News > LA Times: Entourages Are Pathetic
May 9, 2007
There was a time when a celebrity entourage was a sign of importance: Jessica Simpson used to lug her entire family around, most big-name celebrities walk around with a great deal of security, and any given hip-hop star on the planet can't move two steps without dozens of stylists and buddies in tow.
But now, according to the LA Times, entourages are becoming as out-of-fashion as acid-washed jeans.
"Big entourages are now widely seen as the sign of a neophyte, a has-been or a wannabe. "American Idol" reject Sanjaya Malakar, for instance, prompted eye rolls from gossip bloggers when he showed up at Paramount Pictures recently with an entourage of stylists and agents in tow. When Britney Spears arrives at a club with half a dozen "friends," she warrants more pity than envy."
It appears that celebrity is so understood at this point, that to flaunt it seems as an act of desperation: we get it, you're famous. IMDB and blogs have helped the average joe become more in touch with their celebrities of choice than ever before: you don't need to hire a battalion of security guys to surround you, just to show you're famous. People increasingly want to see their idols presented in a down-to-earth way, and that means seeing them on their own: no stupid friends, no security, no family.
Somebody better tell Vinnie Chase.
