As this year comes to a close, we hope the reminder to not repeat and deny a negative word follows you well into the New Year.
Each December we crown the BIMBO of the Year. The nominations we received this year were some of the best we’ve ever seen but there can only be one winner. Drumroll please! The 2013 BIMBO OF THE YEAR Award goes to none other than Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. Dishonorable Mentions go to Lance Armstrong and former CEO of J.C. Penney Ron Johnson.
The Bimbo Memo was successful in 2013 because of our loyal readers. We are thankful for the BIMBO nominees we received from readers this year and we cannot wait to see what the New Year has to offer. Remember to send in your nominations for 2014. You might receive one of our signature “NO BIMBO” ribbons to proudly display in your office. Warmest wishes to you and your families this holiday season and in the New Year.
BIMBO OF THE YEAR
In May, Mayor Ford vehemently insisted, “I do not use crack cocaine, nor am I an addict of crack cocaine,” after an investigative reporter from the Toronto Star claimed he saw a video of the mayor using illegal drugs. Rumors quickly circulated that two men were trying to sell the video for $200,000. (The mayor wins because the most damaging BIMBO comments do, in fact, turn out to be true. In November, Canadian police confirmed the existence of a video showing the 44-year-old mayor using a crack pipe. On Nov. 7 Mayor Ford admitted he may have smoked crack but only while in a “drunken stupor.” The mayor later added “[he] has nothing left to hide.”)
NBC Nightly News, “Toronto mayor says he smoked crack ‘in one of my drunken stupors,’” Nov. 5, 2013
DISHONORABLE MENTIONS
“I called you crazy, not fat,”said disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong in a long, self-serving interview with Oprah Winfrey. The comment was aimed at Betsy Andreu, wife of former teammate Frankie Andreu.
KDVR (FOX 31) “Betsy Andreu told by Lance Armstrong, ‘I called you crazy, not fat,’” Jan.18, 2013
“While we typically don’t comment on rumors/speculation, Ron Johnson has no immediate plans to resign his position as J.C. Penney CEO,” said a J.C. Penney spokesperson responding to rumors that Johnson was on his way out after the retailer reported an annual loss of $1 billion and a $4 billion decline in sales. (When news reports append the word “struggling” to you – as in “the struggling retailer tried to end speculation that CEO Ron Johnson is leaving” – you have an uphill climb.)
The Dallas Morning News, “J.C. Penney denies CEO leaving,” March 13, 2013
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