Lately, I’ve had t-shirts on my mind. My observation: t-shirts are the blank canvas of society today.

These days, the t-shirt has elevated its status to become the ultimate form of self-expression. For some, they are a platform for broadcasting personal beliefs and advocating support for particular causes (think: Urban Outfitter’s “Obama for yo Mama” shirts). In fact, the Philadelphia Inquirer recently used t-shirts on the Wildwood boardwalk as a barometer to gauge the social and political issues that are most prevalent this summer. Their assessment: peace and the environment are top of mind, particularly recycling.

On the other end of the spectrum, however, there are t-shirts that make an equally loud statement about the wearer – but often in a trivial, lewd sense that speaks nothing of a new social consciousness. Take, for example, the teen I passed by on the sidewalk yesterday sporting a shirt proclaiming, “I Heart Hot Moms.” Or the 30-something crossing the street with, “I’m a Keeper” written in bold, block letters across her chest.

My point isn’t to compare and contrast the merits of taking a stand for the environment with that of proclaiming your love of hot moms. Rather, it’s to point out how remarkable it is that individuals only need space the size of a t-shirt to express their viewpoints and broadcast their message. A simple image, logo or phrase on a t-shirt can make a remarkable first impression – both positive and negative – and tell others who you are and what you stand for. Think of how many companies are still searching for their point of view and role in a crowded industry. How many companies can articulate their message on a t-shirt?

So, I challenge you: if you had to express your company as a t-shirt, how would you go about doing it? I hope you’ll use the comments feature to share your thoughts and continue the conversation.

You still can’t say f*ck on network television, but you sure can on YouTube and it might just make you a big star. LA-based improv group, The Groundlings, recently signed a deal with Sony Pictures Television to start their own slate of 50 webisodes based on the success of their David Blaine Street Magic viral video (warning: link contains a lot of profanity).

The skit is certainly “chuckle” funny, but aside from the endless string of f-bombs, I’m having a tough time figuring out why more than 18 million people have viewed the video with more than 66,000 posting comments saying things like “best video I’ve seen on YouTube,” and “Oh, please do more! . . . you gotta do some more.”

Maybe it doesn’t strike my funny bone, but those responses are exactly the reason Sony is banking on The Groundlings to be one the staples of its online entertainment channel called C Spot. Can 18 million people really be wrong? F*ck no.

But this is about more than profanity. It’s about a new way of reaching audiences en masse. It’s about communicating to people in their language and it’s about viewers actively seeking out content they want to see.

The viral age is in full swing. YouTube started it and now the corporate production houses like Sony want in—in a big way. In fact everyone wants in—from major advertisers like Dove to major airlines like JetBlue. Big business is trying to harness the power of viral video. In some cases it’s worked and in others, it hasn’t. But what’s clear is this medium is here to stay.

So, while the measure of success for aspiring actors used to be signing a movie deal or getting a hit television show, it may soon be signing on for a series of viral videos. Is that possible? Maybe. If you’re a marketer should you be watching? You better f*ckin’ believe it. 

Check it out world, Sean Combs changed his name yet again! Or… did he?

Last week, the rapper, record producer, actor, clothing designer and entrepreneur formerly known as Puff Daddy, Puffy, and P. Diddy, said he was changing his current name, Diddy, back to the name that stared it all, Puff Daddy.

Except, he didn’t say that at all.

Reports of the name change surfaced on the Internet after Combs collaborated with O’Neal McKnight on his remix of “Check Your Coat.” The lyrics that started the rumor: “They call me Puff Daddy … he’s back. Yeah, you heard me right, too. I said Puff Daddy. I’m about to be back on that Puff Daddy sh–.”

He then posted a message about the track on his MySpace page that began, “This is your boy Puff Daddy!!! Yes Puff Daddy.”

But just when I thought it was safe to break out my old Puff Daddy t-shirts, Combs issued a statement to his fans (again on MySpace) saying he did not change his name.

