Celebrity for Sale

Celeb-obsession reaches a new level with personal items for sale

By
Relationship Advice Expert April Masini

I know the whole story of NASA and Lisa Marie Nowak, but I just heard that her belongings are being sold on E-Bay? What kind of world are we living in where everyone wants to make a living off of this? Why would anyone want these items?

Sincerely,

Celeb-Confused

Dear Celeb-Confused,

Today, several items are up for bid — Nowak patches, photos, news articles. After this poor woman went bonkers over a man (maybe she should have read my book Date Out of Your League for some pointers before things got so crazy! Maybe she could have gotten him to commit!)

But why do people want these items?

Simple: We live in a celebrity culture where friends of friends of friends of friends of a D list celebrity become celebrities in their own rights. There are television shows celebrating celebrities who haven’t acted or practiced any kind of known job in ages, but are vaguely recognizable as a once known almost star.

A derivative behavior is selling things that belong to or were once touched by or even associated with some facet of a famous person’s life. By having, seeing, touching or owning something once touched or owned by a celebrity — no matter how D, E or F list — people feel empowered.

Paris Hilton’s nemesis website, parisexposed.com, which was just prohibited from selling her items left in storage, unclaimed and then bought and sold on the internet, is a perfect example of how celebrity items become valuable.

There’s a simple rule in economics that scarcity creates need, and if Ms. Nowak’s personal items are seen as scarce and valuable, there will be someone to buy them — on e-Bay or otherwise.

But really ladies, let's focus on our love lives, not Nowak!

April Masini -- nicknamed "the new millennium's Dear Abby" by the media, is author of the best-selling books Date Out Of Your League and Think & Date Like A Man, the two (just released) step-by-step dating and relationship manuals, Ideas for a Fun Date and Romantic Date Ideas, and the critically acclaimed dating and relationship online magazine www.AskApril.com.

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