Not the prostitution as practiced by the “Ladies of the Night” – at least they are honest regarding their purpose and activities.
I’m referring to the prostitution practiced by so-called “TV personalities and celebrities” here in Israel (and maybe elsewhere in the world).
While I understand sports personalities endorsing products and services connected to their sport, are people so vain, so hard-up that they need to sell themselves, reducing their statues (assuming they had one), weakening their image (assume they had a positive image to start with) and damaging (sometimes irreversibly) their brand-name?
Let’s take the example of the lead singer of a highly talented 70s/80s Israeli rock group.
The gentleman in the last couple of years has appeared on TV with a celebrity chef touring the world in a marginally entertaining program. At the same time, he appears in a series of TV and billboard ads for an Israeli communications company. A rhetorical question I know but is this guy really so desperate for money that he is prepared/happy to belittle himself?
And what about the many celebrity chefs, who regularly appear on low-end cooking TV shows, popping up on various channels advertising/endorsing food products that in their wildest dreams they would not eat and certainly would not serve in their respective restaurants. Or belittling themselves by plugging dishwashing products! It’s enough to make Auguste Escoffier turn in his grave.
Is it a case of “take the money” and who gives a damn anyway?
Don’t they see how they are diluting their reputations/worth? Guess not.
And what about the TV quiz, talk show, current affairs hosts, most of whom appear to be brainless, devoid of personality, talent – one minute they are smiling, laughing like deranged escapees from a mental institution, next they pop-up in a commercial encouraging us to shop at a certain design center, subscribe to a particular communication company, eat, drink, use, buy a range of products and services.
Enough already – do these people really believe that they are making a meaningful contribution – of course not, it’s all about the money.
There used to a regulation in the UK – maybe there still is – banning TV newsreaders, current affairs presenters, and similar people from appearing in adverts/endorsements in case the public should think that they are still in a professional presentation mode.
Maybe one day in Israel – some hope!