Is bad publicity always better than no publicity? Can having a bad image be OK? Am I "old school" to feel uncomfortable with the trend of people getting known more for their antics and less for any actual talents they may have? Have I "lost it" as I still fail to understand why any publicist or pr representative would not stop and might even encourage any personality they represent to make themselves and others out as bad, ugly, irresponsible, dirty, unhealthy or disturbed?

Anthony Kiedis, 45, bad boy, rock star, slut... he never had an unblemished reputation, but I don't get how he can continue to make public gaffes the way he has been doing for about 25 years now.

One toe-curling example I'd like to share here: 2004; he publishes his autobiography (clever move!), then does his booksignings (great!) and radio/TV interviews (fabulous!)

The interview by Howard Stern wasn't that great, denying everything he was asked about that was in the book, blaming shadow author Larry Sloman, but it got worse.

Conan O'Brien... for 7 minutes it's OK, then he ruins it in the final seconds with his 'present' for Conan; Kiedis's (back then 18-year-old) girlfriend has drawn Conan a picture of a "UniConan", to give to O'Brien as a present... jaw-dropping, toe-curling viewing. Seven minutes of reasonable decent self-promotion behind him, he ruins it all by presenting his girlfriend as someone with the mind and creativity of an 8-year-old, and himself as a dirty old man with an unhealthy attraction to young and immature girls. It doesn't matter anymore if either he or his girlfriend is mature, balanced, talented, or intelligent, because he's just shown himself off to be none of that. The truth no longer matters, the image is created.

More than three years have gone by, and he has done nothing to show himself or his girlfriend in a better light, he's only made more gaffes to make matters worse. Only now he has a child to be tarnished with the very same dirty brush that he himself soiled in the first place. Is that still OK? Does 'no such thing as bad publicity' still apply? I'm sorry, but I refuse to join that train of thought.