Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with celebrities

How much money does the gossip magazine / gossip blog / tabloid industry make?

Elle Vator — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:23:45 -0800

So, celebrity gossip is everywhere and lots of $$$ is forked out for images of famous babies, etcetera... BUT how much money does the gossip industry MAKE? I can't find any online statistics about Gossip Industry Revenues. It's actually very odd and mysterious.

I'm looking for numbers on gossip magazines, gossip blogs and/or the tabloid industry, with the goal of comparing the Gossip numbers to the Porn Industry and the Television Industry respectively. I could use global numbers, US or North American numbers.

It would be useful to find a webpage as comprehensive as this: http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/internet-pornography-statistics.html

...but I would take a single, high impact sentence about the tabloids and gossip rags (such as this gem: "US Porn Revenues are greater than the combined revenues of ABC, CBS and NBC"), which was properly cited and verifiable.

Anyone got anything?

Help me find "Living Famously"

crossoverman — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 00:07:27 -0800

Can anyone help me track down a documentary series called "Living Famously"? That link goes to the Australia ABC site which screened the series in about 2004.

Details of the series here from 2002 MIPCOM:

LIVING FAMOUSLY
Documentary/ 25 x 60’
Language: English
Producer: BBC
Cast: James Dean, Marvin Gaye, Laurel
and Hardy, Peter Sellers, Karen Carpenter
Delivery status: in production
Year of production: 2002, Country of
origin: UK
A stunning series of biographical portraits
revealing the true stories of the lives of 25
of the greatest names in international
entertainment.

(From the ABC Australia site: Camera/Director: Cassie Farrell)

It hasn't screened in Australia since then, nor can I find any reference to it on the BBC site. I am particularly interested in the episodes that covered classic Hollywood, because the collection paints an interesting portrait of how entangled the lives of certain celebrities were during the 30s and 40s.

Is this series for sale anywhere? Online? Torrents? I am actually happy to pay for it if it's for sale anywhere, but my Google Fu isn't working if that's true.

I almost doubted the series existed (as a series, I thought it might have been old A&E bio episodes repurposed for screening here) - couldn't quite remember its name, until I searched the ABC Australia site (Lana Turner, who I knew had been profiled, led me to its name).

Now I find it odd I can barely find it referenced anywhere - ie. it doesn't seem to be on IMDB at all!

Famous people quitting their day jobs to do humanitarian work full time?

querty — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:37:26 -0800

Have there been any pro athletes / CEOs / celebrities (famous actors and musicians) in the past 100 years who have quit their careers midway to do humanitarian work full time? I want to make a case that people at the top do not care. They don't want change.

Let's say if Kobe Bryant goes on the news tomorrow and announces that he's quitting pro sports to do humanitarian work full time. That would be the perfect answer for my question.

Would like to hear some names, see some links and articles.

Does naming a child after a famous figure have any effect on their life, positive or negative?

Kirn — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 03:02:09 -0800

Does naming a child after a famous figure have any effect on their life, positive or negative? With all of the tiny Barack Obamas and Michelle Obamas who are popping out around the world, I wondered whether there was any evidence (anecdotal or otherwise) that being named after a famous figure has an effect on the child's life, either positive or negative. This would be in terms of their success, career choice, happiness, or anything else.

I tried Googling for this in the vain hope someone might have published a study, but I couldn't find anything, so this might be difficult to answer. All I found on AskMeFi was someone commenting that his family members who had been named after famous Presidents had hated it and changed their names.

(Also, I'm talking here about famous figures who are widely respected - not the poor Adolf Hitler kid.)

Can the hivemind help me?

And a hecatomb of sheep for you...

aetg — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 10:21:50 -0800

Do you know any epithets that are used commonly for celebrities? I am teaching a unit for middle school students that involves reading some in-depth Homer. I want to start my unit by talking about people who are larger than life: sports athletes, singers (hip-hop, primarily), actors and actresses. Particularly, they need to have an epithet that the students might recognize. I will be using this to move into a discussion of clever Odysseus and grey-eyed Athena.

Bonus points for any references to African American culture that might be used as a comparison tool.

Legal question about using celebrities in works of fiction

Astro Zombie — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:36:51 -0800

What is the legality of using a celebrity as a character in a satiric work of fiction? I've seen it before, such as in David Sedaris's short story in which he claims to have dated Mike Tyson. I'm writing a story that includes several celebrities in fictional, and obviously satiric, situations, and I want to make certain that if they try to sue my ass off, I've got a legal leg to stand on.

