Post by MaybeNext on Mar 14, 2004 14:25:14 GMT 10
News.com
A-list adjusts to world of reality
14Mar04
THE A-list is suffering from a dose of reality as ordinary Australians stake a claim to the sort of fame rock stars, actors and the super-rich enjoy.
"The A-list changes every year - it's ruthless," Swinburne University media lecturer John Schwartz says.
"It becomes a soap opera - who's on the A-list and who's been dropped. People on the list have to be young and sexy. Looks are a very important criterion.
"But the list is legitimate, and often it's based on the charts or ratings."
Schwartz says reality television stars have made it to the A-list for the first time ever, although only a few lasted past their 15 minutes of fame.
"Guy Sebastian is an example of instant celebrity," he says.
"Last year, he could sing just as well as he can now, but he's having 15 minutes of fame from a television show."
These famous few take their pick from the plethora of invites to glamorous events. They walk down the red carpet in style.
So who makes the cut for the 2004 A-list? sur
Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, Ian Thorpe and Baz Luhrmann boast permanent positions on the list.
But Shannon Noll, Oscar Humphries, Guy Sebastian, Jamie Durie, Robert "Millsy" Mills and The Block's Adam and Fiona are a few of the new additions.
The A-list is famously fickle, and its members change every season.
Few people had heard of Foxtel presenters Amy Erbacher and Alex Bruszt a year ago, but these days they're fixtures on the red carpet.
"I didn't think there was room for us on the A-list," says Bruszt, a male model and professional surfer from Cronulla.
"But I feel privileged that someone thinks we're on it. I really couldn't wait to get in there and find out what the A-listers were really like.
"I wouldn't call myself a socialite, but I'm a gregarious person and I take every opportunity that comes my way."
For reality-TV royalty, fame is fleeting. They can disappear with the same speed as they rose to celebrity status.
Just ask bum-wiggling, bunny-eared Sara-Marie Fedele, who rode high on the wave of Sydney's social scene during the first Big Brother.
There was Sara-Marie mania everywhere, and Fedele was mobbed when she walked down the street. She was even voted one of the 10 most influential women on Australian television.
Now the former It girl works behind the counter in a city Sportsgirl store, and new reality stars have become the flavour of the month.
With his debut album in the charts and hordes of fans, former farmer Shannon Noll has also been elevated to the A-list.
The Block's Adam and Fiona and Gav and Waz are on Sydney's It list, according to event management company director Mark Cavanagh.
"They're living beyond their five minutes of fame," he says.
"Fiona and Adam are a good-looking couple, and they have outlived the fame of the other couples.
"Fiona was photographed on the cover of Ralph, and that has fuelled her resilience. She was the pin-up from that series."
Cavanagh also nominates My Restaurant Rules host Curtis Stone, Hothouse host Erica Heynatz, Home And Away's Tammin Sursok, and radio and television presenters Merrick and Rosso among the current A-list.
"It's constantly evolving, and there's a need for fresh faces every season. A sense of the new is important," she says.
"If we're creating an event, we'll choose who is on the list and who isn't. That decision is based on who is generating the buzz and interest.
"Merrick and Rosso are the anti-cool, always good for a laugh.
"In the fashion genre, the Sass & Bide girls, Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke, have a cooler take."
Australian Idol contestant Robert Mills' wild fling with international A-lister Paris Hilton cemented his spot on the red carpet and resulted in a regular flow of invites to the hottest parties.
"Rob Mills has been quite good at staying in the spotlight," Cavanagh says.
"The incident on the balcony with Paris Hilton - clearly contrived - through to him being the face of the autumn racing carnival has fuelled his profile and kept him hot property."
Others object to the notion that television personalities have a place among Sydney's sophisticated elite.
Public-relations expert Mark Patrick says that for someone to make it on to the prestigious A-list, they must be glamorous, wealthy and highly successful.
"Those on the A-list live the life, drive the cars and are usually wealthy. It's the aspiration factor," he says.
"They must be people who have achieved a high level of success in their field.
"Sigrid Thornton has always been on the A-list. She is such a beautiful actor.
"Lucy and Malcolm Turnbull came back on the A-list after Lucy's profile rose when she became lord mayor.
