Has anyone read the new James Patterson memoir "Stories of My Life" ?

[anobserver2]

42. Deception #12 in Memoir - re Veterans

This is a difficult post to write because it is just so abhorrent to me that James Patterson did this.
------------

James Patterson approved that full-page NYT ad which appeared on the back page of the NYT Business Section dated Nov 30, 1984. Had he not approved it, the ad would not have been published. He was the one and only person with the authority to approve that ad - and he knew that ad was false. He knew he was exploiting the public, and more specifically, a certain type of person in the public:
a person who had never before been employed as an ad agency copywriter.

Because if you HAD ever been employed as an ad agency copywriter - you were not eligible to respond to the ad. You learn this in the first sentence of the ad.

So, in Patterson's memoir when he writes about his ad (as I mentioned herein in Deception #10), he knows: he has directed this full-page ad's non-existent benefit (of a creative director reviewing your writing) to those who have never before had their work evaluated by a creative director.

But he does NOT specify this target-group in his memoir in the brief chapter discussing this ad.

Instead, he gives a reason in his memoir for the ad - couldn't attract good people to the agency - as the reason for the ad. Well, you know what? JWT did have a creative reputation as the "Old Grey Lady of Madison Avenue" - the same moniker used to describe the NYT as the "Old Grey Lady. But if you are an ad agency with a poor creative reputation, then, you put more money into hiring great creative people - and you go to recruiters, known as "head hunters" in the ad industry, and you offer MORE money for EXPERIENCED, TOP-TIER creative people, because MORE MONEY will entice and attract THAT kind of super high-level talent.

And guess what?

Those expensive, experienced copywriters are not taking any "copywriting aptitude test." They don't need to. They already have a portfolio of work that has been evaluated by creative directors elsewhere and the industry itself. So, sure, JWT had a crappy creative reputation within the industry - and if JWT were interested in changing that, JWT could have picked up the phone, called some headhunters, offered sky high salaries, and attracted the cream of the crop to come to their agency. Happens all the time in advertising. Experienced people in advertising change jobs for more money.

But new people - people with no portfolio - are just trying to get their foot in the door. Especially as a new copywriter. And this fake ad he approved was therefore aimed at them, and slammed the door in their face. However, because there are many OTHER kinds of creative people in advertising, not just copywriters, but producers, the ad attracted those people, too, because a producer or assistant producer is not a copywriter but might want to become a copywriter and not have time to go put together a writing portfolio. (And without going into any more detail that this, that fact - that first-time copywriters also include people already in advertising not employed as copywriters but therefore eligible to respond to this fake ad - is how Patterson got busted in this scam.)

----------------

When I started this post by saying this is a difficult post to write what I meant is this: Patterson knew that JWT was founded by a U.S. Marine some 100 years ago. Patterson knew that one of the agency's big accounts was: the U.S. Marines.

That means: JWT is an employer who has a contract with the U.S. government.

And Patterson knew: all advertising not only has to be approved by him, but, also must meet certain legal guidelines.

Well, here's a little legal newsflash: When an employer has a contract with the U.S. government as J Walter Thompson did, then, that employer is required by federal law to give hiring preference to VETERANS.

You may have noticed that when you apply for jobs with some companies, the application will ask you if you are a veteran. If you are a veteran, you have a preferential status in the hiring process.

But this full-page fake ad approved by Patterson: (a) omitted any mention that the U.S. Marines was a client of JWT, (b) omitted any mention that JWT has a contract with the federal government, and (c) omitted any mention that veterans have preference in hiring.

By omitting all that material information, veterans who read this full-page newspaper ad or any of the MANY news articles appearing later about this ad - and needed a job -- and may themselves have been talented writers who had never worked as a copywriter in an ad agency -- saw no reason to apply and respond to this ad. They were being discriminated against by James Patterson. And all the consumers responding to this ad were being ripped off.

That is why James Patterson, throughout his crappy memoir, professes deep respect for veterans, He discriminates against veterans in the hiring process is the real truth, and he exploits consumers is the real truth. But he's not going to tell you that in his memoir.


It appears to me that James Patterson and his handlers told the lawyers at JWT in November 1984 -- three weeks after that presidential election - and right before this fake ad was published in the NYT on Nov 30th:

Why don't you JWT lawyers all take a hike, for about, oh, say three years? We don't need you people around.

----------------------

Re Don Johnston

Repeatedly in his memoir James Patterson puts down the Chairman of JWT, Don Johnston (who is now deceased - but Patterson does not mention Johnston is now deceased). Patterson calls Johnston "skinny" and claims Johnston worked in the "mailroom" -- and never mentions anything else about Johnston's background.

As I recall reading elsewhere, Don Johnston was a veteran of the U.S. Army with a high rank, I believe it was according to the NYT, who wrote about him after the June 1987 hostile takeover by WPP and Martin Sorrell. And, Johnston had a Masters/MBA in Business or Economics according to the NYT.

So: I believe Johnston was actually NOT a skinny runt who came out of the mailroom.
But that's how Patterson portrayed him in the memoir.

-------------

Re Steve Bowen

In his memoir Patterson claims Steve Bowen is deceased. Patterson goes into great detail about how he died.

I don't believe that Patterson's management sidekick, Steve Bowen, is deceased. I think it possible Steve Bowen may be alive and living under an assumed name.

But Steve Bowen, who went to Holy Cross, and may have been a U.S. Marine, and whose father also worked at JWT, may not want to be called to ever testify should any matter about James Pattersom ever go to trial.

So, James Patterson makes it very clear Steve Bowen is deceased. But, I am not convinced Steve Bowen is deceased.


-------------

I am now finished writing this thread. I hope my headache clears up because I so dislike thinking about James Patterson and his handlers.

----------

I had intended to post exact page numbers and add other info, but I am leaving it here.

---------

I will mention this though:

1) It seems to me there is a correlation here, between how the writers in his writing factory are being underpaid and how the stockholders of JWT were underpaid. A hostile takeover of JWT was needed to correct that underpayment to stockholders. Perhaps some type of hostile takeover of his writing factory is also needed, so that: the illegal contracts which sound like they exist in perpetuity are destroyed and declared illegal, and the writers can obtain back royalties and future royalties of their work.

2) It seems to me that 5,000 consumers should be reimbursed for supplies they purchase to respond to a fake ad - their pens, typewriter rentals, paper, envelopes, mailing costs, etc. And, they should be told: no creative director ever evaluated your work. The ad was a scam. You may well be a better writer than the jerk who approved this fake ad.

3) It also seems to me that those who endorsed James Patterson's books by writing blurb should be given an opportunity to better investigate the facts of his memoir, or, non-facts, and ask the publisher to remove their names from future printings of that memoir.

-------

Finally, it is quite clear to me that James Patterson has absolutely no interest in Dolly Parton or Morgan Freeman. What James Patterson is interested in is something called "product placement." And, I believe Patterson subscribes to the index that shows the likability factor of celebrities, which advertisers often consult to determine which celebrity should pitch a product.

Dolly Parton ranks highest on that index, at 95%, and has held that ranking for years. So, of course Patterson will contact her, claim that she and Patterson both come from "working class backgrounds" etc and try to partner with her. Patterson loves having his photo taken with her, appearing with her, etc etc. Patterson hopes her 95% likability rating will somehow extend to him if he puts his "James Patterson" brand next to hers as often as possible.

Same with Morgan Freeman - who has also held a very high rating on this index. That's why Patterson blathers on that he had to have Morgan Freeman, a Black actor, play that role. But Patterson knew when he wrote the first book that Freeman was very high on the index, and Patterson wanted Freeman. This is what I believe.

I believe this because: there are not many Black people who work in advertising. If you have ever watched the outstanding show "black ish" on tv, where the main character, a Black male, works in advertising, you know what I mean.

Patterson had the authority to make real and positive change in a huge advertising agency by hiring Blacks, women, and others usually shut out of the white male dominated world of advertising.

But you will notice that in his memoir, Patterson makes no claims about how many Blacks he ever hired at JWT. I will guess the reason for that is because he hired so few - if any.

Maybe later I will post links here to the celebrity index I mentioned above, so you can better see what I am talking about.

--------------------
Thanks for taking the time to read this thread.

By the way, I have never met Patterson and never spoken to him. Nor do I wish to.