Seeking the Internet Clueless

gusandrews — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 10:49:10 -0800

Have you seen blog threads where commenters seem not to have read the initial post, and are way off topic? I'm seeking more examples of this for my dissertation research. Looking for blogs which have garnered comments similar to those mentioned on the earlier MeFi threads Tuesdays with Maury, Jeremy Jordan Loves Demon Dogs, and How Hawkish. Basically, commenters show up and start commenting as if they haven't read the original post at all, and they don't seem to have any idea what the discussion is about. In many cases they seem to think they're talking to a celebrity, or they are just seeking information in the wrong place. Has this happened on your blog or on blogs you've seen? If you need a better sense of what I'm looking for, check my profile for a link to a page where I'm collecting these.

Don't give up the day job

Iteki — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:05:38 -0800

Before they were stars (pre-fame jobs of celebs please) I work with young job-seekers and I want to come up with what some contemporary celebs did before they became famous. Harrison Ford. for example, is a carpenter by trade. I found a site with lot of celebs, but to be honest, a lot of has-beens, B-stars and no cites. I don't think that "kids today" are going to feel wildly inspired by Dan Akroyd or Benny Hill. Also, most of the listings are overly glamorous, such as "was a model before she was an actor" or "had a bit part in show X".

These kids are in europe, so the celebs should be world famous, but I am also open to regional superstars from non-English speaking countries. There's no age limit, but there's a freshness rating, where celebs like Harrison Ford, Bruce Springsteen etc are timelessly cool. Musicians, athletes, actors, politicians, authors, it's all good!
Ideally, I would love a link to a cite for the factoid too.

How do I clear celebrity photos easily and effortlessly?

Elle Vator — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 07:27:43 -0800

"We need to use that picture of that pregnant singer from the cover of Mary Claire in the next show," says my boss. "What's my budget," I ask? There's a pause. My budget is nothing. "Can't you just get permission? As a promotion?" I make a note. "When do we need it by?" "Yesterday. As long as you get me the release by Friday, we're good." Yes, this is my job. Anyone have tips on successfully licensing photos of celebrities... for as little money and hassle as possible? I am in an interesting situation in which I am employed doing 'visual research' on a TV show that has little money and is months behind schedule. This is one of those 'opportunity' jobs, in that if I succeed I am a hero, if I fail I am relatively expendable.

I need to go after that nude picture of Xtina, for example, but I can't afford any expenditure, any delays and need that release on file.

If you know anything that can help me - either specific to this situation or for my job in general, please let me know. Feel free to send me a message as well.

err...umm...hi...I worship you!

randomstriker — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 22:51:49 -0800

How to make conversation with celebrities at public events? I was at a charity benefit today where a few celebrities made an appearance. I went up for an autograph / photo, but wasn't sure how to make polite conversation with them other than sincere admiration which inevitably comes off as sycophantic.

What should I be saying? Should I not bother since it's all a show?

Who speaks what?

greytape — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 07:23:06 -0800

Which famous people speak/have spoken other languages? I'm on a bit of a language trip at the moment (in both senses), and I'm wondering about the linguistic abilities of famous people, alive and dead. However my google-fu has failed me, I've found out which languages the Presidential candidates speak (apparently Obama speaks Malay, who knew?), but otherwise I've drawn a blank.
Anyone know if the resource I'm looking for exists?

WIN A DATE WITH TOM HANKS

(bb|[^b]{2}) — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 09:14:43 -0800

When someone wins a "SPEND A DAY WITH [INSERT FAMOUS PERSON]" sweepstakes, what exactly happens on said day? A friend of mine just entered Holiday Inn's "WIN A DAY WITH CAL RIPKEN JR." sweepstakes, which is what got me thinking about all these celebrity giveaways. Has anyone here ever won one, or know someone who has? I imagine the time you spend with the celebrity would be rather awkward and forced, but I don't know. That's why I'm asking.

Database of famous persons' names + disambiguations - where?

masymas — Tue, 08 May 2007 04:13:42 -0800

Where can I find a data source containing names and disambiguations of most well-known (living and dead) people? I downloaded some data from wikipedia, but biographical-type articles are not distinguished as such and there are some 3.5 million entries. Hrm.

Any thoughts?

