Past Bimbo NOMINEES

At the end of each year we pick a doozie, one Bimbo comment that really took the cake by repeating the negative word, using numbers incorrectly, and so on. All of these cause the listener (you) to believe exactly the opposite of what is said. You be the judge...below are the past annual winners. Be on the look out as each year comes to an end, for your opportunity to vote for the annual Bimbo of the Year Award. Also, you may submit any Bimbo candidates through our online nomination form.


The 2010 Bimbo Of The Year Award winner...
The 2010 BIMBO of the Year Award has not been posted quite yet, but you can see the nominees for this year.

See more Bimbo nominees from 2010.


The 2009 Bimbo Of The Year Award winner...
The 2009 BIMBO of the Year Award for communication blunders goes to the Tiger Woods team.

“This is the first time someone is winning for what they haven’t said,” commented Merrie Spaeth, founder of Spaeth Communications, Inc. “There was intense competition for the winning comment, but Team Tiger wins for giving bad advice, acting as enablers and covering his behavior.”

The purpose of the BIMBO awards is to remind people that communication is strategic and can have a very real impact. In this instance, Tiger’s lack of communication has cost him his reputation and millions of dollars in endorsements.

Team Tiger earns a failing grade on handling the crisis at Tiger’s house. He didn’t say anything for days, and then commented about “transgressions” and “personal sins” on his website. His team also failed at communicating with their key audiences, Tiger himself, and helping Tiger communicate with his key audiences.

“This wasn’t ‘managing’ Tiger’s career,” said Spaeth. “This was criminal mismanagement. Professionals are hired for their experience and advice, even when the client doesn’t want to hear it.”

This year’s runners-up include Whoopi Goldberg with her comment, “I know it wasn’t rape-rape. I think it was something else but I don’t believe it was rape-rape.” A comment she said on The View about the conviction of film director Roman Polanski for drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl. Barclays’ Chief Executive Jon Varley is the second runner-up for his comment, “Profit is not satanic.”

Last, but not least, the 2009 Dishonorable Mention is awarded to former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagovich for his comment, “I’m here to tell you right off the bat that I’m not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing.”


See more Bimbo nominees from 2009.


The 2008 Bimbo Of The Year Award winner...
ANOTHER YEAR: OPEN MOUTH, INSERT FOOT
Politics Dominates “BIMBO OF THE YEAR” Awards

(Dallas - Dec. 18, 2008) Politicians dominated the majority of the categories in the 2008 BIMBO awards, but the business community held its own with true BIMBO comments – where the speaker repeats and denies a negative, causing the listener to hear the exact opposite of what the speaker is trying to say. We also award those for their clueless comments and actions. Real and would-be celebrities contributed silly or damaging comments, too. In fact, it was another target rich year.

“In this new age of YouTube, Twitter, citizen journalism and all the other new-new-new media, it’s nice to know that what we say is still the most powerful tool we have to influence others,” said company founder, Merrie Spaeth, in announcing the 2008 ‘winners.’

AND THE WINNER IS
BUSINESS BIMBO of the year, demonstrating that what you say has real implications, goes to Bear Stearns’ chief executive, when the company publicly and repeatedly said, “We don’t see any pressure on liquidity.” They were history by that Friday.
Business Week, “Bailing Out of Bear,” April 21, 2008


ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS, the tin-ear of American auto manufacturers manifested itself when the three CEOs flew in three separate private jets to Washington, D.C., to ask for $25 billion in taxpayer funds for their companies.
(The debate that raged about whether this was a “bailout” or a “bridge loan” is a nice illustration that what you call something affects what people think about it. Despite the energetic efforts of the car companies and the United Auto Workers, the American people are referring to it as a “bailout.”)
ABC News, “Big Three CEOs Flew Private Jets to Plead for Public Funds,” Nov. 19, 2008

SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER
“The microphone is always on” award goes to the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who whispered “I’d like to cut his n—ts off,” about then-Presidential candidate Barack Obama. Rev. Jackson also used what is euphemistically referred to as the ‘n’ word. This was a particularly egregious comment because they were in a television studio! What does he think they do in a TV studio? Let’s let him in on a little secret--they tape you.
(Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell gets “honorable” mention for saying about President-elect Obama’s pick for the Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano that she “…was perfect. She has no life. She’s not married.” Again, he was standing at a podium with a microphone.)
Reuters, “Jesse Jackson: Obama talking down to blacks,” July 10, 2008
AP, “Jackson apologizes for his comments about Obama,” July 9, 2008

AND THEY COULD SAY IT WITH A STRAIGHT FACE, awards go to Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., “I do not want to leave any impression that I have received preferential treatment in my personal business dealings,” and Sen. Chris Dodd, D-C.T., both of whom received lower-than-market interest rates on mortgages with Countrywide after then-CEO Angela Mozila personally interceded for them. Conrad didn’t even think it was strange when Mozila called to talk to him personally.
The Wall Street Journal, “Sen. Conrad Addresses Ties To Countrywide,” June 16, 2008
The Wall Street Journal, “Beltwaywide Financial,” June 16, 2008
Portfolio.com, “Countrywide’s Many ‘Friends,’” June 12, 2008

Also “winning” in this category was New York Congressman Charles Rangel who occupies four (count ‘em, four) rent stabilized apartments in a highly desirable apartment building which is in clear violation of the city’s rules. “I didn’t even know it was a deal,” protested Rangel.
The New York Times, “Harlem Congressman Defends His 4 Apartments,” July 12, 2008

WEASEL WORDS
With special recognition for weasel words, this award goes to Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, indicted, tried and convicted of failing to disclose several hundred thousand dollars of gifts from contractors who did business with the state and federal governments. Stevens also blustered, “I never knowingly submitted a false disclosure form required by a U.S. Senator.”
The New York Times, “Senator charged in scheme to hide oil firm gifts,” July 30, 2008

VINTAGE WHINE comment certainly goes to Peter Cook, model Christie Brinkley’s ex-husband, who sought an interview with Barbara Walters so he could tell people, “I’m not the scumbag pervert I’ve been painted to be.”
US Weekly, “Peter Cook: “I’m not the Scumbag pervert I’ve been painted to be,” Oct. 8, 2008
ABC News, “Christie Brinkley Denied Request for Restraining Order,” Oct. 9, 2008

About the BIMBO Awards
The monthly BIMBO award was founded over two decades ago by communication pioneer, Merrie Spaeth, as a regular reminder of the power of words. The award takes its name from the young woman caught in a public tryst with a high-powered, married man. She announced to the world, “I am not a BIMBO,” and the comment made headlines. The BIMBO OF THE YEAR award started when now-deceased Playmate and celebrity personality Anna Nicole Smith married an 89-year-old oil magnate and announced, “I did not marry my husband for his money.”

The BIMBO Memo recognizes the “best” BIMBO comment (repetition and denial of a negative), the “Wrong Thing to Say,” as well as misuse of statistics, stupid lawyer comments, and the far-too-rare good example of how to say the right thing or use communication techniques strategically.


See more Bimbo nominees from 2008.


The 2007 Bimbo Of The Year Award winner...
And the Bimbo of the Year goes to...The Bush Administration for the fourth year in a row.

A Bush Administration official was given the dubious honor of winning Spaeth Communications’ “BIMBO of The Year” award, garnering the fourth year in a row for the Administration. BIMBO comments highlight the risk of repeating and denying a negative word. Thus, the listener ignores the denial and hears the opposite of what the speaker is trying to convey.

“There was a steady stream of BIMBO comments in 2007,” said Merrie Spaeth, founder of Spaeth Communications and the Bimbo awards. The Bimbo’s, now 20 years old, are “dangerous,” as Merrie puts it. “The listener believes the speaker is lying, and the denial competes with the opportunity for the speaker to articulate a positive message or position,” says Spaeth.

