Those of us raised with the big screen, the little screen in the home, the radio in the car and then the Internet  ~ often learned life lessons though the characters we followed. I suppose that followers of Shakespeare, then and now, had the same experience. Why else do our leads of today mirror Hamlet, Kate and King Lear? Who to be or who not to be?

Things are often much darker or much lighter than real life illustrates. Leading guys and gals work out their challenges (or not) all in the span of an episode or series. In the middle of a Midwest snow blast, many folks are on House of Cards lock down to shock themselves with the evil machinations that make the real “inside the beltway” troop look like attendees at a Girl Scout meeting.  One FB poster claimed that she was taking notes.

Thinking….hmmmm. Are these your role models? It is ONLY entertainment.

To be sure, there are some learning’s and – not necessarily from House of Cards.

One “fictional” guy (the modern) Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Watson are fairly close to Superman like heroes. Recently, Watson proclaimed:

“Sherlock, you are getting a little too famous. The media will turn and then they will turn on you.”

Possibly the most prophetic contemporary lines spoken from the computer/TV/Smart phone (and this includes real news.)

For those of us who work in that illusive area called reputation management (a step child of public relations and a sister of marketing) we are often called in to clean up the mess or improve the overall image.  We are routinely asked to “get” our clients into highly esteemed publications like The Wall Street Journal.  The request is usually about ensuring that the world knows of their successful business and keen leadership.  We explain:

1)   The Journal and its brethren work on LONG lead times.  Buckle your seat belt, this will take months of hard work, and

2)   They do their homework. The things that you wish to forget will also appear in the glowing portrait.

This is not to say that no one should aspire to be in these publications. Firms like mine are retained to secure these placements – so of course we encourage the positive attention – yet, we do so with a degree of practicality and candor.

I have recently witnessed repercussions for statements and claims that individuals have made in social media.  While they are often truthful statements and personal opinions, sometimes employers and clients don’t think so well of the social media outlet.

It’s easy to become famous or infamous. Social media enables anyone with an Internet connection to pour his or her heart and soul into the public consciousness. There are good stories for sure – that talented guy or girl who would have never become known without this outlet. More than likely though – one becomes “famous” and followed.

Fame is not always a good thing.

The traditional news media takes note and this individual or cause is focused upon and documented. Large photos of the individual appear on the pages of well-known entities. The humble individual takes an “aw shucks” approach and is now better known than they ever hoped.

And then… well often, sadly…. the other part of the story begins to emerge. And the same smiling face is adjacent to the story about the days when things are not going so well. They have become fair game. They are in the public domain. They have squarely placed themselves front and center.

This is what infamy looks like.

The truth is that it always comes to this moment. Folks like me are hired to right the situation.  Yet we are also asked to ward off this aggravation in advance. Like weight loss, the slow and positive approach is often best advised.

We consider what happens to each of us as we stand on the lip of the abyss. Flash back to Sundance and Cassidy on the edge of the cliff prior to their notorious jump.  Sundance thought his biggest challenge was that he would jump and couldn’t swim when he hit bottom.  Cassidy laughed heartily “the fall will probably kill you.”

Well advised.

The fall is what kills each of us.

But then again, these Cassidy and Sundance characters were “real” people.

True words spoken.