"The Waterhouse kids, Kate and Tom, are on our cool list. They are gorgeous and well-mannered.
"Rene Rivkin is off the A-list and the Adlers are, too."
Event co-ordinator Nikki Andrews, who organised Ian Thorpe's 21st-birthday party, says that although the A-list is usually made up of captains of industry, television stars are favourites.
"Reality-TV people are in and out," Andrews says. "There's a place for them on Sydney's A-list, but their fame is more immediate and not long-lasting.
"They're perfect for movie premieres and racing days.
"The A-list shouldn't change weekly. It probably changes about every six months.
"We've got lots of celebrities, actors, sportspeople, It girls, high-profile businessmen and up-and-comers in this country."
Andrews nominates Cate Blanchett, Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Naomi Watts and Delta Goodrem as A-listers from the entertainment industry.
It girls who have made it on to her list include Katherine Keating, Charlotte Dawson and Gemma Ward.
"Nicole Kidman has done a fabulous series of films, and that has kept her on the A-list for so long," Andrews says.
"Our most promotable sports stars are Grant Hackett, Michael Klim, Ian Thorpe and Pat Rafter."
WHO'S HOT
Guy Sebastian
The Block winners, Adam and Fiona
Gemma Ward
Tammin Sursok
Merrick and Rosso
sass & bide girls, Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke
Pat Rafter and Lara Feltham
Bianca Dye
Lochie Daddo and Karina Brown
The Block's Gavin and Wazza
Claudia Karvan
Oscar Humphries
Rob "Millsy" Mills - Idol
Alex Dimitriades
Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin
Jamie Durie and Siobhan Way
WHO'S NOT
Mark Philippoussis
Sara-Marie Fedele
Peter Timbs and Sami Lukas
Rene Rivkin
The Adlers
Blair McDonough
Kieren Perkins
A-LIST FIXTURES
Nicole Kidman
Naomi Watts and Heath Ledger
Lleyton Hewitt
Cate Blanchett
Ian Thorpe
Delta Goodrem
Michael Klim
Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch
James Packer
This report appears on NEWS.com.au.
A-list adjusts to world of reality
14Mar04
THE A-list is suffering from a dose of reality as ordinary Australians stake a claim to the sort of fame rock stars, actors and the super-rich enjoy.
"The A-list changes every year - it's ruthless," Swinburne University media lecturer John Schwartz says.
"It becomes a soap opera - who's on the A-list and who's been dropped. People on the list have to be young and sexy. Looks are a very important criterion.
"But the list is legitimate, and often it's based on the charts or ratings."
Schwartz says reality television stars have made it to the A-list for the first time ever, although only a few lasted past their 15 minutes of fame.
"Guy Sebastian is an example of instant celebrity," he says.
"Last year, he could sing just as well as he can now, but he's having 15 minutes of fame from a television show."
These famous few take their pick from the plethora of invites to glamorous events. They walk down the red carpet in style.
So who makes the cut for the 2004 A-list? sur
Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, Ian Thorpe and Baz Luhrmann boast permanent positions on the list.
But Shannon Noll, Oscar Humphries, Guy Sebastian, Jamie Durie, Robert "Millsy" Mills and The Block's Adam and Fiona are a few of the new additions.
The A-list is famously fickle, and its members change every season.
Few people had heard of Foxtel presenters Amy Erbacher and Alex Bruszt a year ago, but these days they're fixtures on the red carpet.
"I didn't think there was room for us on the A-list," says Bruszt, a male model and professional surfer from Cronulla.
"But I feel privileged that someone thinks we're on it. I really couldn't wait to get in there and find out what the A-listers were really like.
"I wouldn't call myself a socialite, but I'm a gregarious person and I take every opportunity that comes my way."
For reality-TV royalty, fame is fleeting. They can disappear with the same speed as they rose to celebrity status.
Just ask bum-wiggling, bunny-eared Sara-Marie Fedele, who rode high on the wave of Sydney's social scene during the first Big Brother.
There was Sara-Marie mania everywhere, and Fedele was mobbed when she walked down the street. She was even voted one of the 10 most influential women on Australian television.
