2013 Biggest Career Crashes (Paula Deen, Anthony Weiner, etc)

[playahaitian]

The Biggest Career Crashes Of 2013

Everyone makes mistakes from time to time and, unfortunately, one bad blunder can gravely impact your career and reputation.

That's especially true for public figures. The consequences of slip ups or scandals among politicians, athletes, movie stars or corporate executives, for example, are usually even more severe. And while some manage to bounce right back and make a full recovery, others may struggle for days, weeks, months or years to reclaim the public's trust and admiration, and reestablish credibility.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/biggest-career-crashes-2013-154300389.html

With help from my Forbes colleagues, I've compiled a list of the biggest career crashes of 2013. (Note: We're not saying their careers are over; we're saying they took a big hit this year.)

Here are the top 10:

1. Paula Deen

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Who is she? Deen is a celebrity chef, cooking show television host, restaurant owner and cookbook writer.

What happened? While being questioned in a discrimination lawsuit in May, Deen acknowledged that she had used a racial epithet in the past. She testified that she "probably" used the racial slur while talking to her husband about a robbery that occurred at the bank she was working at in 1987. When asked if she had used the racial slur since then, she responded: "I'm sure I have, but it's been a very long time." However, she couldn't remember the other contexts in which she used it. Deen said in the deposition that it may have been "in repeating something that was said to me." Though Deen insisted that she and her family do not tolerate prejudice, companies like Home Depot, Novo Nordisk, Ballantine Books, The Food Network, Smithfield Foods and Wal-Mart, among others, have severed ties with the queen of butter. (The lawsuit was later dismissed.)

2. Rob Ford

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Who is he? Ford is the Mayor of Toronto.

What happened? In late October 2013, police announced that they had recovered a video that appears to show Mayor Ford smoking crack cocaine. A week later, Ford admitted to using the drug while in office. "Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine," he told reporters. "But no, do I, am I an addict? No. Have I tried it? Probably in one of my drunken stupors, probably approximately about a year ago." Toronto's city council does not have the power to remove Ford from office unless he is convicted of a crime—but in November, they voted to strip him of many of his powers, to cut his office budget by 60%, and to allow members of his staff to transfer to the deputy mayor.

3. Lara Logan

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Who is she? Logan is a TV and radio journalist; currently the chief foreign affairs correspondent for CBS News and a correspondent for "60 Minutes."

What happened? On Oct. 27, 2013, Logan reported a story about the 2012 attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya. The report, which aired on "60 Minutes," was based on an interview with ex-security officer Dylan Davies. Davies' comments were later discredited after the New York Times informed Jeff Fager, chairman of CBS News and executive producer of "60 Minutes," that Davies' account to the FBI was not consistent with what he had told CBS. Logan went on "CBS This Morning" the next day (Nov. 8, 2013) to apologize for the erroneous report. On Nov. 26, 2013, after an internal review of the report found flaws in Logan's reporting, she and her producer, Max McClellan, were asked to take indefinite leaves of absence. However, Fager has said that he was ultimately responsible for the mistakes associated with the report.

4. Aaron Hernandez

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Who is he? Hernandez is an American football player who is currently a free agent; he previously played for the New England Patriots and the University of Florida.

What happened? In June 2013, Hernandez's home in North Attleborough, Mass. was searched by police in connection with an investigation into the death of Odin Lloyd, whose body was found in an industrial park about a mile away from the home the previous day. About a week later, Hernandez was taken from his home in handcuffs and into police custody. That same day, the tight end was released by the Patriots, and he was arraigned and charged with murder and five gun-related charges. On August 22, 2013, Hernandez was indicted by a grand jury for the murder. He has since pleaded not guilty to all charges and is being held without bail.

5. Ron Johnson

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Who is he? Johnson was most recently the CEO of J. C. Penney; he previously served as Senior Vice President of Retail Operations at Apple.

