LAND OF THE FREELOADERS

New York Post ^ | 4/17/05 | ELISA LIPSKY-KARASZ

[DogBarkTree]

April 17, 2005 -- WE all know celebrities get free stuff - swag - just for being famous. But did you know that there are some stars who eat, fly, sleep, party, do virtually everything in their day-to-day life for free? All they do is demand it, take it, or simply walk out on the tab. The Hollywood "gimme!" syndrome has run amuck.

"It's at a fever pitch right now. It's assumed that if you are a celebrity and show up that you will get something. There are so many real stars and quote-unquote stars who don't even understand that you 'buy' things anymore," says Lori Majewski, executive editor of Us Weekly. It's one thing if you are Cameron Diaz, who has free clothing forced on her even if she offers to pay for it. When she wears a top on the cover of Us Weekly, it's free advertising for that company.

But it's another when you are Lara Flynn Boyle, who was famously Punk'd by MTV cameras when she was told she would have to actually pay after a major shopping spree in Los Angeles. Oh, the horror!

[DogBarkTree]

Im not sure if this word is allowed on FR but in this case the only word that accurately describe these people is "whores".

[MikefromOhio]

ahhh wonderful....hollyweird strikes again....

[starfish923]

Im not sure if this word is allowed on FR but in this case the only word that accurately describe these people is "whores".

Whores = athletes and THEIR freebies. just another example.
EVERYONE loves freebies.

We have a huge welfare system that enables the welfare freeloaders. Children and helpless, sick elderly and ill nothwithstanding, the drug addicts, drunks, prostitutes, bums and lazy-good-for-nothings in this country are life-time whores who don't offer us the entertainment and talent that actors, athletes, and such, give us. At least THOSE freeloaders have some talent and contribute SOMEthing to the country.

[Semper Paratus]

Is it any wonder they supported the king of the free-loaders John Kerry.

[stm]

This is just further evidence of the uncontrolled (and certainly undeserved) narcissism that has become commonplace in Hollywood

[uvular]

Seems like there would be some sort of tax ramifications for this.

[NHResident]

Actually, I think it is reflective of what our society in large part has become. Based on the recent election results something like 49% of the population feels that they are owed health care, food, housing, entertainment and drinks by the remaining 51%. Isn't that the sum total of the Democrat party platform?

[freekitty]

They are the armpit scumbags of the earth.

[Emmett McCarthy]

Your tagline says you must be a Coast Guardsman as was my Dad for many years. But, I remember both of my parents telling us many years ago that the only time people are given free meals is when they've become so rich and famous that they don't need them.

[IronJack]

And yet these pampered crybabies present themselves as champions of the "little man" and his causes. Sharon Stone, for example, is a whale-hugger or some such nonsense. You can just hear her press agent in the background: "Sharon. Baby! We need to get you more press." [finger snap] "I got it! We'll find you a 'cause' and you can go yammer some drivel about nuking the rain forests or wearing fur and we'll get hordes of media types to cover it. Dang, I'm a genius!"

By the way, I didn't notice Mel Gibson's name on that list. Suppose maybe HE understands how the real world works?

[NaughtiusMaximus]

No wonder Hollyweird votes liberal Democrat. It all has to do with "Free Stuff." Democrats believe in Free Stuff the way six year olds believe in Santa Claus (although they're not nearly as cute), Republicans are dubious about the notion of Free Stuff and suspect that all "Stuff" eventually has to be paid for.

[Dan Evans]

"...and since you are so beautiful, all this stuff is free."

[Semper Paratus]

I remember both of my parents telling us many years ago that the only time people are given free meals is when they've become so rich and famous that they don't need them.

And if somebody offered me a free meal, ask why.

[raybbr]

Remember when Hillary stiffed some people at a restaurant in upstate NY? Typical lib thinking: Someone else can pay for it, not me.

[raybbr]

Okay it was on the house but she stiffed the waitress.

[FreeManWhoCan]

I would love to have a store one day where John Cussack would come in with that attitude of his and see him try to walk out with free stuff. I would call the cops and arrest him and of course call up the local news crew. I would then get o it n the news and make him "pay". I remember reading a story about his stunts with his friends, going in to stores and stealing thousand dollar jackets.

[DustyMoment]

Drudge has this and one other similar article on his site. It is repulsive that people who make millions per picture or hundreds of thousands for a single TV episode are this greedy and out-of-touch with reality. They may be considered by some to be America's "royalty", but they aren't mine.

From the sounds of it, they are all Jesse Jackson shakedown artists who need to experience a year-long boycott of their "product" by consumers. Perhaps after a year of no one at the box office and no one in front of the tube, they MIGHT gain some appreciation for who really controls the purse strings and allows them to live such obscenely lavish lifestyles.

[Hildy]

Here's a good question...why aren't these people forced to pay income tax on the freebies they get? If you win a prize, Uncle Sam makes you pay the taxes on it.

[freedom_forge]

But woe to the person who pirates one of their CDs or DVDs.

[MarkL]

Seems like there would be some sort of tax ramifications for this.

Actually, there is, but only for the ones giving the gifts.

I believe that you can give up to $11,000 a year to an individual with no tax liabilities. But if you exceed that, the gift GIVER is liable for the taxes.

Mark