Billy Bush hasn’t thrown in the towel on his career just yet. We can tell that he’s still hopeful of a return to television after his firing over the distasteful Donald Trump tape. He, along with his image consultants are making a stellar effort to revive his career and make it possible for him to get his professional career back on track. He’s certainly willing but will his efforts pay off? Here is what he’s doing to repair his shattered reputation.
Laying it out to the public
It was a smart move to appear on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Colbert may be a comedian, but he also pulls some weight with viewers. He’s funny but also no-nonsense and capable of hard-hitting when it comes to weighty issues whether it’s through satire or simply stating his opinion. Bush appeared on his show for an interview and it took the audience a bit by surprise. His involvement in the lewd banter with Trump was a career killer for a journalist, but Bush has jumped back into the ring and he’s swinging hard in hopes of rebuilding his reputation. The public may not yet know quite how to take Bush or how to read him, but one thing is obvious and its that the man has brass and nerve. In addition, he’s no quitter.
His demeanor in the interview
Colbert didn’t take it easy on Bush. A replaying of the tape seemed to make Billy squirm in discomfort. While he didn’t commit the level of atrocity that we heard from Trump, he seemed to go along with the exchange without protest. It was enough to get him fired. There are some who would argue for and others who would argue against the firing of Bush for the trespass. It’s all esoteric at this point and what’s done is done. It sends a positive message that these sexist and misogynistic behaviors towards women will not be tolerated in the media or in any other sector of business, as it should be. Bush took his punishment which Colbert is expert at delivering, in stride. It seemed to be a fair exchange, but an odd one in the same regard. Who would ask to be put in the hot seat as Bush did? Someone who is trying to repair a shattered image is the only logical answer.
The rehab tour
Many are calling Bush’s new resurgence in the media a “rehab tour.” He’s all about doing whatever it takes to get back on the air. So far, he’s managed to make appearances and he is getting attention. It appears that he’s employing the strategy of redirecting the focus from his own errors to point the finger at Trump.
It’s a theory that he’s attempting to ingratiate himself with viewers by throwing Trump under the bus, so to speak, and somehow gain some form of acceptance for his current actions. This isn’t altogether a bad thing. Speaking the truth is a step in the right direction. He’s been criticized for the lack of apology in his recent appearances, but when you assess the situation, perhaps it’s time to move forward instead of self-flagellating. Let’s not forget that Bush did pen, not necessarily an apology, but an empathetic message acknowledging how damaging powerful men with predatory sexual tendencies can be to the women who cross their paths and fall victim to their perversions and abuse.
Final thoughts
Billy Bush is on the move and he’s doing the only reasonable thing that a man in his position could, short of giving up. He’s following a protocol and he deserves some credit for taking steps in the right direction. His future in television is yet unclear, but if he doesn’t make it back on the air it won’t be for a lack of trying.
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