What happened? When Johnson was hired by J.C. Penney in late 2011, he was tasked with reinventing the century-old retail chain's image. Given his successful 10-year run at Apple, building its line of retail stores, the J.C. Penney board had high hopes for Johnson. The announcement of his transformation vision in January 2012 caused a 24% spike in J. C. Penney's stock—but, as Forbes contributor Barbara Thau put it, "Johnson's radical strategy to eliminate Penney's coupons and most sales events, and transform the store into a sea of mini shops from names like Martha Stewart and fast fashion retailer Joe Fresh, sent sales spiraling and its moderate-income shoppers through the exit door." The company's stock plunged under his leadership, and Johnson was fired as the CEO of J. C. Penney on April 8, 2013, and replaced by his predecessor, Myron Ullman. Johnson's disastrous overhaul reportedly cost the company $1 billion.

6. Howard Kurtz

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Who is he? Journalist, author and media critic; host of Fox News Channel's Media Buzz program; former media writer for The Washington Post and the former Washington bureau chief for The Daily Beast.

What did he do? In May 2013, Kurtz erroneously claimed in a blog post that Jason Collins, the NBA center who had recently come out as gay, had not mentioned his previous engagement to a woman. The Daily Beast's editors said that piece contained "several errors, resulting in a misleading characterization of NBA player Collins and the story he co-wrote in Sports Illustrated in which the he came out as gay." Kurtz initially tried to cover his tracks, but later issued a correction at the bottom of the post. Tina Brown, the editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast, fired Kurtz a few days later for his "serial inaccuracy."

7. Eike Batista

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Who is he? Batista is a Brazilian business magnate.

What happened? Not long ago, Batista was one of the world's richest people, with a net worth of approximately $30 billion, according to FORBES estimates—but in October 2013, his oil firm OGX filed for bankruptcy protection in the largest corporate default in Latin American history. My colleague Agustino Fontevecchia reported that OGX is set to run out of cash in December unless it gets $250 million, which will allow it to push operations all the way to April 2014. "Meanwhile," Fontevecchia writes, "Batista is hurting. He is being sued, along with his company, by minority shareholders, while Brazil's SEC, known as CVM, is looking into violations of disclosure rules. His personal fortune has been decimated by the spectacular decline in his companies? stock prices, going from $30 billion to less than $1 billion."

8. Bob Filner

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Who is he? Filner is the former San Diego mayor.

What happened? Following a storm of sexual harassment allegations this summer, Filner resigned just nine months into a four-year term. Filner, who faced sexual harassment allegations from approximately 17 women, received treatment for sexual disorders in Los Angeles before pleading guilty in mid-October to a series of false imprisonment and battery charges involving three women. The 71-year-old's sentencing is set for Dec. 9.

9. Alec Baldwin

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Who is he? Baldwin is a stage, television and film actor.
What happened? Just five episodes in to Baldwin's Friday night MSNBC talk show, "Up Late With Alec Baldwin," he and the network parted ways. Why? The short-lived show was terminated less than two weeks after Baldwin was suspended for making homophobic remarks during a confrontation with a photographer, which was captured on video by TMZ.


10. Anthony Weiner

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Who is he? Weiner is a politician; former U.S. representative who served New York's 9th congressional district for more than 12 years.

What happened? In 2011, Weiner engaged in lewd online behavior. A few weeks after sending a sexually explicit photo to a 21-year-old woman via Twitter, he resigned his seat. The scandal, dubbed "Weinergate," wouldn't be his last. This year, a few months after the former congressman announced that he'd return to politics by entering the New York City mayoral race, more pictures and "sexting," allegedly by Weiner, surfaced. He said in a statement: "I said that other texts and photos were likely to come out, and today they have." Shortly after acknowledging the explicit online relationships, Weiner's campaign manager quit and Politico reported that his favorability plunged by more than 20 points, causing him to lose the lead in the mayor's race. Weiner conceded in the Democratic primary in September.