An easy and useful research topic relating to the challenges celebrities face (in China)?

gttommy — Mon, 07 May 2007 07:02:49 -0800

An easy and useful research topic relating to the challenges celebrities face (in China)? Help me come up with a research topic relating to the challenges celebrities face in China. The hypothesis needs to be specific and the data accessible - I want to be able to use data gathered mostly through either interviews or surveys of common/accessible people.

For example, I would like to do something like "The film industry's working conditions in China are exploitative" or "Chinese theatre performers enjoy a relatively easy life", they are specific, but collecting data would be difficult as I would have to find specific people and go to specific locations and I am unable to do that. Any ideas???

Not sure if this makes a difference but I intend to use the results of this project for my next research project, which would also be about Chinese celebrity and stardom and by then I will be able to do more travelling around. Btw, I live in Hangzhou and my Chinese skills aren't very good.

What are some examples of Jewish tough guys?

lunchbox — Fri, 04 May 2007 17:32:53 -0800

What are some examples of famous Jewish tough guys who have addressed their Jewish identity in an interesting way? I'm deciding on a topic for a research project in a class on Jewish culture, and one topic I'm considering is the Jewish "alpha male" -- for example, Howard Stern, Andrew Dice Clay, Lenny Bruce, Bill Goldberg, Adam Sandler, Lewis Black, David Lee Roth, Gene Simmons, or Jon Stewart. Historically, being Jewish has not been stereotypically associated with being macho or cool, so it would be interesting to examine how these guys publicly addressed their Jewishness. For example, Goldberg and Adam Sandler made it a proud part of their identities, Howard Stern uses it in a more self-deprecating way, and Andrew Dice Clay changed his old Jewish name and, to my knowledge, doesn't really talk much about being Jewish.

Who are some other Jewish celebrities similar to those I mentioned, who are/were popular in youth culture? Any links or references to where specifically they addressed being Jewish, either explicitly or implicitly, would be much appreciated. Portrayals of "tough guy" Jewish characters in movies/TV, such as John Goodman's character in The Big Lebowski, would also be interesting.

A topic for a simple, observation-based research project on Chinese celebrities?

gttommy — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 03:07:09 -0800

A topic for a simple, observation-based research project on Chinese celebrities? I'm working on a small research project based on my observations of Chinese celebrities and fame.

The only thing I can come up is: "In Chinese media, there is an obsession with European physical appearances", which won't be too hard because visual information is easily observed - just have to look at commercials, billboards and magazines.

I have 3 questions, but you don't have to answer all of them but if you can... Great! :)

Question 1: what do you think of this as a topic?

Question 2: what sort of things should I keep in mind while I carry out my observations or where are good places to look?

Question 3: Any other simple observation topics you can suggest for me? Below are other things that interest me but unable to come up with a simple observational topic for any of them...

How celebrities are consumed, what type of physical features or personality are revered, what are the demands for new faces in movies, tv, music, politics, etc and the demographics driving it.

Thanks in advance for a speedy reply - time is running low!

Btw, I currently reside in Hangzhou, China.

Celebrity Bargain Bin Books

clairezulkey — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 11:38:20 -0800

I'm looking for books by famous people that they wrote early in their career or under a nom de plume. I'm writing a roundup of books by celebrities that they probably wish had never been published--books that are probably embarrassing now that they'd written earlier in their career. For instance, Dan Brown wrote a book of dating advice under a nom de plume, and Bill O'Reilly wrote a crappy thriller. Already got Jewel and Ethan Hawke and Suzanne Somers' and Leonard Nimoy's books and poetry on there...other recommendations? The stinkier the better!

Thanks!

Monsieur Mangetout, Where Are You

Shadowkeeper — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 10:12:53 -0800

I'd like to write an article about frenchman Michel Lotito, a.k.a. Monsieur Mangetout, a.k.a. the guy who got into the Guinness Book Of World Records By Eating A Bicycle. Better yet, I'd like to interview him. But I can't seem to find any contact information for him on the web -- in fact, I can find very few articles about him at all, aside from his Wikipedia entry and a bazillion nearly identically-worded factoids on assorted "zany facts!!' webpages. You'd think a professional entertainer would provide an easy method for getting in touch, but, if he has, I'm unable to find it. How do I go about finding an email address for celebrity from Grenoble, France?

Celebrities have mothers?

