ablang
12-29-2004, 10:50 PM
Flaws celeb
Malfunctions to dysfunction, the faux pas of the rich and famous have filled the year
By Rachel Leibrock -- Bee Staff Writer
Oops, they did it again. And again and again and again.
Call 2004 the Year of the Celebrity Mishap. From "wardrobe malfunctions" (Janet Jackson and Tara Reid) to quickie Vegas weddings - which led to inevitable quickie annulments (Britney Spears and Nicky Hilton) - to well-publicized encounters with exotic dancers (Ben Affleck and Nick Lachey), it was a banner stretch.
Ashlee Simpson got caught lip-syncing. CBS News anchor Dan Rather didn't check his sources and NBA player Ron Artest didn't check his temper.
There were so many high-profile gaffes that Paris Hilton's infamous 2003 sex tape scandal now seems, well, passé. (Indeed, everyone - perhaps except her mother - seemed to yawn at reports of a new Hilton tape earlier this year.)
Were public figures just more goof-prone?
The answer, says media analyst Pete Snyder: Not quite. It just seems that way.
"Celebrities have been doing dumb things for a long time, but with the 24-hour news cycle and the huge rise of the Internet, everything is (more) immediate," says Snyder, founder and CEO of New Media Strategies, an online marketing firm that tracks the Internet for hot topics of discussion.
The biggest blunder of 2004?
That would be Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" at the Super Bowl halftime show Feb. 1, Snyder says.
"It dominated our discussion (in February); it's now December and it's still the No. 1 topic," he says.
Not only that, but Jackson's Super Bowl snafu - in which duet partner Justin Timberlake "accidentally" ripped away part of her costume - sent a chilling effect through broadcasting. The Federal Communications Commission, reacting to complaints about Jackson's prime-time exposure, launched an obscenity investigation of the entire halftime show (which included an American flag-wearing Kid Rock) and ultimately fined CBS more than $500,000 for the incident.
Shortly thereafter, shock jock Howard Stern's parent radio company, Clear Channel, was hit with a huge "indecency fine," and the FCC punished NBC for airing an expletive from U2's Bono during a Golden Globes acceptance speech.
Jackson's brief, not-so-shining moment, Snyder says, "translated to consumer groups writing in (to the FCC) and Senate hearings - it gave that story months of leg."
But there were other stories to talk about - and not just in the world of entertainment.
Giants slugger Barry Bonds admitted "unknowingly" using steroids. In the political arena, presidential candidate Howard Dean stuck a fork in his hopes with a now-infamous scream, and even Arnold Schwarzenegger got into hot water with an ill-timed "girlie men" comment, referring to the California Legislature's Democrats.
Thankfully, not all mistakes were so serious.
Certainly, Spears' marital double feature provided for some unintended comic relief.
And don't cry too hard for Ashlee Simpson. Although Jessica Simpson's baby sis, who previously scored with a hit album and popular reality show, was caught mouthing the words on "Saturday Night Live," she still seems to be going strong. Album sales remain respectable ("Autobiography" is still firmly lodged on the Billboard Top 100 album chart), and Ashlee even snagged the dubious honor of topping the list of Trivial Pursuit's "Top 10 Trivial Moments of 2004" - ahead of Ben Affleck (noted for his Bennifer sequel after swapping Jennifer Lopez for Jennifer Garner) and jailbird Martha Stewart.
"Simpson's lip-syncing was even covered by '60 Minutes,' " says Rob Daviau, senior game designer and writer for Hasbro Games. "The coverage became so intense and hyped, and the public just kept talking about it."
Such so-called "trivial" moments are big water-cooler topics, adds Daviau, on the phone from Springfield, Mass.
"Rumors and gossip are always more interesting; they're something that capture your attention - they're the cocktail party moments that have existed through time," he says.
Depending on the seriousness of the misstep, such stumbles can even help, not hurt, a celebrity's reputation.
Chances are Ashlee Simpson won't be reduced to a pop culture footnote anytime soon (at least not before Friday, when she co-hosts "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" with Regis Philbin).