 

[playahaitian]

where are they now?

 

[playahaitian]

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Weiner Is a Sobering Behind-the-Scenes Look at Anthony Weiner’s Implosion
By David EdelsteinShare2Tweet0Share4Email0

Weiner if what you care most about is seeing its protagonist, the former U.S. congressman and New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner, fully answer the question Dude, what the fuck is wrong with you?

He’s asked it countless times — politely and not so — over the course of the film, which chronicles his catastrophic 2013 mayoral run. And he does apologize (or at least allude to past apologies) for sending photos to women of the very body part from which he’d spent a lifetime trying to dissociate himself. He says bluntly, “I did the things” — it’s a catchphrase. But Weiner declines to do his self-plumbing in public, saving it (presumably) for his shrink and, more important, his wife, Huma Abedin — the movie’s second and equally fascinating protagonist.

During the ensuing noisy standoffs with reporters and hecklers, the camera lingers on Abedin. From her mentor, Hillary Clinton, she has learned to keep her cards close to the vest. But she’s younger than Clinton and made of softer stuff. (Then again: Who isn’t?) The pressure to let those cards drop seems overwhelming. As she puts on the traditional Brave Face, we scrutinize her eyes (fixed) and body language (tight, arms crossed) for signs of cracking. What’s going on in there? We have a right to know! (Don’t we?)

Directed by Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg from a structure they hammered out with Eli B. Despres, Weiner is a tabula rasa doc — one of the most provocative of its kind I’ve seen. Everyone’s bound to have a different perspective. Social conservatives will find a link between Weiner’s progressive politics and his moral lapses, perhaps even proof that Hillary and Huma (whom Hillary has called a second daughter) have a penchant for making deals with male devils. Others will find confirmation that the kind of people (especially male people) driven to run for office are inherently unscrupulous. Some women will cringe at Weiner’s treatment of his wife — both the sexts and his use of her as a campaign ambassador/crutch/prop.

What I hope is that most viewers will come away feeling nauseated by the exhibition, concluding, “Judge not …” The behind-the-scenes access in The War Room was exhilarating. In Weiner, we’re voyeurs at a grisly spectacle, a modern political tragicomedy.

What metaphor can do justice to Weiner? “Car crash” is too modest, “train wreck” too mundane. The Titanic seems most apt, given our foreknowledge of the iceberg drifting inexorably toward the central couple, who are otherwise riding semi-high. That’s what the film reminds us: Before the revelation of more photos sent after the first scandal, Weiner was ahead in the polls, while our current mayor — the opponent perhaps closest to Weiner ideologically — was near the rear. Here, we see the Anthony and Huma of The New York Times Magazine’s comeback cover story of a loving, close-knit family, too brilliant to sink into obscurity, committed to creating for themselves a second chance in a political culture that gives so few.

Kriegman once worked for Weiner, and he and Steinberg have uncanny access. This somehow confers on the candidate an aura of generosity (he has nothing to hide), while Huma’s slight wariness comes across as thoughtful self-possession rather than dodginess. The charge is made in a tabloid story that Weiner’s staff is less motivated by him than by the prospect of palling up to Huma for a job on the all-but-certain Clinton presidential campaign. But despite the threadbare office and thin staff and the impact of relentless punning Post covers, Weiner’s convictions take hold.

Let me own up to the fact that, watching the movie, I often liked the man, showboating and all. His life, he says, has been a crusade against bullies, and his righteous indignation feels genuine. His stump speech on the city’s ever-increasing inhospitality to the middle class struck me as more finely tuned than Bernie Sanders’s and more rousing than our current mayor’s. Of course, Kriegman and Steinberg don’t spend much time on ideology or history. They know what their audience is salivating for.

