Salt Lake Tribune, January 27, 2005

Sundance Scene: Celebs try to give a little back

By Christy Karras
Salt Lake Tribune Columnist

Celebrities in Park City spend a lot of their free time at Sundance going from lodge to lounge to suite collecting free goodies from companies angling to cash in on their fame. Every year, there's more "swag" - everything from cosmetics to jewelry to coats to flat-screen TVs.

This year, a new trend has emerged: In some places, celebrities are also asked to help raise money for charity. The trend is partly a response to a growing feeling that just swooping in and grabbing expensive freebies is getting a bit, well, unseemly.

"I think after last year's disgusting display of free stuff for celebs, we decided to make it benefit more than just wealthy stars," said Jim Dobson of Indie PR, who puts together "Ultimate Comfort" bags to give away during the festival. "There are a lot more needy people, and this way the star value will raise more money."

Two of the bags, filled with about $50,000 worth of vacation packages, bedding and other items, were signed by celebrities; they will be auctioned to benefit A Place Called Home and Save The Children. "The big joke is, the people who can afford these things, collectively, are the ones who get it free," said Dana Valenzuela, who helps hand out the bags. But "I think everybody wants to do the right thing."

At the Premiere Lounge, celebrities pick up "club sandwiches, not seals" T-shirts to help the Humane Society and sign Salt jeans that will be auctioned off for UNICEF's tsunami relief fund. Companies in the Activision House will be donating to St. Jude's Children's Hospital. At the Village at the Lift, General Motors had celebrities sign a Silverado pickup. Proceeds will benefit the National Ability Center, a local charity. This is a good first step in slowing the cycle of greed that drives this kind of advertising. The public is tired of seeing rich, famous people take and take. And it's not just movie stars; other people in the industry and members of the entertainment and fashion media accept freebies in exchange for product placements. Members of the buying public, who often snap up things deemed cool because celebrities own them, might feel a little manipulated by all this. But you are also the most powerful cog in the cycle. And the best way to exercise that power is to ask, when you're tempted to buy something: Do I want this because some celebrity or fashion magazine recommended it, or do I really want it? Or better yet: Do I need it?

ckarras@sltrib.com