Jan 04 2008
Then and Now - Corporate Ethics, AOL, TMZ and Celebrity Crotch Shots
When I first went online, back in ‘95, it was with an external modem, and Winsock software downloaded from my ISP to connect. I’ve been watching the Internet a long time.
I remember the flood of AOL cds hitting the market, and cheering the guys at NoMoreAOLcds.com as they invited the public to send unwanted cds to them so they could dump them all at AOL headquarters.
I remember the stories hitting the news.
1999; class action lawsuit filed against AOL citing violations of U.S. labor laws
2000; AOL served with an $8 billion lawsuit because its software prevented AOLers from using another ISP.
2000 and 2001; Reports hit the media that AOL shuts it’s doors to “non AOL” email when email servers are busy. AOLers don’t receive the email, and non AOL senders don’t get their email bounced. Non AOL mail is just quietly deleted to maintain “AOL server integrity.”
And did you see the Vincent Ferrari YouTube video? Hilarious. In 2006, he tried to cancel an AOL account that hadn’t been used for years. The conversation was so “good” it was aired on CNBC.
2006, AOL is named #1 in PC World’s list of the 25 worst tech products of all time
December 2006, in order to cut operating costs, AOL decided to cease using American call centers for customer service. Two weeks before Christmas, thousands of workers were told they were being eliminated
September 2007, AOL said they’re moving from Virginia to New York. Part of the “restructuring” included laying off 2,000 people. Employees were told they’d be let go on Dec. 14. Just before Christmas. Again.
October 2007, the last call center in Canada was also shut down. All AOL customer service calls are now handled by people in India, the Philippines, and Argentina.
AOL, once a behemoth boasting 30 million subscribers, has lost roughly 2/3 of their subscribers. As of November, 2007, their customer base had dropped to 10.1 million subscribers.
I’d like to think that AOL’s decline is an example of consumers standing up for what’s right.
I’d like to think that John and Jane Q. Public, incensed by AOL’s constant abuse of the American consumer, has opted not to put money in their pocket.
But it just ain’t so. All is well in AOL world.
In 2005, AOL Time Warner launched TMZ.com, with managing editor Harry Levin at the helm.
Levin is a producer, lawyer, legal analyst, and a celebrity reporter.
In 1994, Levin almost caused murder charges against O.J. Simpson to be tossed out when he presented a video on KCBS-TV that allegedly showed Marcia Clark searching Simpson’s home before a search warrant was issued. Levin was forced to retract the story and apologize on air.
In June, 2007, a contempt motion was filed by a trustee when TMZ released a full PDF version of the book “If I Did It.”
In October, 2007, Paramount lawyers claimed TMZ used items pertaining to the upcoming Indiana Jones 4 that had been stolen from Steven Spielberg’s production office.
And the public is eating it up. AOL, through TMZ, is the public darling again. According to Wikipedia coverage on TMZ, paparazzo who work for TMZ can make between $6,000 and $8,000 dollars per week.
Amazing that a company who lays off thousands of Americans and Canadians to ‘cut costs’ can pay their paps so much? I can’t help but wonder if the thousands of Americans whose jobs were outsourced to India feel the sharp sting of a slap in the face courtesy of fellow Americans who log onto TMZ for their daily dose of celebrity crotch shots and scandal.
On December 30, 2007, the media watchdog website, Tabloid Baby, named Levin its Journalist of The Year for 2007, stating:
“Who did more damage to entertainment reporting in 2007 than Harvey Levin?… he and his gutter operation… almost singlehandedly transformed Hollywood entertainment reporting into a gutter-level street battle fueled by self-hatred, jealousy and anger, with no concern for what once determined greatness, excellence or fame…”
If there is one thing AOL has learned and learned well, it’s to give the public what they want. Crotch shots and celebrity stalking, apparently.
And it makes me sad.
Popularity: 17% [?]
Indeed, that does seem to be what the public wants. Were I Levin though, I’d not pat myself on the back too hard, for that almost seems like a backhanded “award”. He’s being noticed for being the dog that pees all over the place, not for being the dog that saves the owner’s life.
I don’t know if I’d be so thrilled about that if I was him.
Didn’t Levin used to be on the people’s court? The difference is the Cd’s were annoying after the second or third iteration offering 1,000 free hours. People can’t get enough celebrity info and TMZ has the juiciest.
Hey Ryan… yup, that was Levin on the people’s court.
I think the part that gets me is laying off thousands of customer service staff (right before Christmas) to ‘cut costs’ and outsourcing customer service to India — all while paying crazy amounts to paps. I guess paying paps to stalk Britney Spears and Paris Hilton is more important. *sigh* Oy.
I think we all have our nightmare stories concerning AOL. Crimeny every once in a while I still run across an old CD stuck back somewhere when I am cleaning. And, I too am one of those who paid for an AOL account for well over a year before we could finally convince them that we did not have the account any longer. And,as for TMZ and Levin…I think Fracas said it quite well!! Great Post:)
Shinade… those cds make good coasters. They’re pretty much indestructible.
Fraccy… he seems to be the kind of dog that likes peeing all over the place and takes strange pride in it.
Coasters! thats a perfect idea. and all this times I’ve been using coasters that are from the Commissioner of Agriculture from the State of Florida. Silly me.
Oh my so sorry it took me so long to get back here. Let’sjust say that real life interfered with my virtual reality.
Thanks for tip…I shall try that:)