Likewise, her brother-in-law, Lachey, didn't sustain any lasting blows to his wholesome image after tabloid reports that he partied with a stripper. And Tara Reid, who recently posed for photographers on the red carpet, blissfully unaware that her dress had slipped to reveal her breast, probably isn't worrying about any permanent injury to her reputation.
That's because bad news is better than no news, says Star magazine editor Jared Shapiro, on the phone from New York City.
"2004 was a bad year and a good year for celebrities because they love the spotlight," Shapiro says. "There's no such thing as bad publicity. Who was Paris Hilton before the sex tape? Who was Tara Reid before her dress fell down?"
Still, repeat offenders, such as Spears, should be more careful, say some experts. Her greatest-hits collection became her worst-selling album, overshadowed by endless gossip and eww-inducing paparazzi shots, including one of the singer emerging barefoot from a gas station restroom.
But even if we keep our wallets closed, it doesn't mean we won't keep talking.
With the emergence of the Internet as the must-see destination for watching (and re-watching) various goofs, celebrity scandals have become something of a national spectator sport, Shapiro says.
"(These scandals) are almost like a Greek tragedy - they make these people seem more interesting," he says.
Snyder, the media analyst, thinks it's because we enjoy knowing that those who embody the lifestyles of the rich and famous aren't immune to trouble.
"We like seeing these people who puff themselves up get knocked down," Snyder says.
And, although we often profess to tire of the constant onslaught of gossip, we're nowhere near getting our fill of the Britneys and the Bennifers, he adds.
"We roll our eyes and say it's horrible, but we're not changing the channel."
--
Ain't they misbehavin'
So many celebrity goofs to choose from, but here are our top five picks among the blunders of 2004.
Janet Jackson
What happened: Exposed her breast during the Super Bowl halftime show - an incident later called a "wardrobe malfunction."
Fallout: Nearly a year later, the ramifications are strong. Networks have been noticeably more conservative in what they choose to air - no doubt because the Federal Communications Commission is now more likely to levy costly fines.
Career damage? Although her last album flopped, we somehow doubt that we've seen the last of Ms. Jackson.
Britney Spears
What happened: Got hitched in Las Vegas - wearing jeans and a baseball cap - to childhood friend Jason Alexander in early January. The marriage lasted 55 hours before being annulled. Then, in September, Spears got married again, this time to backup dancer Kevin Federline.
Fallout: Although Spears announced on her Web site that she's taking a break from work (and, theoretically, the limelight), she's still major tabloid fodder.
Career damage? Spears' greatest-hits CD is, at least by her standards, something of a failure - it peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Top 100 album chart.
Ashlee Simpson
What happened: Bolted from the "Saturday Night Live" stage after a technical glitch cued up the wrong "vocal guide track" - and revealed that Simpson wasn't quite so live after all.
Fallout: Late-night hosts poked fun at Simpson's lip-syncing and finger- pointing, first at her band and then at an acid reflux flare-up.
Career damage? Not much. After an apologetic round of talkshow appearances and a truly live performance at the Radio Music Awards, Simpson's album is perched at No. 40 on the Billboard chart. There's also talk of her doing commercials for an acid-reflux medication such as Prilosec, and she's set to launch a national tour in February.
Ben Affleck
What happened: The tabloids caught him partying with a stripper. His breakup with Jennifer Lopez also was widely publicized.
Fallout: Affleck seems to be maintaining a lower profile as he romances actress Jennifer Garner.
Career damage? A round of failed movies - including "Jersey Girl" and "Paycheck" - is a sign that there is perhaps such a thing as too much bad publicity.
Dan Rather
What happened: Helmed a "60 Minutes" report suggesting that President Bush didn't fulfill his National Guard duty. Shortly after the segment aired, Internet bloggers went to work to prove that the documents he used were false.
Fallout: Rather apologized, and CBS set up a panel to investigate further.
Career damage? In November, Rather announced he would retire in March, although he denies it had any connection with the scandal. Although Rather has had a long, distinguished career, "Memogate" likely will continue to dog him.
- Rachel Leibrock
http://www.sacticket.com/calendar/story/11889259p-12776150c.html
===
"I learned a lot from Jessica--what not to do."
