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Swag is one of the tackier aspects of celebrity. And that’s really saying something. It’s always aggravating to see wealthy famous people loading up on thousands of dollars worth of luxury goods, but it’s particularly annoying when the vast majority of the rest of the country is struggling to meet basic needs. That didn’t stop actress Vanessa Hudgens from stocking up on $12,000 worth of luxury items at the Golden Globes last night – nor did it keep her from bragging about it, along with her giant new house.
Vanessa Hudgens has a unique recession strategy: Get as much as you can for free. The “High School Musical” star hit the Golden Globes swag suites hard over the weekend, leaving her assistant to carry four “overflowing” bags of freebies, totaling a whopping $12,000.
Hudgens overtook “Access Hollywood’s” Stuff You Must … lounge suite, making sure to “take something from every booth,” our witness said. Among the gratis goods were a one-year pass for her and a pal to a AMC Theatres, a BlackBerry Pearl, a coffee machine, a $4,000 diamond pendant, designer clutches, a year-long gym membership and more.
It was more than a little ironic when, during her spree, Hudgens commented on how overjoyed she was with the “huge house I just bought.” We’re guessing it’s a little easier to fill a new home when you’re spending three hours in a gift lounge.
[From Gatecrasher]
I’m surprised we didn’t see Vanessa’s assistant lugging home a nice couch from the swag sitting areas. Of course a lot of other celebs partook of the free merchandise. But Gatecrasher points out that many refuse, or at least are gracious enough to limit it to one or two items.
At the BAFTA/L.A. Tea Party, Clint Eastwood, nominated for “The Changeling” and “Gran Torino,” told us: “I don’t want anything. I don’t want any gifts. [These] companies are trying to advertise, and they figure it’s low-cost advertising. They want to sell their product and help make the economy better, which is okay, but it’s not for me.”
Over at the HBO Luxury Lounge, Ricky Gervais picked up only a pair of shades from Solstice. “Sunglasses are the only things I can bear to take from these lounges,” he said. “I’m kind of like Elton John that way.”
[From Gatecrasher]
Clint Eastwood has a point – companies are trying to get free (or relatively inexpensive) press in exchange for getting celebs to use their products, so there certainly is a point to the whole thing beyond gratuitous excess. There’s just something about it that always seems so tacky to me, even when the economy is doing well. If there’s anyone who can afford expensive stuff, it’s celebrities. Some donate their items, which is definitely a more gracious way to go. But I do like the idea of just grabbing a pair of sunglasses or something similar as a nice compromise.
Here’s Vanessa Hudgens with Zac Effron at the Golden Globes last night, and at an afterparty later that evening. Images thanks to WENN, Bauer-Griffin, and Splash.