Was Weiner tempted to boot the filmmakers when that second scandal hit? I’d guess he was, but the temptation not to was stronger. After all, he’s a public man, so public that after resigning from Congress, he could barely conceive of a life outside the spotlight — especially with so visible a spouse. Early in Weiner, he says he’s tired of being “in a defensive crouch.” That there are postures between a defensive crouch and an offensive strut does not seem to have occurred to him. He must consider the camera a potential ally. He made me think of the way the comedian Mike Birbiglia in his film Sleepwalk With Me turns to the audience before doing something stupid and says, “Remember, you’re on my side.” Weiner thinks that Kriegman and Steinberg’s camera will help him seduce us, that the film could still turn out to be Carlos Danger Conquers the Universe.

I also suspect that the camera’s omnipresence offered temporary protection from the wrath of his wife, who’s forced to express herself via quivers and the occasional eye roll.

Even as Weiner’s campaign workers droop with disappointment and resentment and the brisk blonde spokeswoman, Barbara Morgan, is forced to herd reporters aroused to a frenzy by the smell of blood, Weiner seems more pitiable than hateful. He’s not a confident liar on the level of Donald Trump or Bill Clinton: As he ties himself up in linguistic knots, his eyes flash pain. Perhaps he is that rare thing in politics, a weasel with a conscience. At the very least, he seems to know that he will always be seen through. It takes guts to challenge Clinton or Trump. But Weiner — thin, wiry, his emotions on the surface — already looks like a man on edge, waiting for the bullies to descend and primed to explode.

The best scene in Weiner is a study in the attraction-repulsion dynamic that fuels (and ultimately destroys) so many love matches. It’s jaw-dropping. Weiner submits to an interview with Lawrence O’Donnell on MSNBC in which O’Donnell says, “Anthony, I think there is something wrong with you.” Weiner does not assume the crouch. “Dude,” he says, “I don’t really need your psychiatric questions.” It escalates from there, and Weiner sounds, not to put too fine a point on it, insane. Later, he’s back in his apartment with Huma, watching the interview, crowing over what he hopes she’ll see as a show of strength, a refusal to bend before the bully. More than anything, he wants her assurance that he didn’t screw up. None is forthcoming. Huma can’t even sit down. “Why are you laughing? … It’s bad.” “For me?” … “Sorry. I can’t.” And then Weiner is alone with his documentarians.

The climax is a reductio ad absurdum: The arrival in town of the 23-year-old porn actress Sydney Leathers, to whom Weiner sent the most explicit photos in his second round of sexting. Egged on by Howard Stern, she positions herself to accost the candidate on Primary Night, with a slew of photographers poised to document the momentous meeting. It’s such an ugly, gratuitous, self-serving gesture toward a man destined to lose by a wide margin that you have to root for Weiner to evade her clutches. The camera follows her … follows him … follows her … she’s closing in … Run, Anthony, run!

The papers get a juicy photo anyway. Weiner’s concession speech is dignified, but in a car, at the very last second, as he’s almost out of the public sphere, he can’t hold back. He gives photographers the finger. Poor Huma.

Poor us, too. The Weiner of Weiner is the object of such fierce collective opprobrium that even sadists primed for a dose of political torture porn will blanch. The man is a schmuck, not a war criminal — some of whom, like Henry Kissinger, are fêted by the wealthy and honored by the White House. The movie brings to mind Oscar Wilde’s definition of scandal: “gossip made tedious by morality.” I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with him, but Weiner offers a sobering view of what’s wrong with us.

 

[yeahman727]

they're all doing better than the most successful active BGOL'er

 

[BDR]

Paula Dean is back like cooked crack

 

[easy_b]

they're all doing better than the most successful active BGOL'er

I'm doing better then them

 

[theteacher]

where are they now?

He left this behind for that gangsta shit... lol

 

[playahaitian]

Paula Dean is back like cooked crack

Wait ...what?!?

 

[Helico-pterFunk]

http://www.vulture.com/2016/05/movie-review-weiner.html