The 2007 Winning BIMBO’s were:
From then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales about his role in firing eight U.S. Attorneys:
“I have nothing to hide,” “It certainly was not in any way an attempt to mislead the American people,” “Nothing improper occurred,” and “I never sought to mislead or deceive the Congress or the American people about my role in this matter.”
MSNBC.com, “Gonzales: ‘I have nothing to hide,’” April 15, 2007
USA Today, “Attorney general says he misspoke,” April 16, 2007
MSNBC.com, “Va. Tech tragedy delays Gonzales testimony,” April 16, 2007
The Dallas Morning News, “Why firings’ possible links to corruption cases touched a nerve,” April 17, 2007, from the May 2007 Bimbo Memo

From former White House aide Monica Goodling, who moved to the Department of Justice and was involved in the U.S. Attorneys’ firing.
“I don’t believe I intended to commit a crime.”
MSNBC.com, “Ex-Justice aide: Official wasn’t ‘fully candid,’ May 23, 2007, from the June 2007 Bimbo Memo

From former Press Secretary Tony Snow, “This is not hanging Paul Wolfowitz out to dry.”
AP, “Wolfowitz fights pressure to quit World Bank,” May 9, 2007, from the June 2007 Bimbo Memo


WINNING 2007 LAWYER BIMBO:
James Ecker, attorney for a funeral home, which stashed the corpses of 19 stillborn infants instead of burying or cremating them.
“He didn’t abuse the corpse. He didn’t stab the corpse. The fetuses were given to him by the hospital to get rid of. As far as their parents were concerned, their children were already gone.”
Fox News.com, “Ex-funeral director pleads guilty to theft after 19 babies found in garbage,”
July 10, 2007, from the August 2007 Bimbo Memo


WINNING 2007 ATHLETE BIMBO's CO-WINNERS:
Texas A&M University’s football Coach Dennis Franchione was caught sending a weekly e-mail to boosters who paid $1,200 a year to a company that maintains his personal website.
“There was no intent to deceive anyone.”
The Dallas Morning News, “Franchione sold A&M secrets to donors,” Sept. 29, 2007, from the November 2007 Bimbo Memo


Terry “The Tank” Johnson on being signed by the Cowboys after being released by Chicago following arrests involving weapons.
“I was never involved in violence. I never harmed anyone. I never was out-of-control. I’m not a gun toting thug.”
The Dallas Morning News, “Getting Tank back on track,” Oct. 2, 2007, November 2007 Bimbo Memo

WINNING 2007 CELEBRITY BIMBO:
Isaiah Washington, former co-star of “Grey’s Anatomy.”
“I did not call T.R. a faggot.”
(He was even caught on tape. As a reminder, today everyone has a cell phone or video camera.)
AP, “Apology aimed at healing ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’” Jan. 19, 2007, from the February 2007 Bimbo Memo

ACADEMIC FINDINGS and BIMBO validation:
Spaeth Communications noted an experiment by University of Michigan social psychologist Norbert Schwarz, who tested what volunteers remembered from a flyer from the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The flyer tried to correct myths about the flu vaccine, such as “only older people need flu vaccine.” Contrary to what he and the CDC expected, instead of retaining the new, correct information, most of the volunteers recalled only the incorrect myths. In other words, repeating and denying the myths only pounded them into readers’ minds.

In addition, during the past year, Peter Kim, an organizational psychologist at the University of Southern California, published a study in the Journal of Applied Psychology finding that if accusations are met with silence, they are more likely to be regarded as true.


See more Bimbo nominees from 2007.


The 2006 Bimbo Of The Year Award winner...
And the winner is...
The Bush Administration gets the nod for multiple comments that the violence in Iraq “is not a civil war.” In April, former Prime Minister Awad Allawi told the BBC “If this is not a civil war, then God knows what a civil war is.” His comments caused numerous reporters to ask Administration officials to respond, producing comments from Vice President Dick Cheney, “What we’ve seen is a serious effort to foment civil war, but I don’t think they’ve succeeded,” as well as General George Casey saying the situation was a long way from being “a broad civil war,” and then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld adding, “I do not believe they are in a civil war today,” and adding the qualifier, “There has always been the potential for civil war.”