Now the former It girl works behind the counter in a city Sportsgirl store, and new reality stars have become the flavour of the month.
With his debut album in the charts and hordes of fans, former farmer Shannon Noll has also been elevated to the A-list.
The Block's Adam and Fiona and Gav and Waz are on Sydney's It list, according to event management company director Mark Cavanagh.
"They're living beyond their five minutes of fame," he says.
"Fiona and Adam are a good-looking couple, and they have outlived the fame of the other couples.
"Fiona was photographed on the cover of Ralph, and that has fuelled her resilience. She was the pin-up from that series."
Cavanagh also nominates My Restaurant Rules host Curtis Stone, Hothouse host Erica Heynatz, Home And Away's Tammin Sursok, and radio and television presenters Merrick and Rosso among the current A-list.
"It's constantly evolving, and there's a need for fresh faces every season. A sense of the new is important," she says.
"If we're creating an event, we'll choose who is on the list and who isn't. That decision is based on who is generating the buzz and interest.
"Merrick and Rosso are the anti-cool, always good for a laugh.
"In the fashion genre, the Sass & Bide girls, Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke, have a cooler take."
Australian Idol contestant Robert Mills' wild fling with international A-lister Paris Hilton cemented his spot on the red carpet and resulted in a regular flow of invites to the hottest parties.
"Rob Mills has been quite good at staying in the spotlight," Cavanagh says.
"The incident on the balcony with Paris Hilton - clearly contrived - through to him being the face of the autumn racing carnival has fuelled his profile and kept him hot property."
Others object to the notion that television personalities have a place among Sydney's sophisticated elite.
Public-relations expert Mark Patrick says that for someone to make it on to the prestigious A-list, they must be glamorous, wealthy and highly successful.
"Those on the A-list live the life, drive the cars and are usually wealthy. It's the aspiration factor," he says.
"They must be people who have achieved a high level of success in their field.
"Sigrid Thornton has always been on the A-list. She is such a beautiful actor.
"Lucy and Malcolm Turnbull came back on the A-list after Lucy's profile rose when she became lord mayor.
"The Waterhouse kids, Kate and Tom, are on our cool list. They are gorgeous and well-mannered.
"Rene Rivkin is off the A-list and the Adlers are, too."
Event co-ordinator Nikki Andrews, who organised Ian Thorpe's 21st-birthday party, says that although the A-list is usually made up of captains of industry, television stars are favourites.
"Reality-TV people are in and out," Andrews says. "There's a place for them on Sydney's A-list, but their fame is more immediate and not long-lasting.
"They're perfect for movie premieres and racing days.
"The A-list shouldn't change weekly. It probably changes about every six months.
"We've got lots of celebrities, actors, sportspeople, It girls, high-profile businessmen and up-and-comers in this country."
Andrews nominates Cate Blanchett, Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Naomi Watts and Delta Goodrem as A-listers from the entertainment industry.
It girls who have made it on to her list include Katherine Keating, Charlotte Dawson and Gemma Ward.
"Nicole Kidman has done a fabulous series of films, and that has kept her on the A-list for so long," Andrews says.
"Our most promotable sports stars are Grant Hackett, Michael Klim, Ian Thorpe and Pat Rafter."
WHO'S HOT
Guy Sebastian
The Block winners, Adam and Fiona
Gemma Ward
Tammin Sursok
Merrick and Rosso
sass & bide girls, Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke
Pat Rafter and Lara Feltham
Bianca Dye
Lochie Daddo and Karina Brown
The Block's Gavin and Wazza
Claudia Karvan
Oscar Humphries
Rob "Millsy" Mills - Idol
Alex Dimitriades
Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin
Jamie Durie and Siobhan Way
WHO'S NOT
Mark Philippoussis
Sara-Marie Fedele
Peter Timbs and Sami Lukas
Rene Rivkin
The Adlers
Blair McDonough
Kieren Perkins
A-LIST FIXTURES
Nicole Kidman
Naomi Watts and Heath Ledger
Lleyton Hewitt
Cate Blanchett
Ian Thorpe
Delta Goodrem
Michael Klim
Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch
James Packer
This report appears on NEWS.com.au.
