Knock-knock. Who’s there?
Opportunity, as in “opportunity to work at the White House.”
And that’s just what Mark Katz did, for eight years as humorist and speechwriter for the Clinton administration.
Now the founder of the Soundbite Institute — itself an inside joke in that the “institute” is really just Katz, 47, and a few pals he bounces jokes off — the former politico and ad copywriter has carved out a unique and lucrative niche in the world of words.
He’s a ghost speechwriter who teaches a clientele of CEOs, politicians, celebs and sports-franchise owners — whose names he guards as closely as state secrets — how to use humor effectively.
Michael Sofronski
QUIP SERVICE: Since the end of an eight-year stint putting bon mots in the mouth of Bill Clinton, Katz has helped politicians, celebs and CEOs use comedy to connect.
Sound easy? You try making Al Gore or Michael Dukakis funny, as Katz has done in past presidential campaigns.
A Rockland County native who majored in government at Cornell, Katz got his start in the political world after his 1986 graduation, where the speaker was Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Taken by the veteran New York senator and with no work lined up, Katz followed him to the city and asked for a job.
Now married with a 2-year-old in Brooklyn, Katz spoke about building a career as the go-to guy for grown-up gags.
A big career step — or misstep? — was working on the Dukakis campaign in 1988.
As a humorist, these days when the Dukakis campaign is referred to as a joke, I can’t help but feel a little proud. Really, that was the professional experience of my life. I did everything from clipping papers at 5 in the morning, and then became the guy who wrote the press releases. It was in those daily press releases that I found opportunities to add humor.
I began keeping a folder of jokes — things Dukakis could or should say. I showed a few people. Next thing you know, the head of communications, Kirk O’Donnell, came down to the press office looking for me. I went to the communications staff to work on what we actually called the Rapid Response Team. Three of us, including a guy named George Stephanopoulos, sharing an office the size of a phone booth.
What were your duties?
This was pre-Internet, so we had an AP ticker. Something would come across our bow — Bush would say something about Dukakis — and we had 20 minutes to write, get approved and fax out to the world our response. Basically, we were going for sound bites — anything crystallized or pithy or designed to jump off the page and stick in your mind.
What did you do between Dukakis and Clinton?
I wanted a job that wasn’t dependent on somebody receiving 270 electoral votes, so I went into advertising. I wound up in San Francisco working on GM’s launch of the Saturn. Then I came back to work on the Coca-Cola account at McCann Erickson, and six months later, they lost the account. So, it’s the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and I’m called into my boss’s office, and he says there’s no longer a job for me.
My first thought was, oh, s - - t. On Friday I have my 10-year high school reunion, and I have to show up unemployed.
Guess you tell everyone that you’re “freelancing.”
Well, that’s the funny story how the Soundbite Institute was born. I’d been in touch with Stephanopoulos on the Clinton campaign, and I was sending in sound bites to Little Rock. I’d get a call, find a quiet place for a half-hour and then fax them in. One time, as a joke, I wrote on the cover sheet “The Soundbite Institute.”
So, months later, I get fired and I’m pissed about the reunion and I’m sitting at my desk and I see the cover sheet. So I get an idea to have business cards made up that said “The Soundbite Institute.”
What is it exactly that you do for clients?
The Soundbite Institute is a resource at the intersection of humor and strategic communication. It’s an amalgam of my peculiar skill set — as an ex-politico, as a former journalist, as a recovering copywriter. I help my client connect with the audience. In terms of strategic communications, laughter is a form of agreement. Once you laugh at [my joke], you and I have agreed on some level, and I’ve made progress.
What were your duties at the Clinton White House?
My job was to write four speeches a year , for the Gridiron Dinner, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the Radio and Television Correspondents Dinner and something called the Alfalfa Club. I’d take the shuttle down to DC, set up the Comedy War Room in the White House and create a speech. I’d meet with his head speechwriter, the head of communications, chief of staff, and we’d talk about what topics needed to be addressed. What is the right comic response at that particular point in time?
Can you give an example?
After Clinton became president, I was working on his speech for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Clinton had a horrible first 100 days in office, and all these articles are coming out about what a terrible start he’s off to. So the joke I write is: “I don’t think I’m doing that bad. After his first 100 days in office, William Henry Harrison had already been dead for 68 days.” You concede something, and then you can say what you’ve done and get your message out.
Soundbite Institute, Soundbite Institute, Michael Dukakis, Mark Katz, Katz, Bill Clinton, White House, Clinton, George Stephanopoulos, speechwriter, speechwriter, Soundbite, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Clinton campaign
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário