Jay-Z, Star Jones: Examples Of How and How Not to Practice Celebritydom
ATIP OF THE HAT TO Jay-Z, who has managed to avoid one of the most deadly traps of fame: turning your personal life into a product.
With confirmation that the Hip-Hop Master tied the knot to his longtime sweetheart Beyonce in a small but lavish affair at his New York pad April 4th, Crabby is in awe of the discipline that Jay-Z has shown at keeping his private life private.
No million-dollar deal with the tabs for exclusive photos. No press release confirming what everyone knows to be true. Rather, Mr. and Mrs. Jay-Z simply show up to apply for a marriage license, throw a party, and then send the signed marriage certificate back. The understatedness is unheard of among those who hold the keys to La La Land, and Crabby bows in admiration.
Contrast that with the commercial crassness of Star Jones made of marriage when she exchanged vows with stock broker Al Reynolds in 2004. The announcement was made on The View, Jones' gig at the time, and corporate sponsorship was invited. And now we have the sad if expected news that Star and hubby are cutting ties, and Star, recognizing the error of her publicity-seeking ways, doesn't want to talk about it. So that's just what she does in a release to Entertainment Tonight. "Several years ago I made an error in judgment by inviting the media into the most intimate area of my life," she confessed. "A month ago I filed for divorce. The dissolution of a marriage is a difficult time in anyone's life that requires privacy with one's thoughts. I have committed myself to handling this situation with dignity and grace and look forward to emerging from this period as a stronger and wiser woman."
My advice, Star? Observe and mirror the behavior of Jay-Z and his new wife, Beyonce, who displayed by their under-the-radar style that not everything has a price tag.
Once again, congrats to the happy couple. And thanks for keeping it real.
Posted April 24, 2008
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