| Advertising, not Honor |
24 November 2003
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Britney Spears Gets Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Britney Spears got her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her achievements in the record business. On the strength of three albums (her fourth came out the day the star was unveiled), she gets a star. One would think that this honor reflected incredibly, other-worldly talent. Miss Spears isn't bad as a pop singer, but the fact is the star doesn't quite rank as a knighthood.
To get a star somewhere along Hollywood Boulevard from Gower to La Brea, or Vine Street, from Yucca to Sunset, one must be nominated by sending to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce an application . What august body does this? Usually, the job falls to the artist's media people, although sometimes, fans will do it. About 200 artists a year make the effort, or rather, have the effort made on their behalf.
Then, a five-person committee chaired by Johnny Grant (famous in Hollywood for being famous in Hollywood) selects roughly one in ten to receive the star. Once selected, the sponsor pays to the Chamber of Commerce a $15,000 fee for the unveiling, and the matter is a done deal. Without the fee, there's no star.
The publicity that an unveiling creates is certainly worth $15,000. It almost guarantees a spot in Variety and
a few seconds on "Entertainment Tonight." However, it hardly counts as an honor in the sense the Presidential Medal of Freedom or the Legion of Honor does. It epitomizes America in the 21st century: money creates honor, self-esteem issues demand that every Little Leaguer gets a trophy, and everyone is above average.
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