shroud waving

Shroud waving occurs when publicity seeking politicians or media celebrities aggressively insert themselves into a media headline event involving either a community tragedy resulting in death or the death of a well-liked public figure. The publicity seeker praises the dead or casts blame for the tragedy - and thus "waves the shroud".

It is important to note that the publicity seeker often has no personal relationship or connection with the deceased and is cynically exploiting or ambushing the media coverage present at the time for their advantage. The overall aims of shroud wavers are to gain media oxygen and to "position" themselves in the public eye as sensitive, caring and humanistic personalities.

Where the deceased was a keynote public figure, shroud waving becomes a form of ambush marketing in the sense that the wavers seek to "wrap themselves in the shroud" and so take on some of that person's esteem, reputation and persona in the public imagination.

Self-evidently, shroud waving is meaningless and a waste of time without attendant media attention, photo opportunities, blog postings and studio interviews.

"In a blatant act of shroud waving, Senate hopeful Morton Aegis held a media conference on the porch at the family home of Jimmy Gibbs Junior, six times winner of NASCAR championships and decorated Vietnam War hero."

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corpse cuddling

A derogatory expression for the cynical act on the part of a politician of visiting the relatives of a recently deceased person in order to express his or her sympathy.

Corpse cuddling is meaningless unless there is a full media continent present to record the visit as a photo and soundbite opportunity that will be broadcast on the evening news.

Ideally the deceased is either a "typical" member of the community or someone in the emergency services e.g. a paramedic who died in unusual circumstances. The objective of corpse cuddling is to win public support for the politician by portraying this person as someone having deep human empathy and who is "in touch" with "ordinary" citizens.

Also known as shroud waving.

In a blatant act of corpse cuddling, embattled Senator Aegis visited the widow and children of Thomas Brown who recently lost his life when the power company mistakenly cut the electricity powering his life support system.