Wednesday, November 3, 2010

(337) AROUND THE BUSINESS : MAGAZINES - COLUMNISTS - THE MAKERS and BREAKERS of the STARS

Friends, Christine and I were talking the other day about publicity - advertising -marketing. Then and now.

Today we have People, Vanity Fair, the National Enquirer, and so many other magazines and newsprint that feature coverage of celebrities - not to mention the many sites on the Internet about the rich and famous. For the film business Daily Variety is still around after many years. In the music business we still have Billboard and Cashbox which have been around since before I had my experience with fame.

When I was up and coming in New York and then Los Angeles there were FAMOUS STAR MAKERS and BREAKERS, columnists, who I think welded more power than most columnists do today; they were all nice to me.

I've been thinking about how different Hollywood was in the early 1960's than it is today. Los Angeles was not as congested and crowded as it is today and the business was friendlier. Someone couldn't hire you, they still might send you over to see someone else they knew.

It was easier to get around town because the freeways actually moved. Having a car - a great car - was the thing - and I sure did have some nice cars!

Celebrities went out on the town and they were not hiding away. I can't tell you how many people I met just dining out or driving down the road.

Celebrities were very conscious about making an appearance and being seen around town. They were practically looking for the photographers! Not ducking them!

Today people are taking responsibility for their own fame when they post performances on Youtube, or do as some of my friends have, by having a presence on other social network sites up to promote themselves, their performances, or their products. We blog here on Google and have a Youtube station.

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