foot in mouth disease

In the aftermath of Mel Gibson's outbreak of foot-in-mouth disease, today's New York Times asks seasoned Hollywood publicists for their prescription for handling gaffes with more finesse -- and with better results for your reputation. Celebrity publicist Michael Levine cites what he calls "the four pillars of celebrity crisis management: Speed, humility, contrition and personal responsibility" as the essential steps in recovering from major public mistakes, good counsel even if you are not a movie star.