Fans are all agog and a-dither over current star wars and show biz controversies, but veteran observers of the entertainment scene are more blasé in their reactions—because they’ve seen it all before!
Looking back on past years and decades, they even come up with categories for rumored stellar sins of commission and omission:
First off, they make the cynical observation based on sad experiences that quite a number of scandals are actually concocted to make the stars or starlets involved more interesting and “exciting” than they really are!
In fact, handlers and PR people of some starlets even secretly join forces to spread rumors about a romance or sex scandal involving their wards.
Shocked denials are then issued, and they’re part of the PR plan, as well, because the denials keep the “issue” “hot” in the media and public eye for some more days.
The same scenario applies to fake rumors about a “war” between two luminaries. More often, the concocted rift is between a starlet and an established star, because the starlet is trying to become more popular—at the star’s expense!
Veterans can see this PR ploy coming a mile away, but some fans still fall for it, so it continues to be resorted to.
As for the established stars, they too have gotten used to it, and often don’t even bother to react to it, for fear of giving the ambitious starlet even more publicity!
Another relevant factor that veteran show biz hands look into is the distinct possibility that the starlet or star being gossiped about has a new production or event about to take place, hence the need to “controversially” boost it, even at the luminary’s “expense.”
For instance, years ago, some writers were burned (na-kuryente) when they believed a star’s “confession” that she was forced to be a “play for pay” girl in her callow and vulnerable youth.
It turned out that she had a big concert to promote, so she came up with the “shocking” tale, which worked both against and for her, due to her secret “user-friendly” motive.
Of course, there are rumors that turn out to be true, and not spread for PR and other “utilitarian” purposes.
Observers categorize them into scandals involving illicit love or lust, financial contretemps, sex videos, suspensions or expulsions from shows, skeletons rattling in the gender closet, unplanned pregnancies, sibling rivalry or manipulative “momagers” and “dead-ending” careers.
Sex videos used to be the scandals du jour, but so many of them have been crawling out of the woodwork of late that they’ve quickly and cynically gone from shocking to boring.
As for the gender-benders out there, better come up with unique innovations—or get lost in the madding, maddening, SRO crush!