Embrace Me

Undated screen shot from the Britney Spears video Hold it Against MEe, a new video that features prolonged images of an Internet dating site, cosmetics line, electronics brand and the singerís own perfume. On Thursday, the singer's producer teased portions from the new track, How I Roll. HANDOUT PHOTO: For Misty Harris (Postmedia News). MUSIC-VIDEOS

The cult of celebrity is extremely heady. It is power incarnate. It can move millions of people to lavish attention on those upon whom they have become fixated. And in the process it can make the object of their attention wealthy beyond imagination. All the more so when such individuals become popular role models.

The aristocracy of the film world, those who commanded munificent acting fees, along with a percentage of box office proceeds, became infected with the worm of venality. Realizing, decades ago, that though some might see it as professionally degrading, they could earn vast sums of money by discreetly permitting their famous faces to be used in advertising campaigns far from Hollywood.

And in the interests of collecting those big fat pay cheques for leasing their famous faces, one after another agreed to sign contracts with Japanese advertising companies lauding the wares that consumers in that country would then connect with their favourite, adored actors. The money made up for the tarnished prestige that well-paid and -respected thespians would stoop that low.

It's no longer low-stooping, but high-swooping, as celebrities in the world of entertainment parlay their fame and appeal into ever-more rewarding enterprises. Once they've conquered the world of pop music or Oscar-rated cinematic performances, they can indulge themselves to their fullest by endorsing products whose manufacturers are willing to pay them whatever sum they name.

Better yet, they're now by-passing the consumer products under labels not their own, as singers and actors and designers and television talk-show hosts contract out perfumes, jewellery, fashions to bear their singular imprimatur and lustily hawk them through glamorous advertising featuring their well-known faces and bodies adorned by fabulous jewels and clothing.

The message to their avid followers: if you'd like to look the way I do, have the wonderful things I own, simply consume what I offer and the world will be yours. The susceptible hordes of celebrity-watchers couldn't be more thrilled, but the celebrities raking in the proceeds are even more thrilled at their surpassing successes.