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Oscar Party Gift Bags Include Kid's Book Satirizing Hollywood
Many of Hollywood's brightest stars received an unexpected surprise in their Oscar party gift bags last night -- an advance copy of a childrens book that parodies celebrity activists.Bestselling author Katharine DeBrecht's new book Help! Mom! Hollywood's in My Hamper (Kids Ahead; hardcover; ISBN 0976726912) hits stores nationwide on Tuesday, but scores of Academy Award honorees past and present were given a sneak peek at the sure-to-be-controversial book on Sunday. The illustrated book features satirical look-a-likes resembling outspoken celebrities including Barbra Streisand, Sean Penn, Madonna, Britney Spears, Ben Affleck, and Tom Cruise. It tells the story of Janie and Sam, two girls who were happy just being kids until Hollywood stars pop out of their hamper to tell them how to behave and to sell them expensive trinkets. The books were included in gift bags handed out to celebrities at a black tie gala in Beverly Hills following the awards show at the Kodak Theater. Organizers expected some 200 celebrities -- including dozens of current and previous Oscar nominees -- to attend the event, making it one of Tinseltown's biggest award night parties. Know-it-all liberal celebrities are never at a loss for telling people how to live, what to buy, and how to vote, says author DeBrecht, a captain of South Carolina's Security Moms for Bush and a mother of three. Children need to understand that just because these people show up on television and in the movies doesn't mean they know what's best for the rest of America. DeBrechts latest book is the highly anticipated sequel to her surprise hit from last fall titled Help! Mom! There Are Liberals Under My Bed (Kids Ahead; hardcover; ISBN 0976726904). That book soared to #1 on Barnes & Noble's website but drew fiery criticism for its portrayal of Hillary Clinton and Ted Kennedy as cartoon villains who tax and regulate a lemonade stand. None of the celebrities attending the post-Oscar gala had commented on their reaction to Help! Mom! Hollywood's in My Hamper at the time of this writing. Celebrity gifting -- handing out free products to stars attending awards shows -- has become a major business in recent years. Published reports indicate that the official Oscar gift bag handed out at the Academy Awards generally contains over $100,000 worth of electronics, cosmetics, and gift certificates. The suggested retail price for the latest Help Mom book, by contrast, is just $15.95. Since I don't think that I'll ever receive an invitation to the Academy Awards, I'm thrilled that my book was handed out at a major Oscar party, laughs DeBrecht. With Hollywood choosing to ignore family-friendly movies and instead honor films about gay cowboys, sympathetic terrorists, and -- of course -- McCarthyism, I doubt that I'll be asked walk down the red carpet with a copy of 'Help Mom' anytime soon. Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-03-06 |
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