Hollywood's Most Overexposed Celebrities - omg! news on Yahoo!
All press is good press, the old adage goes. This does not apply to
Paris Hilton.
The celebutante's every move, from her club-hopping to her jail stint to her search for a new best friend has proved fodder for the flashbulbs and celebrity press. But what has the incessant coverage garnered her? Eye rolls -- and worse, audience disinterest.
In fact, 65% of the U.S. population would use the term "overexposed" to describe Hilton, according to Los Angeles-based E-Poll Market Research, which provides "appeal" rankings for nearly 4,500 celebrities. To put that in perspective, most celebrities average between 3% and 7% on the E-Poll celebrity index during the peak of their careers.
But Hilton isn't the only star to have worn out her public welcome. Audiences have tired of
Britney Spears,
Lindsay Lohan, and
Pamela Anderson, among others. And while overexposure may have less to do with the precise number of headlines than it does the public's perception, the 10 celebrities on our list have proved that familiarity can, and does, breed contempt.
So who's to blame for the media onslaught and the fatigue that follows?
"Is it the paparazzi's fault? They contribute," says Lori Levine, chief executive of talent brokering firm Flying Television. "Is it the insatiable appetite of the American public? That contributes. Is it the invention and obsession with YouTube? Yes, that contributes too."
And don't forget the growing list of spotlight-seeking stars that chase the flashbulbs as much--if not more--than the flashbulbs chase them. Consider Lohan, third on our list, who seems to make a habit of migrating to paparazzi stalking grounds like Les Deux, Villa and trendy eatery Katsuya.
Star Editor-in-Chief Candace Trunzo says that if celebrities don't want to line the pages of her magazine, they don't have to. "By and large, if you really want to be a private person and live a private life, you can do it," she says, citing Johnny Depp as an example.
But many crave the limelight for good reason. Unlike Depp, they don't have a steady stream of projects keeping them in the public eye. Rather, they rely on media attention to keep them relevant -- and famous.
Take "The Hills'" best friend-turned-best enemy
Heidi Montag, who lands at No. 10 on our list. With both her music and fashion forays proving flops, she has managed to parlay her on-again-off-again relationships and outings with MTV co-star
Lauren Conrad and bad boy beau
Spencer Pratt into tabloid-worthy fodder. (Had we expanded our list, Pratt would have ranked No. 12).
"Heidi and Spencer have turned overexposure into an art form," says In Touch Editor-in-Chief Richard Spencer, who marvels at the flashbulb-focused lovers' vast numbers of petty feuds and photo ops.
Levine agrees. "Heidi and Spencer are the ones that really understand, more than anyone else, what it takes," she says. "They're unabashedly unashamed about being completely overexposed." And their reward for it: Still more exposure.
Reporting by Forbes.com staff
Life has been anything but simple for one of the world's most notorious celebutantes. After spending a brief period behind bars, the elder Hilton sister is back on the Los Angeles nightclub circuit. Up next: the
Simple Life star is searching for a new best friend on--what else--a reality TV show.
Once covered for her musical prowess, it's Spears' questionable behavior that gets ink these days. From stints in rehab to stints in the psych ward--to say nothing of a drama-filled custody battle--the former Mouseketeer proves prime tabloid fodder.
Thanks to her rehab stints and hard-partying ways, the starlet's private life is anything but; instead, her every move has been splashed across the tabloids, prompting speculation on everything from her drinking habit to her sexuality. Most recently, it was an early end to her
Ugly Betty guest stint that grabbed the struggling starlet big press.
Who says moms can't get in on the fame game? Proving she too has something to offer Hollywood, Dina Lohan rolled out a buzz-worthy reality show featuring--who else?--herself. Oh, and her other daughter, Ali.
The
Playboy Playmate-turned-
Baywatch babe continues to grab headlines for her high-profile marriages, divorces and provocative ways. She recently turned the camera on herself and her celebrity lifestyle with an E! reality series,
Pam: Girl on the Lose.
More than a decade after the famed Bronco chase, Simpson is once again making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Last month, he was found guilty on criminal charges, including kidnapping and robbery, related to a 2007 event. The football star-turned-convicted felon is being held in isolation as he awaits his December sentencing.
Hardly camera-shy, the New York real estate mogul and TV personality has been grabbing headlines for years. Though his public sparring match with former
The View host Rosie O'Donnell is over, his larger-than-life personality can't avoid the spotlight. No wonder: His name is splashed across everything from books to cocktails to neckties.
Cyrus may be the queen of 'tween, but her reign as an interesting story subject seems to be nearing an end. With many teen years ahead of her, the Disney Channel star has already been beamed across every platform, from radio to television to film to tabloids.
Richie is no stranger to the spotlight. In recent years,
The Simple Life star garnered press for everything from her shrinking waistline to her best-friend feud to her drunk-driving arrest. More recently, the former bad girl has scored positive press--and lots of it--as new mom to baby girl Harlow Winter.
MTV's
The Hills gave birth to a new set of tabloid queens--and none are better suited for the gossip-worthy role than best friend-turned-best enemy Heidi Montag. Between her friendship feuds and rollercoaster relationship with bad boy Spencer Pratt, the budding fashionista has little trouble drumming up press. Next up: a guest turn on CBS'
How I Met Your Mother.
Hollywood's most overexposed celebrities
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