Monica Bova and supervisor, 2013
There are obviously a lot of funny, witty people among the Ethics Alarms regulars, and on all sides of the political spectrum. It often shows, despite the fact that the discussion here tends to be about serious issues, and hence on the intense side. Still, humor is always welcome, and Scott Granger just contributed a comment that uses it deftly to lend perspective to the jaw-dropping statements of Monica Bova, a Costa Cruises executive who thought it would be a grand time to extol the “heroism” of the crew of the company’s recently wrecked ship, and insult the surviving passengers, while more than twenty presumably dead tourists were still the object of a desperate rescue mission and the ship’s craven captain was under arrest.
Here is Scott’s Comment of the Day on yesterday’s post, “Ethics Dunce: Monica Bova”:
“In a statement that may possibly be issued by Costa Cruises 48 hours from now, the company will congratulate Ms Bova on her new role as a street corner burger vendor in Scranton PA:
‘Monica’s unrivalled experience of mass audience catering and customer relations will be greatly missed. But our loss is very much Scranton’s gain.’
“Ms Bova’s sudden career change was, said the company, entirely unconnected with video footage shown on worldwide TV today (Friday) taken by one of the many irresponsible and over-emotional passengers which Costa Cruises had the misfortune of carrying on its magnificently well-run Costa Concordia cruise liner. The video shows passengers wearing life jackets grouped at an assembly point after the ship had grounded. They are being told by a ‘heroic’ crew member to return to their cabins. Shortly afterwards, the ship rolled onto its side.
“Six months from now, Carnival Inc, the parent company of Costa Cruises, will very possibly issue the following statement:
“‘With immediate effect, Costa Cruises is to be re-named Ocean Voyages. The change of name is as a result of an extensive consultation with our much-valued if irresponsible customers, the majority of whom told us that Costa Cruises sounds too much like a flaoting, or even, sinking coffee shop, rather than a palace of the sea.’
“Carnival Inc denied that the decision to dump the Costa Cruises name was in any way connected with the dumping of the Costa Concordia on a rock off the Tuscany coast in January 2012.
“Said Scranton PA hotdog vendor Ms Monica Bova: ‘Sounds good to me!'”
Ethics Alarms 
Loved the picture!!
I noticed that part about Costa Cruise’s name being changed to Ocean Voyages. There’s a great example of the modern, ethics-challenged publicist at work! If conscienceless spinning and wordsmithing isn’t enough, then change the name entirely to avoid public name recognition. Monica should have applied to MPAA for a job. Chris Dodd knows how to use such people.
A possible precedent for dumping the Costa Cruises brand can be seen in the extinction of the Townsend Thoresen name in the aftermath of the March 1987 Herald of Free Enterprise disaster. Townsend Thoresen was at the time a well-respected brand, a company owned by European Ferries. Six months later, European Ferries was bought by P&O; the Townsend Thoresen brand was deemed too damaged to be retained.
Obviously, I’m merely speculating that Carnival Corporation may have the Townsend Thoresen example in mind, and am more than happy to be proved wrong especially as the Costa Concordia was, according to Costa Cruises director Monica Bova, seemingly carrying a ship full of drama queens intent on making a mountain out of an undersea mole hill.
Should for whatever reason Costa Cruises suddenly be re-branded to, er, Ocean Voyages, then I’m sure Carnival Corporation will be delighted to pay me a million bucks which I would be honor bound to share with Jack and all EA subscribers.
Unless they turn out to be a hysterical bunch.
People have forgotten, but AirTran used to be called ValueJet until its cheesiness and crash record, especially a particularly horrific one in 1996 in the Everglades that killed over 100 passengers and made the name synonymous with “cheap” and “dangerous.”. But the name change worked—most people have no idea its the same airline.
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