-- Ashlee Simpson
Malfunctions to dysfunction, the faux pas of the rich and famous have filled the year
By Rachel Leibrock -- Bee Staff Writer
Oops, they did it again. And again and again and again.
Call 2004 the Year of the Celebrity Mishap. From "wardrobe malfunctions" (Janet Jackson and Tara Reid) to quickie Vegas weddings - which led to inevitable quickie annulments (Britney Spears and Nicky Hilton) - to well-publicized encounters with exotic dancers (Ben Affleck and Nick Lachey), it was a banner stretch.
Ashlee Simpson got caught lip-syncing. CBS News anchor Dan Rather didn't check his sources and NBA player Ron Artest didn't check his temper.
There were so many high-profile gaffes that Paris Hilton's infamous 2003 sex tape scandal now seems, well, passé. (Indeed, everyone - perhaps except her mother - seemed to yawn at reports of a new Hilton tape earlier this year.)
Were public figures just more goof-prone?
The answer, says media analyst Pete Snyder: Not quite. It just seems that way.
"Celebrities have been doing dumb things for a long time, but with the 24-hour news cycle and the huge rise of the Internet, everything is (more) immediate," says Snyder, founder and CEO of New Media Strategies, an online marketing firm that tracks the Internet for hot topics of discussion.
The biggest blunder of 2004?
That would be Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" at the Super Bowl halftime show Feb. 1, Snyder says.
"It dominated our discussion (in February); it's now December and it's still the No. 1 topic," he says.
Not only that, but Jackson's Super Bowl snafu - in which duet partner Justin Timberlake "accidentally" ripped away part of her costume - sent a chilling effect through broadcasting. The Federal Communications Commission, reacting to complaints about Jackson's prime-time exposure, launched an obscenity investigation of the entire halftime show (which included an American flag-wearing Kid Rock) and ultimately fined CBS more than $500,000 for the incident.
Shortly thereafter, shock jock Howard Stern's parent radio company, Clear Channel, was hit with a huge "indecency fine," and the FCC punished NBC for airing an expletive from U2's Bono during a Golden Globes acceptance speech.
Jackson's brief, not-so-shining moment, Snyder says, "translated to consumer groups writing in (to the FCC) and Senate hearings - it gave that story months of leg."
But there were other stories to talk about - and not just in the world of entertainment.
Giants slugger Barry Bonds admitted "unknowingly" using steroids. In the political arena, presidential candidate Howard Dean stuck a fork in his hopes with a now-infamous scream, and even Arnold Schwarzenegger got into hot water with an ill-timed "girlie men" comment, referring to the California Legislature's Democrats.
Thankfully, not all mistakes were so serious.
Certainly, Spears' marital double feature provided for some unintended comic relief.
And don't cry too hard for Ashlee Simpson. Although Jessica Simpson's baby sis, who previously scored with a hit album and popular reality show, was caught mouthing the words on "Saturday Night Live," she still seems to be going strong. Album sales remain respectable ("Autobiography" is still firmly lodged on the Billboard Top 100 album chart), and Ashlee even snagged the dubious honor of topping the list of Trivial Pursuit's "Top 10 Trivial Moments of 2004" - ahead of Ben Affleck (noted for his Bennifer sequel after swapping Jennifer Lopez for Jennifer Garner) and jailbird Martha Stewart.
"Simpson's lip-syncing was even covered by '60 Minutes,' " says Rob Daviau, senior game designer and writer for Hasbro Games. "The coverage became so intense and hyped, and the public just kept talking about it."
Such so-called "trivial" moments are big water-cooler topics, adds Daviau, on the phone from Springfield, Mass.
"Rumors and gossip are always more interesting; they're something that capture your attention - they're the cocktail party moments that have existed through time," he says.
Depending on the seriousness of the misstep, such stumbles can even help, not hurt, a celebrity's reputation.
Chances are Ashlee Simpson won't be reduced to a pop culture footnote anytime soon (at least not before Friday, when she co-hosts "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" with Regis Philbin).
