The Golden Boot

“He seems to be a real gentleman. ... I don’t know if he is or not. He may have a little wild man in there.”

In this viral YouTube video (http://bit.ly/JodieFisherReel), Jodie Fisher is not speaking about the disgraced former HP CEO Mark Hurd. But it’s one of several snippets from the career of the onetime soft-core porn actress turned smalltime reality TV star turned “corporate customer liaison” that are ironic in context.

Fisher’s work, which can be seen late at night on Skinemax, includes Body of Influence 2 (tag line “Just Try to Resist!”), in which the she plays a seductress who costs a psychiatrist his career.

Or check out this exchange from her titillating NBC series Age of Love: He: “Hi, I’m Mark.” [!!] She: “I’m Jodie.” He: “You’re beautiful.” She: “You’re about to have fun!”

According to news reports, Fisher was paid $5,000 per event to organize HP functions and then schmooze with executives. Hurd allegedly concealed those payouts from his employer by fictionalizing his expenses, an offense for which he was given his walking papers—and a $28 million severance package.

No doubt thousands of former HP employees who were fired when Hurd massively downsized the company are groaning.

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8 Comments

  1. Today’s blog is why San Jose Inside is irrevelent and readership has declined:

    Many San Jose political and city issues – pension reform, budget deficit, where our taxes go since city will not tell us, new Independent Police Auditor picked by ACLU, NAACP and ALA now they want to pick new Police Chief, San Jose losing jobs other SCC cities gaining jobs, businesses, fewest city services and most low income housing with higher taxes in Silicon Valley, latest San Jose is now free paid training academy for public safety and city government employees for other governments

    California issues -budget crisis, legislature gridlock coming state raid on city / rda funds etc  

    All SJI could find worthwhile to blog about is non San Jose corporate firing that has NOTHING to do with our city

    • > Today’s blog is why San Jose Inside is irrevelent and readership has declined:

      I find this a really weird criticism.

      Assuming that the critic is NOT the proprietor of SJI, how the hell does he know that the readership has declined? The readership of any blog is ultimately a cosmic mystery.

      And how can he declare SJI to be “irrevelent” (by which I assume he means “irrelevant”)?  Whether or not it’s irrelevant depends on what the charter is that the proprietor has defined for his blog.  For all anybody knows, SJI is doing exactly what the proprietor wants it to do.

      In my opinion, corporate insider-ism is just as juicy and relevant as government insider-ism.  In any case, I doubt that there is really a clear boundary between the two domains.

      It’s not necessarily true that “the customer is always right”.  Sometimes, the customer is just shopping at the wrong store.  If the customer doesn’t like what is on the shelf, he should go shop somewhere else.

      • One thing’s for sure. The spotty and infrequent updating of SJI has steadily weeded out all but the most patient and forbearing souls among us. So all the participants remaining at least have that in common- and that’s OK with me.
        On another note, Eric. I remember Single Gal’s regular articles as being plenty worthy of discussion and also Garry Singh’s. And Pete’s Wednesday postings generate a lot of discussion. I don’t think it’s necessary to find an “experienced” journalist- just a regular person offering their personal take on their hometown. There’s nothing more interesting.

  2. Everyone has a bad day sometimes, ‘Decline,’ and you’re certainly entitled to your opinion. And it’s a fact that your editor has been distracted by a big project for a couple of weeks. (More on that later.)

    I will point out, though, that over that time SJI reported on the impacts of the City Council’s cuts; broke the Reed-Pegram endorsement story (which received the second-most comments of anything we’ve posted in years) as well as Eddie Garcia’s announcement that he’s not seeking re-election; and reported on a crucial Assembly race involving a chunk of the city and surrounding areas.

    I appreciate your commitment to local issues and your demand for excellence. Everything you mention in your comment deserves coverage, and we will be doing what we can to keep up.

    On that note: We are looking for experienced freelance journalists—if you know of any, send ‘em my way: eric[at]boulevards.com

    • > On that note: We are looking for experienced freelance journalists—if you know of any, send ‘em my way: eric[at]boulevards.com

      How about a snarky, dyspeptic, crabby, grumpy, non-PC, thumb-in-your-eye, hit-and-run, failed blogger?

      Oh, wait.  You can have those for free.

      Nevermind.

      • As with many things on the internet, shifts have occured and many changes have, well, been not to ones liking. 
        Newspaper blogs have had shifts, relationship sites once offered visible e-mail addresses, AARP revamp has seen scores of folks abandon and this site has followed, as well.
        Where I once checked in weekly and elapsed time was easily over 90 minutes, it has changed to once a month and should over a half-hour be required, I’m amazed.
        Topics and posts are just not as they used to be.  Just a fact from one who spent 21 years in SJ and now, 13 in the Sunshine State.

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