Of all the ways in which an artist can garner attention for a new song, stirring up controversy seems to be a method with which rapper Lil Wayne is quite familiar.

His song “Georgia…Bush” stirred the political pot back in 2006 by heavily criticizing the Bush administration’s actions both overseas and in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. More recently, Wayne lost his PepsiCo endorsement after the lyrics of his remixed song “Karate Chop” considered insensitive towards civil rights icon Emmett till.

Now, the rapper is taking heat for what many feel is an anti-American and anti-patriotic display: treading on the American flag — well, technically, dancing on it.

Earlier this week, behind-the-scenes footage from the video shoot for Weezy’s new single “God Bless Amerika” was leaked to the public, and features the rapper performing in front of Old Glory. At one point the flag falls to the ground and he dances across it. Though his attitude in the below clip appears to be more casual than blatantly disrespectful or malicious, according to the U.S. Flag Code, the flag isn’t even supposed to touch the ground, let alone be trampled on, and so the music video is being lambasted even before it’s released.

But it got us to watch the clip, didn’t it?

When not exaggerating its own membership, claiming responsibility for the cancellation of The New Normal (it was a bad show, guys), or failing to recognize Twitter‘s 140-character limit, the non-profit outrage organization One Million Moms searches pop culture high and low for the latest and greatest threats to its members’ conservative Christian sensibilities.

In the past, these easily offended mother hens wagged their fingers at everyone from the Boy Scouts to The Cleveland Show and Dancing with the Stars. While we share the group’s distaste for any show featuring Tucker Carlson AND Kate Gosselin, we have to laugh about their latest pet cause—condemning this “disgusting” ad for Kraft salad dressing. Shame on those heathens, et cetera et cetera.

One question: do they not realize that they just gave this brand free publicity?

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This week, UCLA is hiring a director of communications for the Fielding School of Public Health, while Moda Operandi needs a vice president of marketing. HarperCollins is seeking a marketing manager, and GolinHarris is on the hunt for a director of consumer PR. Get the scoop on these openings and more below, and find additional just-posted gigs on Mediabistro.

• Director of Communications UCLA Fielding School of Public Health (Los Angeles, CA)
• VP, Marketing Moda Operandi (New York, NY)
• Marketing Manager HarperCollins (New York, NY)
• Director – Consumer GolinHarris (New York, NY)
• Account Executive Michele Marie PR (New York, NY)

Find more great PR jobs on the PRNewser job board. Looking to hire? Tap into our network of talented PRNewser pros and post a risk-free job listing. For real-time openings and employment news, follow @MBJobPost.

By now you’ve likely seen the musical, pseudo-philosophical, and now-viral three-minute video announcing Samsung‘s new partnership with Jay-Z, which first aired during the 2013 NBA Finals Game 5. The deal, which cost Samsung $5 million, allows the first million Galaxy and Note mobile device-users who download the corresponding app to access the rapper’s latest album, Magna Carta Holy Grail, for free, three days before the record drops on July 4.

At first glance, the $5 million price tag may seem like a major marketing risk, especially considering that promotions like this don’t usually generate a major sales increase due to the fact that most cell phone users are locked into two-year contracts. Factor in the unthinkable possibility that not every Samsung user is also necessarily an avid Jay-Z fan, and one might wonder whether the tech company could possibly see a decent return on its investment.

But if we instead assume that the goal of this collaboration is media attention and visibility for the brand, rather than a spike in sales, the idea suddenly appears like a match made in marketing heaven. Read more

In many ways, New York’s Citi Bike bicycle sharing program has been a success. In the weeks that the program has been in place, the Department of Transportation says more than a quarter of a million rides have been taken. There’s no doubt that, just looking around the city and seeing people pedaling about on their blue bikes, the program has been largely embraced.

Quibbles about bike stands and parking aside, there have been other issues with the bike program that are now being aired publicly. And ultimately, there’s the question of whether the program will ultimately be the PR positive that Citigroup certainly wanted when they signed up.

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There’s a subtle art to PSAs, those heavy handed, publicly funded campaigns designed to remind us taxpayers to stand away from the platform edge, resist donating money to panhandlers, and avoid the dangers of tobacco (thank you, C-3PO).

But before last week, we’d never heard of a government’s PR team working to convince the rest of the world that local prostitutes are healthy, happy, and proud of their chosen line of work.

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Chipotle has marketed itself as a healthier alternative to fast food since the beginning, using many organically grown and locally sourced ingredients, and eliminating additives, preservatives and other toxins often found in fast food.

Last year, the restaurant chain even took a stand in favor of California’s Proposition 37 (voted down last November), which would have required all food containing genetically modified ingredients to be labeled as such. The company stated at the time:

“At Chipotle, telling the story of our food has always been important. We want our customers to know exactly what they are eating. For us, this is real transparency—because knowing more about where our food comes from is always better than knowing less. In light of this, and our vision of Food With Integrity, we wholeheartedly support the cause of Prop 37, having endorsed the measure as soon as we heard it was on the ballot. We want to encourage you to learn as much as you can about the foods you eat, because the truth should never be hidden, and you have the right to know.”

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CNN: Lululemon Spoofs Job Hunt for New CEO

The New York Times: Tech PR: Future of 3-D TV Is Very Unclear

The Washington Post: Google to Use Balloons to Provide Internet in Remote Areas

Los Angeles Times: American Airlines to Squeeze More Seats into Cabins

PR Daily: Twitter Etiquette Rules for PR Professionals

The partnership between PitchEngine and Cision, which began in 2011, has ended, with PitchEngine announcing plans for what CEO Jason Kintzler says is “a new kind of content distribution and deployment.”

Cision customers no longer have access to PitchEngine’s social media publishing services. However, in the press statement, Kintzler says, “Cision was notified of this change back in December, so there shouldn’t be any surprises”). Instead,Cision made an announcement of its own about changes in its service offerings. Read more

UNC Pays Pretty PR Penny to Overcome Academic Fraud Scandal

Myspace Returns as Social Launch Pad for Artists

Nestle’s Bottled Water Accessory for Wealthy Ladies Makes Its Confusing Debut

Major Tech Brands Scramble to Maintain Trust in Wake of NSA Scandal

Why Nickelodeon Can’t Kid Around with the Nutrition Debate