Why is every celebrity trying to sell me something?

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SPEAKER_3 (1:00)

Even if you are kind of annoyed that Drew Barrymore is trying to hawk air fryers, you're going to forget that she did it, and then you're going to watch 51st States again and think, what a charmer.

Alice Wilder (1:11)

This is Alice Wilder, in for Rima Reis.

If I wanted to, I could stock my whole house entirely with celebrity creative products. I could have a couch from Cindy Crawford's Rooms to Go line, the Cindy Crawford Beauty Rest Collection. Rugs and duvets courtesy of Reese Witherspoon.

SPEAKER_2 (1:27)

You guys, this is incredible.

Alice Wilder (1:29)

And candles from Courtney Cox.

SPEAKER_1 (1:31)

And it's a great scent for your kitchen or actually anywhere.

SPEAKER_3 (1:34)

I love it.

Alice Wilder (1:34)

In the fridge, you'd find Glenn Powell's spicy mayonnaise.

SPEAKER_2 (1:37)

Smash kitchen.

Alice Wilder (1:39)

Vanessa Hudgens' cactus water.

SPEAKER_3 (1:41)

We are the founders of Cali Water and we are so-

Alice Wilder (1:43)

And John Bon Jovi's pasta sauce.

SPEAKER_1 (1:45)

It's got something to warm your soul.

Alice Wilder (1:48)

On a busy night, I can make some of BTS's instant ramen. In my closet, you'd find underwear from Rihanna, shoes from Jessica Simpson and active wear from Kate Hudson.

SPEAKER_2 (1:58)

When I put on these leggings, I feel transformed.

Alice Wilder (2:01)

My dog could eat Rachael Ray pet food.

SPEAKER_1 (2:03)

Hey there, I'm Rachael Ray.

Alice Wilder (2:05)

I could groom her with Paris Hilton's iconic pet pre-blowout treatment.

SPEAKER_5 (2:09)

My favorite things to do is hang out with my puppies on the beach.

Alice Wilder (2:12)

Obviously, my phone would run on Ryan Reynolds' network.

SPEAKER_5 (2:15)

Hi, Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile.

SPEAKER_3 (2:17)

Are you looking for a beach treatment?

Alice Wilder (2:18)

Used to be, you'd just buy a ticket to one of these celebrities' movies or concerts. Now they're selling us a whole lifestyle. What does that do to us and our relationship with celebrity culture? How does that impact the way we spend money on our favorite stars?

You're listening to This Is Uncomfortable, the weekly show from Marketplace about life and how money messes with it.

Here to help me dig into these questions are Lindsey Weber and Bobby Finger, the hosts of my favorite podcast, Who Weekly. They've got a new book out, I Want to Be Famous, When Everybody and Nobody is a Celebrity. It's a funny page turner about fame in the digital era. Lindsey and Bobby, welcome to the show. Hi.

SPEAKER_3 (2:56)

Hi, thanks for having us.

Alice Wilder (2:59)

Okay, so why are celebrities increasingly shilling for more and more products? Like if they're already A-listers, like Drew Barrymore has ET money and yet she's trying to sell me an air fryer at Walmart. Like I don't get it.

SPEAKER_6 (3:11)

Yeah, I think a lot of it is kind of brand like expansion in this way where in the way that they're thinking about it, it's not as kind of money grabbing. It's more like I want to see myself or have myself be seen in a different sphere.

Alice Wilder (3:24)

As an air fryer lady?

SPEAKER_6 (3:25)

Sure, like as Martha Stewart who also sells air fryers, I'm sure. Ina Garten or like kind of Gwyneth Paltrow where it's like, in my life people come to me for these things, so why wouldn't I be sharing that to my fans? I mean, I think it's also as craven as like it's money and they make less money now, or at least like movie stars make more less money, pop stars make less money for sure. Everything is like, we gotta grab onto money where we can find it and that feels like a lot of what it is.