Editorial: Please Stalk Me - Publication: Playboy Aug 07 Back to Editorials While the world’s multi millionaire celebrities moan about their tortured lives due to tabloid coverage and privacy invasion, they also benefit by their films, CD’s, fashion lines and work projects obtaining perpetual exposure and publicity. Fuelled by six figure salaries, celebrity publicists continually plant stories while maneuvering their clients through the tabloid mire. So are those shining stars swindling us? blinding us with the hounded line while they are in fact cleverly attuned to every photo op and cover prospect? According to Regis Navarre, head of Los Angeles biggest paparazzi photo agency X17, the stars definitely aren’t as dumb as we are, “ Most stars know our photographers and work with them quite willingly. We have personal relationships with some A-list celebs who have even given us their phone numbers.” Charmaine Blake publicist and CEO of LA based celebrity PR specialist Charmaine PR is also a firm believer in the value of high circulation tabloids as a publicity vehicle. “They tell am lot of lies, but they offer great exposure due to their wide readership.” “celebrities enjoy being in magazines, Charmaine says. “Despite the fact they complain they cant get away with anything due to constant scrutiny, they will often tip off paparazzi regards their movements to ensure they get coverage.” “I’m sure publicists plant stories in the magazine — no doubt there,” X17’s Navarre adds. “ There are certainly instances of celebrities making an obvious effort to get a point across through our paparazzi photos and video. If a star is thought to be too skinny and there are rumors of an eating disorder, a publicist will put their client in front of the cameras, so to say, eating an ice cream or chowing down on a burger, in this day and age, that’s just savvy PR work.” Do the celeb publicists seize the moment? “ I think the smarter management and publicists ‘get it’ and are able to use us to their advantage and the ones who fight it, end up with less control over their clients’ image, therefore doing their clients more harm than good. Most of the top management are beginning to wise up to today’s media strategies.” Written by Craig Stephens |