Likewise, her brother-in-law, Lachey, didn't sustain any lasting blows to his wholesome image after tabloid reports that he partied with a stripper. And Tara Reid, who recently posed for photographers on the red carpet, blissfully unaware that her dress had slipped to reveal her breast, probably isn't worrying about any permanent injury to her reputation.
That's because bad news is better than no news, says Star magazine editor Jared Shapiro, on the phone from New York City.
"2004 was a bad year and a good year for celebrities because they love the spotlight," Shapiro says. "There's no such thing as bad publicity. Who was Paris Hilton before the sex tape? Who was Tara Reid before her dress fell down?"
Still, repeat offenders, such as Spears, should be more careful, say some experts. Her greatest-hits collection became her worst-selling album, overshadowed by endless gossip and eww-inducing paparazzi shots, including one of the singer emerging barefoot from a gas station restroom.
But even if we keep our wallets closed, it doesn't mean we won't keep talking.
With the emergence of the Internet as the must-see destination for watching (and re-watching) various goofs, celebrity scandals have become something of a national spectator sport, Shapiro says.
"(These scandals) are almost like a Greek tragedy - they make these people seem more interesting," he says.
Snyder, the media analyst, thinks it's because we enjoy knowing that those who embody the lifestyles of the rich and famous aren't immune to trouble.
"We like seeing these people who puff themselves up get knocked down," Snyder says.
And, although we often profess to tire of the constant onslaught of gossip, we're nowhere near getting our fill of the Britneys and the Bennifers, he adds.
"We roll our eyes and say it's horrible, but we're not changing the channel."
--
Ain't they misbehavin'
So many celebrity goofs to choose from, but here are our top five picks among the blunders of 2004.
Janet Jackson
What happened: Exposed her breast during the Super Bowl halftime show - an incident later called a "wardrobe malfunction."
Fallout: Nearly a year later, the ramifications are strong. Networks have been noticeably more conservative in what they choose to air - no doubt because the Federal Communications Commission is now more likely to levy costly fines.
Career damage? Although her last album flopped, we somehow doubt that we've seen the last of Ms. Jackson.
Britney Spears
What happened: Got hitched in Las Vegas - wearing jeans and a baseball cap - to childhood friend Jason Alexander in early January. The marriage lasted 55 hours before being annulled. Then, in September, Spears got married again, this time to backup dancer Kevin Federline.
Fallout: Although Spears announced on her Web site that she's taking a break from work (and, theoretically, the limelight), she's still major tabloid fodder.
Career damage? Spears' greatest-hits CD is, at least by her standards, something of a failure - it peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Top 100 album chart.
Ashlee Simpson
What happened: Bolted from the "Saturday Night Live" stage after a technical glitch cued up the wrong "vocal guide track" - and revealed that Simpson wasn't quite so live after all.
Fallout: Late-night hosts poked fun at Simpson's lip-syncing and finger- pointing, first at her band and then at an acid reflux flare-up.
Career damage? Not much. After an apologetic round of talkshow appearances and a truly live performance at the Radio Music Awards, Simpson's album is perched at No. 40 on the Billboard chart. There's also talk of her doing commercials for an acid-reflux medication such as Prilosec, and she's set to launch a national tour in February.
Ben Affleck
What happened: The tabloids caught him partying with a stripper. His breakup with Jennifer Lopez also was widely publicized.
Fallout: Affleck seems to be maintaining a lower profile as he romances actress Jennifer Garner.
Career damage? A round of failed movies - including "Jersey Girl" and "Paycheck" - is a sign that there is perhaps such a thing as too much bad publicity.
Dan Rather
What happened: Helmed a "60 Minutes" report suggesting that President Bush didn't fulfill his National Guard duty. Shortly after the segment aired, Internet bloggers went to work to prove that the documents he used were false.
Fallout: Rather apologized, and CBS set up a panel to investigate further.
Career damage? In November, Rather announced he would retire in March, although he denies it had any connection with the scandal. Although Rather has had a long, distinguished career, "Memogate" likely will continue to dog him.
- Rachel Leibrock
http://www.sacticket.com/calendar/story/11889259p-12776150c.html
===
"I learned a lot from Jessica--what not to do."
-- Ashlee Simpson