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5 Shameless Celebrity Endorsements
Seems like everyone out there’s feeling the recession pinch, even celebrities. What other explanation is there for appearing in horrific commercials like these?
Tim Gunn Comes Clean
It’s a sure sign we’re in a recession when Tim Gunn, who is always the classy voice of sanity on Project Runway, is shilling for Tide.
Buy This Pen…Or Lose Your Life Savings
Some celebrities are not content to simply shore up their bank accounts. No, sometimes they want to spread financial paranoia among the viewers, as demonstrated by this Uni-Ball identity-theft-protection pen commercial, starring Law & Order’s S. Epatha Merkerson.
Sell Yourself and Your Gold
There’s selling out, and then there’s selling everything. Ed McMahon and MC Hammer—the latter of whom had, admittedly, nowhere to fall but up—team up to do a commercial for Cash4Gold.com.
John Talks Joe
Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
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Celebrities have been doing commercials for years, they just make sure they aren't shown in this country!
I dunno. I'm not sure what the point of this whole exercise was.
We all do what we gotta do, embarrassing or not, meaningless or not, to try to maintain the economic level we're accustomed to. That's what capitalism is all about, and that's why I like socialism better.
Who cares? These are just familiar faces with acting experience. And with a remote at hand, I generally mute the commercial interludes anyway. TV commercials are over-priced and over-rated . . . and the same ones are just repeated too damned often!
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Celebrities benefit a lot from commercials, and not just money. Just take a look at the outfits and jewelry they wore at the Oscars (http://www.galleryatlantic.com/116.html), you don't think they had to pay for all that...
Tim Gunn reportedly wasn't compensated for his first season of Project Runway and I'd say poorly so for the second ($1K a show).
Those were the dues he paid to be be placed in a position to be named chief creative director for Liz Claiborne and "shill for Tide".
He's demonstrated time and time again under pressure he is a class act, dead on in his feedback, and a worthy role model.
Rake it in Tim and forgive me but, bravo! :)
My oops: Gunn was paid $2500 per show second season according to reported court records.
I like Tommy Lee Jones and got to see him everyday as I walked by any Boss Coffee vending machine in Japan. He was literally everywhere, and they hadn't changed their picture of him in the 2.5 years I lived there. Making money off of one picture for years and making a homesick person happy is a win win.
Also, good on Tim Gunn for Tide. Would be a different story if he was trying to sell a brand name which appeals or is affordable to only a few.
As Bugs Bunny would say,
"neh....it's a livin'.
God bless them. And mind y'own bidness.
I still don't buy any of that crap.
At least THEY are employed.
How dare they take part in the revolting commercial advertising business. HOW DARE THEY!
So?
Honestly, these aren't embarrassing products. At least it's not hemorrhoid cream, feminine hygiene products or toilet paper.
Blog comment areas are the last refuge of cowards. You get to hide behind some fictitous name and rip on blog writers. How about an intelligent disagreement. Address the topic. Don't worry, Meghan...most of these morons are straying off the Free Republic reservation, and then running back for cover. A blog which will literally kick you off for disagreeing with them.
If you learned this lesson of impoliteness and hyperbole from Ann Coulter or Rush Limbaugh, then I understand. Seems that is the only way certain folks get their information...as it is filtered through distortion and hate. For those of you who love Rush, don't forget that he was a convicted drug user and dealer. Only because of wealth was he allowed to wear a low jack and walk free. Ann Coulter was nastier to McCain than any other candidate in the last election. She needs a sandwich and a Match.com membership. Although that membership might have a disclaimer "Warning: Prone to biting. May vomit after meals."
It's all about the dollar!
MIguel20
Wrong. Rush was not convicted of anything. He has NO criminal record. Why are you so uninformed? Because you don't listen to the correct media . Its You who are so Filled with HATE you post lies .
Ed McMahon was just in foreclosure. He has financial problems so I have no problem with him trying to earn a living.
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So when a now famous person did an ad when they were starting their career, it was OK. But now that they have achieved a level of success, it's bad? BTW - Maybe Brockovich does ads for that firm because they're successful at the type of work she respects? Think so? Maybe?
And actors and "celebrities" shilling for products is somehow new? or scandelous? or noteworthy? And the point of this story is?
People are stupid enough to buy this garbage on the say-so of these celebs. Must be so, or companies wouldn't pay these exhorbitant promotional fees to hire them. End of story.
It says a lot more about the consumer than it does about the product endorser.
I enjoy the Daily Beast, but sometimes I have to wonder who edits some of this stuff and decides to put it out there.
And, if The Beast is suggesting that Tide commercials are an appreciable step down in cachet from a cable reality show, that may say more about The Beast than it does about Mr. Gunn.
hmm aren't articles supposed to contain some kind of content or analysis. This is just a collection of youtube clips. I wish my professors shared The Daily Beasts standards of what constitutes a paper.
Thank you.
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