Buffalo Rising Online

Aug 29th, 12:51pm By buffalorising

The Nicole Kidman/Studio Arena hoax that recently hit the media is an opportunity for some discussion about the way news travels these days, and begs comment on the phrase "Any publicity is good publicity".

After speaking with someone closely related to Studio Arena, who wishes to stay anonymous, it seems like the Kidman hoax was timed perfectly—in order to circumvent corroboration—and named just the right names in order to look plausible. Add to that the fact that many of the journalists who were duped reacted directly to the number of times the story came up on Google—so much that they thought it must be for real—before they were able to confirm with a reliable source. And then they ran with it. It was a knee-jerk reaction to thinking they were being left behind the pack.

The person we spoke with was also convinced of the bogus stories as a direct result of believing what he/she saw via Google. If a dozen sites have reported it, it must be true. Right?

"We didn't know where Nicole was, but we knew she had taken a break from rehearsing Nine. Add to that the fact that [Artistic Director and CEO] Kathleen Gaffney was in New York, drumming up goods for Studio's upcoming auction through Christine Baranski and Kelsey Grammar, and it seemed possible—plausible—that word might have spread," our source said. "It's really sad to think that someone would want to embarrass [Studio Arena]."

But was this a malicious act toward Studio Arena? A lot of people don't think so. The media was certainly embarrassed, but the media light shining on Studio has been as dark as the stage there since word came out that they were canceling their last show and locking the door last February. This renewed interest in the theater—3 days in prominent spots in the local news!—couldn't be bought by a concern waiting for chapter 7 and hoping for chapter 11.

Studio has been a venue for nationally known actors, and it the fourth oldest theater in the nation, with a prominent board, an amazing inventory of props and sets and a large staff. The thought that a collaboration of celebrities, such as Grammar and Baranski, may have used a pipeline to alert their famous colleagues who are in a position to help, while false, doesn't seem so outrageous.

According to our source, at least three media entities are gunning for the identity of the anonymous originator of the hoax with thoughts of prosecution in mind.

Horeful? Yes. False? Yes. Crazy? Maybe not so much. Does anyone have Oprah's number?