Contents of Pope Benedict XVI’s speech in Prague was not the highlight of media coverage but gaining the emphasis was a black spider maneuvering on the pope’s white robe, observes Grumpy Editor.
Saturday’s address to politicians and diplomats received extensive broadcast/print coverage over the weekend and into Monday with the focus (especially via TV cameras) on the spider as it climbed the pope’s left arm, disappeared, then emerged on his right side, crawling up his neck.
The pope gave it a swat, but the sturdy spider turned up on the left shoulder and scampered down his robe, as TV cameras followed the play-by-play action.
TV news treated it like a major development.
The now world-famous spider remained unidentified.
(Some seasoned public relations folks, seeing how a spider can aid in coverage of a speech, are probably thinking now of planting a harmless arachnid on celebrity or corporate executive clients in efforts to hypo broadcast/print exposure.)
Meanwhile, no media outlet called on an entomologist to provide commentary or analysis.
Maybe next time.
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