Combs’ skills on the mic are sub-par at best, his production achievements are a product of his ear for ’80s rock samples, and his dancing, well… remember the 1997 MTV Music Video Awards performance of “Missing You?” Yet, he’s a worldwide icon, all because he knows how to make headlines.

Combs has created such a worldwide mega brand out of himself that he has the luxury of changing his name every time it rains. If a corporation or business changed its name and re-branded six times, it would implode. Yet, Combs, through countless publicity stunts, always finds a way to reinvent himself and grab the attention of fans that might’ve jumped ship had he kept one moniker for longer than two years.

Give it up to Combs for hyping a name change only to deny it days later. It just goes to show, it doesn’t matter what they call you, but that they call you. Brand Diddy has achieved fame and success in the past decade because Combs knows the importance of staying in the news. If he sees a drop in sales (or if he’s just bored) … he fakes a name change to put himself back in the public spotlight and to get his fans to buy his cologne, wear his clothing, listen to his music or drink his vodka.

What’s more, this is the kind of action we’ve come to expect from Combs. While a re-naming of a national corporation would indicate signs of weakness or internal change, when Combs does it, it’s just “Diddy being Diddy.” It’s crazy, but by changing his name, he’s actually reinforcing his brand.

I can’t wait to see what’s next for Combs. Personally, I’m preparing for this summer, when Combs takes a page out of Prince’s book and asks us all to call him “unpronounceable symbol.”

It’s been a bad week for Bill Bavasi and Willie Randolph, the now former managers of the Seattle Mariners and New York Mets, respectively. The firings of both managers were expected amid disappointing seasons. But, from a media perspective they were each handled very differently.

On Monday morning, Bavasi was let go from his position as manager of the last-placed team in baseball. In typical fashion, his firing was promptly followed by a press conference where he and the team’s CEO answered questions and gave insight into the direction the team will take in the near future.

That’s the traditional route. The same can’t be said for Willie Randolph’s swift departure from the Mets.

On Tuesday morning at 3:00 AM EST, in a move that’s been scrutinized by media outlets around the country, Willie Randolph and two of his coaches were fired while the team was in Los Angeles. To make it worse, the Mets had just won two in a row and four out of their last six. The decision to sack Randolph in the middle of the night, with no announcement and no reporters available to ask questions and cover the story, was a PR and fan-relations nightmare. Instead of holding a press conference, controlling the message and letting reporters hear both from team ownership and the fired manager, they did just the opposite. Mets VP Omar Minaya canned Randolph in his LA hotel room in the middle of the night. This not only angered fans, since it happened while they were sleeping, but it also painted the team and its ownership in a bad light to the media. Minaya is taking serious heat for his involvement.

So, what would have been the best way to fire Willie Randolph? Minaya and the rest of the Mets ownership should have waited until the team returned to New York, held a press conference, and handled it the old fashioned way. Firing someone is never a pleasant situation, but handling it with grace, honesty and tact always beats out dishonesty and trickery.

In the world of mass-media, it isn’t often that the work of one journalist is praised as much as Tim Russert’s has been this past week in reaction to his passing late Friday afternoon.  Television, radio and print have been inundating audiences with Russert’s successful work in exposing the realities and issues facing America’s political landscape.

In looking at Russert’s career and life, many political analysts remember him for changing the way American elections are covered.  Russert’s simple explanation of the deadlock race between Bush and Gore on the night of the 2000 presidential election stands as one of the most memorable broadcasts to date.  Russert scribbled “Florida Florida Florida” in red on a plain white memo board, and the image will forever be imbedded in viewers’ memories.

Many viewers will fondly remember his uncanny ability to connect with interviewees.  Late Friday evening, Ethel Kennedy, the late Robert F. Kennedy’s wife, noted his in-depth preparation for interviews on NBC.  “He had done his homework, so we didn’t have to do ours,” she said.

Russert set the bar the highest it can reach in the field of journalism. As an analyst, journalist and politician, Russert will remain a symbol of reporting at its best. He will be missed.