This may very well be the perfect press release:
Sent: Friday, June 03, 2005
Subject: Positive Dialogue Response
Thought you'd find this of interest on Dawn Barnes, known as the "Martha Stewart of Karate" - who has created a system called "positive dialogue response," a breakthrough interdisciplinary parenting technique used in schools to inspire self esteem and motivate children with praise rather than fear.Barnes, who the Director for Children's Education for NAPMA (National Association of Professional Martial Arts), developed the technique at her own Karate Kids, the largest chain of children's karate schools in the country.
The themes are also present in her new graphic novel now out via Scholastic, THE BLACK BELT CLUB (which is now being produced into a major motion picture by Spielberg producers Romano-Shane ("Catch Me If You Can", "I Robot")).
Dawn is and has recently joined forces with the not-for-profit organization Kids Kicking Cancer, which teaches martial arts philosophy and meditation skills to children diagnosed with cancer. Here are a couple links: www.dawnbarnes.com, www.theblackbeltclub.com
Consider the touch points this announcement hits:
* Powerful "Martha Stewart of Karate" metaphor, combining self-defense technique and the doyenne of domesticity.
* Use of baffling "breakthrough interdisciplinary parenting technique" terminology meant to impart authoritative command and discovery of new techniques.
* Use of NAPMA acronymn, inferring that the reader should know what the hell that stands for, just before treating you like Rainman by spelling it out for you as the National Association of Professional Martial Arts.
* Citation of hot Hollywood source material du jour: the graphic novel.
* Subtle droppage of "Spielberg" name as a way of associating filmmaking excellence with disciplinary acumen, ignoring the fact that "Catch Me If You Can" and "I, Robot" each emitted giant sucking sounds from a screenwriting point of view. Use of the solitary "Steven" would have seemed too chummy, akin to mentioning "Bobby DeNiro."
* Using the emotional cancer crowbar to infer that whomever is reading this release would be denying resources to disease-stricken children if this information is not used in a public forum.
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Posted by Jeff at June 4, 2005 04:35 PM | TrackBack