In entertainment the second worst job after the fluffer, is the PA (production assistant). As it turns out, executives (like celebs) can be asshats, too, the fallout from which usually falls on some underpaid PA. One such PA shared a personal encounter about a douchey exec. with our sister blog FishbowlLA, in which Ted Ward, Geico’s VP of marketing, acts like a total dickweed. And not the good kind.
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As told by hilarious social commentator and Fishbowl LA Editor Tina Dupuy.
Ted Ward is the vice president of marketing for Geico. Ted Ward may have seen too many episodes of Mad Men. Ted Ward thinks he’s Don Draper. Don Draper with a little Wilhelmina Slater and J-Lo thrown in.
We got these emails from a PA about Ward’s Hollywood behavior:
The Barcalounger was requested by the client, who was “The Martin Agency”. His name was was Ted Ward and “Ted” actually requested the Barcalounger from the Frasier set, if we couldn’t find it we had to have 2 standing by for him to choose from.
We had to clarify: A Barcalounger? Or the Barcalounger from a canceled television show starring Kelsey Grammer? The Barcalounger. The Prop. The two chairs that HAD to be on standby if the original prop was not located – needed two giant trucks each. All for just for one veep of marketing…
But it gets worse. We got a follow-up from our source:
I almost forgot…inside his very own 10×15 pop-up tent he insisted on having .
1. Power with power strip.
2. A cooler filled with Vodka, Grapefruit Juice and ice.
3. All sides up to create a “room feeling”.
4. A side table for next to the Barcalounger so rest his drink on, with a matching coffee table.
5. And lets keep in mind none of his agency co-workers were aloud to sit with him.
AWESOMENESS
Wait, there was agency with a rider?! Like a rock star? Like Van Halen and their no green M&Ms? Serious?
We corroborated this epic diva story with another industry insider. They sent us this email:
Never once has anyone from agency had their own tent, with a “roomy feel”. We’ve had what’s his name…Alex Bogusky. He sat with everyone else and was the nicest guy you could meet… said hello to me and I was a PA at the time.
We could blame this deviant diva behavior out here in LA on the water…but it’s not like these people do tap.