- Sep 20, 2018
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The media would certainly have a field day, though it probably won't last too long unless the MC and/or Jaye keep stoking the fires. But I'm not sure Ray Lewis is a meaningful comparison. Football players are non-management and (ultimately) they're in the entertainment business. Winning is big part of their appeal to the fans and that's what will matter to the owners (well, that and their price tag). Whereas 'losing' players are unpopular and thus easily replaced when problematic (or just when a scapegoat is needed).The press would go crazy about that shit. It's important to keep in mind that step-siblings dating/marrying isn't something that's accepted in a good light by society. That being said though, it's not forbidden nor is it illegal for them to marry.
Though, a capable PR team would wipe the floor with the press and present them as star-crossed lovers or something like that. For that to happen though, they need to use the world's most powerful weapon against fractured images/press issues - winning. Becase winning causes amnesia among the people. So they definitely have to win the court case against Prizer, anything less is unacceptable and would destroy them in the press.
I'll give you an example - facing a murder charge, Baltimore Ravens linebacker (and team captain) Ray Lewis pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice, and agreed to testify against two co-defendants. He received one year's probation. What did he do to make people forget? Win. No linebacker - not even Lawrence Taylor - has ever been more valuable to a Super Bowl champion than Lewis was on the field and in the locker room to the 2000 Ravens. Now, as a trusted and likeable figure, Lewis is pretty much the NFL's George Foreman.
The MC and Jaye, however, aren't employees. They would be running Polygene. It seems like George and Lisa are already in their corner, so it's not clear who they'd win over by taking Prizer to the cleaners. I suppose if Polygene has an independent board of directors they might be need convincing, but since we haven't heard a peep out of them thus far I assume they already support the status quo (or are completely powerless). To the public at large it would just be out-of-touch, rich assholes fighting each other; they won't like it, but they also won't waste a lot of time caring about it. If anything, keeping the story in the news (even by winning a legal case) would probably keep reminding everyone about their squicky relationship.
Granted, the public doesn't have much influence over Polygene, but in theory if the MC and Jaye make a big enough stink it might encourage other businesses to shun Polygene. That would be a fairly extreme reaction, though, much more than a salacious not-quite-incest story would gin up. I suppose Prizer could try a smear campaign in an effort to force the board and/or the government to intervene, but that's a longshot that could easily backfire given their own Bond-villain schemes. So my advice would simply be for the MC and Jaye to keep as low a profile as possible and wait for any negative press to blow over.
Oddly enough, I actually think Mallory is a much potential bigger problem if the MC is pursuing her. She's apparently an up and coming reporter of some note, yet she is having an affair with the subject of her reports - and she's not exactly being subtle about it after those body shots. That's a relatively simple scandal for the public to latch onto, and unlike the MC, Mallory does have bosses she must answer to. If word of this comes out she's almost certain to lose her job and in so doing incentivize her former employer to investigate the matter thoroughly - if only to cover their own ass.
That will keep the MC/Polygene in the news cycle longer, which is a bad start. But it gets worse if the digging reveals Mallory's backstory, much worse. Beyond the sensational 'Rich Playboy Heir Dates Clone of His Mother!" headlines, the revelation will inevitably lead to a massive investigation into what Prizer and other bio-tech magacorps have been up to. That's going to be quite a headache for Polygene when they have to admit they bypassed the normal selection process to get Mallory's friend treated by an experimental drug. That notoriety - fueled by the high profile legal battles over how to regulate this new frontier of medicine - will ensure the MC won't be able to lead a quiet life anytime soon. At that point if it's also revealed he has a thing for his step-sister, well, it's probably just icing on the cake.