Gnatcho — Fri, 02 Dec 2005 13:51:39 -0800

Celebrities speaking their mother tongues I was recently trying to search for audio of Henry Kissinger speaking in German. This prompted me to note how many celebrities who achieve fame in a culture speaking a different language from their own are so rarely heard in public speaking their mother tongue. For example, the Austrian press will sometimes put things Arnold Schwarzenegger said or “might say” in the Styrian dialect for the purposes of humour, but I don't believe I've ever heard Arnie speaking in German.

BTW, I suspect those who don't have an accent in the language they adopted would be even cooler to hear!

So I thought it might be interesting to ask about audio clips available on the Internet of celebrities under the aforementioned situation speaking in their mother tongues. And I don't want to restrict this to German, so any language would be interesting to me. And not just those who have found fame in America. Presumably interviews in countries speaking their native language would be the best source.

Obviously, someone forced to leave his native land might not be comfortable speaking in that language again, but sometimes it happens. I've read interviews with Kissinger that seem to have been conducted in German. But I want to hear how Bavarian his accent is. And how Styrian Arnie's is.

Help choose London celebs for current events chats

putzface_dickman — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 06:05:04 -0800

If you could bring together notable people living in or near London (celebrities, authors, politicians, etc.) to discuss current events, who would you choose and what would they discuss? This is something I may actually get to do, but as an American without sattelite TV and more knowledge of current events than notable people, I'd like your help. Panels of no more than four please.

Real people in fake stories

bjork24 — Fri, 20 May 2005 12:55:11 -0800

What are the legal ramifications of using a real person in a fictional story? Do you have to have their permission? For instance, what if a character accidentally bumps into a celebrity on the street. No words are exchanged, just an acknowledgment of the fictional character's brush with fame. Or, even more involving, what if a story centered on the completely fictional account of a celbrity's kidnapping... or a love story involving a fictional character and a celebrity.

NOTE: When I say "celebrity," I don't mean celebrity in the tabloid sense... necessarily. It could be anyone of notable significance.

Do the legal issues focus on the extent of the real person's involvement in the story? Is the only way around this to create characters who are obviously similar to their real-life counterparts... only with a slightly changed name (i.e. Brunt Springstein)?

Using celebrity names in a fictional work

dotComrade — Wed, 23 Feb 2005 16:40:18 -0800

Can I legally print a list of celebrity names within a fictional work? Imagine a game where the participants each act out the role of a famous, living celebrity attending a party with other celebrities (the other players). I play Sean Connery, you play Arnold Schwarzennegger, etc. as we schmooze over hors d'oeuvres and cocktails.

Suppose that this game printed a list of the names of, say, 500 celebrities you could choose from. No description, no defining characteristics, just names, the idea being that these people are well known enough that people could imitate them with no further prompting.

Based on case law, precedent, etc., would any of the people so named have any legal reason to sue, merely for using their name in a list within a game?

What celebrities have you met?

alas — Tue, 18 Jan 2005 16:04:16 -0800

So I met Alton Brown last night at a book signing here in Tampa, and was pleasantly surprised to find that he is even more likable in person than he is on TV or through his weblog. What I'm interested in learning now is which celebrities you've met/run into/bruised with your front bumper, and whether they lived up to or belied their 'image,' whatever it may be. Cont'd inside. My personal list (those everyone here would know, anyway):

Alton Brown - As mentioned above
David Bowie - Magnetic
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Incredibly cool, and so appreciative of his fans
Cuba Gooding, Jr. - Down to earth
Donald Sutherland - Tremendous prick (no, I wouldn't know about *that* one)
Hulk Hogan - Literally bumped into him while shopping at a bookstore. Besides being truly MASSIVE, the guy really deserves his reputation for friendliness.

I know, I really ought to get out more. Now how about you?

Sorry!

onhazier — Fri, 14 Jan 2005 07:19:12 -0800

Based on yesterday's discussion about celebrities who give offense by their wardrobe choices and malfunctions, I am left wondering about the "apologies" that are issued. Since when is it an apology to say "Sorry if I offended anyone..." instead of "I apologize for causing offense..."? What would ettiquette demand? How should they issue their apologies? Does the "if" even mean they believe they did something wrong or is it a trick to make people drop the topic?

Does Bono cheat on his wife?

kenaman — Wed, 01 Sep 2004 02:34:29 -0800

Has anyone ever heard rumours of Bono being unfaithful to his wife Ali?
Not suggesting that he has been, nor have I heard anything. Just curious.