Celebrity Inc.

Jersey Shore’s Ronnie Paid to Puff

I just received this gem of a release in my inbox….apparently now that Ronnie has freed himself of the yoke that is Sammie Sweetheart he is giving up his cigs, but not smoking.

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro is single and ready to mingle! The Jersey Shore star, who recently moved to LA, has been spotted all over town bringing his A-game with the ladies at the hottest club openings, events and DJ shows. Most recently on Wednesday night at the Google & T-Mobile event at Mr. Brainwash Studio, Ronnie didn’t have eyes on the Maroon 5 or Drake performances or on anyone at all in particular. Instead had wondering eyes for all the beautiful lady partygoers that approached him throughout the night, as he sipped on a vodka soda and puffed on a South Beach Smoke electronic cigarette and enjoyed the attention. Girls were approaching Ronnie all night and the guido stud was nothing but nice. Sammi Sweetheart was nowhere in sight at the event and he had the “I’m over it” attitude written all over his face.

I wonder what this cost South Beach Smoke? 

Celebrity Inc. Gets First Review From Kirkus! Woot!!

CELEBRITY, INC. 
How Famous People Make Money
Author: Piazza, Jo

Review Issue Date: November 1, 2011
Online Publish Date: October 11, 2011
Publisher:OpenRoad Integrated Media
Pages: 236
Price ( e-book ): $24.99
Price ( Paperback ): $24.99
Publication Date: November 15, 2011
ISBN ( e-book ): 978-1-4532-0551-8
ISBN ( Paperback ): 978-1-4532-1879-2
Category: Nonfiction

Entertainment journalist Piazza dissects the industrialization of fame in the age of celebrity.

A celebrity may be a person, but celebrity is a product, a commodity bought and sold, writes the author in this rangy analysis of the celebrity business. Like it or not, our culture has invested its celebrities with extraordinary power, and Piazza presents all the players involved, including managers, agents, publicists and producers. A dozen vignettes explore the ways in which celebrity is created and revenue streams are activated, whether it is celebrity in the long run, as in an Oscar win (there is a terrific chapter on how to buy an Oscar), or the short-term celebrity through association (Tiger Woods’ lovers going public: “Their investment was just their dignity, and the payoff was substantial”). Since she has been intimately involved in the business, Piazza’s chapter on celebrity magazines, from copy to newsstand placement, is particularly revealing, and she is willing to call a spade a spade when it comes to the cheesier aspects of celebritydom, from the selling of baby photos to the “leaked” sex tapes that launched Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian. She also takes on the evolution of various branding styles and the ways in which notoriety in one sphere can be parlayed into licensing deals in another. In perhaps the most enlightening chapter, Piazza explains why some celebrities survive and others fizzle. You have to be fun and relatable, inclusive and aspirational, but most of all likable and consistent, which is why Lindsay Lohan tanked (inconsistent) and Charlie Sheen shines on (consistent in his craziness).

It’s rarely pretty, but Piazza ably demonstrates the celebrity machine’s remarkable efficiency in getting us to give it our money.


Michael Jackson Family Emotional Over Cash Cow of Cirque Show

The Michael Jackson Cirque du Soleil show is finally here and it is likely to be a cash cow in the tens if not hundreds of millions for the Jackson estate.

In my chapter on dead celebrities I talk about how it was tough-going for the Jackson estate to find a way to keep Michael’s legacy alive in a way that it could be packaged and sold to future generations. Neverland can never be Graceland. Well here is a portable version of that money-making touchstone. 

Kudos to you guys!!! MJ is on the road to being the most profitable deleb yet.

Why Game’s Gay Beef With 50 Won’t Sell Albums

I wrote this piece in the Huffington Post this week about why Game’s (when did he drop the, the?) gay slur against 50 cent won’t help him bolster sales for his album RED. 

The crux of my argument which comes from the chapter in my book (Celebrity Inc. out on November!) that deals with the rap wars as marketing strategies and is as follows:

“But “beef marketing” needs to be synergistic to survive and Game is missing an important piece of the puzzle — 50’s support.”

You can read the whole article here.

HuffPo: A Michael Jackson Fragrance Won’t Boost the Estate’s Bottom Line

Celebrity perfumes and colognes make up a surprisingly robust sector of the fragrance market, so it’s no wonder that everyone and their uncle wants a piece of the pie. But while fragrances have worked wonders for the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Justin Bieber and Tim McGraw, it just won’t work for everyone.

We recently learned that a fragrance is in development for the late Michael Jackson — a strange move, according to industry experts.

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