of-the-art amenities and safety features. In fact, some 40,000 people have expressed interest in tickets for the maiden, England-to-America voyage targeted for 2016. But marketing could still be a challenge: The ship will be named Titantic II. It’s a replica of the original–only with air conditioning and plenty of life boats, safety chutes and slides.
Seemingly, the public relations campaign has already set sail. It’s now being pointed out that the period piece vessel, which harkens back to the most famous maritime disaster in history, could be an ironic beneficiary of global warming–fewer icebergs. Obviously, the PR campaign will have to do better than that.
* Acclaimed Olympic amputee-athlete Oscar Pistorius, now out on bail for murder, is not due back in court until June. When he returns, we will be reminded that as pushy, obnoxious and celebrity-driven as our media here can be, we draw the line a little higher than they do in South Africa. Our paparazzi will hound suspects in vehicles and corridors as well as on street corners and courthouse steps. But there is relative refuge inside the courtroom. The judge has discretion. That’s why there are courtroom artists available for sketching.
But notice those bail-hearing photos of Pistorius at the magistrates court in Pretoria. Talk about in your face. He was in the dock and that gaggle of shutterbugs, vying for positioning, couldn’t have been more than two feet away. Guilty or not-guilty–the punishment had begun.
* If you’re looking for a page-turner for you nightstand, look no further than The Patriarch by David Nasaw. It’s the biography of Joseph P. Kennedy. Whether you believe Kennedy was a tragic Shakespearean–or Faustian–figure or not, you’ll likely not find the man you thought you knew enough about. Regardless of your side of the political spectrum, you’ll likely find this patriarch’s skills, ambitions, charms, vanity, popularity and impact across generations impressive and imposing.
*Word is the Vatican wants a new Pope by next week–before Holy Week ceremonies begin. Moreover, in the U.S. it would also avoid overlap with NCAA basketball’s “March Madness.” The papacy has enough distractions, and the conclave process can do without late-night American comics trafficking in “Sweet Sistine” references.