See more Bimbo nominees from 2006.


The 2005 Bimbo Of The Year Award winner...
“I am not a crazy person. I am not stupid,” said Rafael Palmeiro who famously testified before Congress, “I have never used steroids,” only to later test positive. Palmeiro then made it worse, first by insisting it was an “accident,” and then issuing a statement to young fans tacitly acknowledging he had done it. Then, when the Congressional report was made public at the end of the year, Palmiero amended his statement to say, “I never intentionally used steroids.”


See more Bimbo nominees from 2005.


The 2004 Bimbo Of The Year Award winner...
The 2004 BIMBO of the Year award goes (with apologies) to Secretary of State Colin Powell, whom we revere, but who fell right into the trap of repeating and denying a negative word. When UN official, Jan Egeland, accused the U.S. of being stingy in responding to the tsunami disaster, Powell shot back. “The United States is not stingy.” The word took on a life of its own and continues to be repeated over and over.

See more Bimbo nominees from 2004.


The 2003 Bimbo Of The Year Award winner...
The government of the African nation of Malawi for sending out a worldwide press release with the headline, "Malawi does not have a problem with vampires."

BIMBO comments illustrate the perils of repeating and denying a negative word. Malawi was chosen because it is highly unlikely that anyone would have associated the country with vampires until the government sought to publicize its non-problem

See more Bimbo nominees from 2003.


The 2002 Bimbo Of The Year Award winner...
With statements like “I did not lie to Congress or anyone else,” “I never duped Ken Lay,” and “Mr. Lay doesn’t deserve prison rape,” former Enron executive Jeff Skilling is the overwhelming choice for the 2002 Bimbo of the Year Awards.

See more Bimbo nominees from 2002.


The 2001 Bimbo Of The Year Award winner...
It goes to both Condit and Osama bin Laden. Rep. Gary Condit (D-Cal.) who had an entire section of BIMBO comments. First, his spokesman Mike Dayton announced, “We have nothing to hide.” Condit added, “I have not been silent,” “I did not ask anyone to lie,” “They do not have any reason to be suspicious.” The grand winner? “I am not stonewalling.” Osama bin Laden, “Our intention is not to destroy the human race.”

See more Bimbo nominees from 2001.


The 2000 Bimbo Of The Year Award winner...
goes to the new governor of Indonesia’s Central Bank, Syahril Sabirin for saying, "I don’t think I’ve stolen any money."

See more Bimbo nominees from 2000.


The 1999 Bimbo Of The Year Award winner...
goes to Mike Tyson, who said: "You wrote that I was a recluse rapist. I'm not a recluse.

See more Bimbo nominees from 1999.


The 1998 Bimbo Of The Year Award winner...
"There isn't a crazed killer on the loose." The Mayor of Boulder, Colorado, commenting on the murder of a 6-year-old beauty contestant.

See more Bimbo nominees from 1998.


The 1997 Bimbo Of The Year Award winner...
NGC, a gas company, for responding to complaints about the emitting smell of what's called "sour gas" said, "This is not a plot to poison people."

See more Bimbo nominees from 1997.


The 1996 Bimbo Of The Year Award winner...
Japanese businessman Hiroshi Asaji, who when asked by Business Week about his ties to the Japanese underworld said, "I haven't done anything illegal - recently."

See more Bimbo nominees from 1996.


The 1995 Bimbo Of The Year Award winner...
Time Warner Telepictures, the unit which produces the Jenny Jones Show, gained national notoriety when a disgruntled guest was enticed onto the show to learn who his "secret" admirer was, and on discovering it was another man, the guest later confronted and killed the man. The company spokesman said, "No one was lied to. No one was misled."

See more Bimbo nominees from 1995.