In The Press
Celebs 'Bag' Lingerie, Jewels, Toys, Trips At Movie Awards
Jun 5 2006 6:00 AM EDT
By Larry Carroll
You've heard the clichés a million times: It's an honor to win; it's great just to be nominated. Every year at dozens of awards shows, the stars deck themselves out in
dapper suits and designer dresses, waving, posing and even offering polite golf claps when they lose. But let's be honest — what really excites many celebrities is the one
prize that even losers take home.
With that in mind, the 2006 MTV Movie Awards has kept with an — ahem — rich tradition by dishing out some serious swag this year. Boasting an estimated total value exceeding
$17,000, one thing is certain: Even Paris Hilton's gonna want to grab one of these.
What the hotel heiress and a huge array of other stars found inside their Movie Awards "gift baskets" is a head-spinning array of the latest high-end technology, exclusive
fashion necessities and exotic travel getaways.
Attendees received a luscious fruit-floral-chocolate mix courtesy of Missoni, which pairs up nicely with Beyond Technology's e-Bright teeth-whitening system. Other luxurious
items included robes, slippers, sleep masks, flip-flops and "overnight softening gloves and socks" from Bath Accessories Group. Should someone need more than just whiter teeth
or a little relaxation, Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. David Sayah gifted free consultations.
The male demographic tuning in to the Movie Awards audience would no doubt loved to have taken a peek backstage, where beauties like Famke Janssen, Amanda Bynes and Rebecca
Romijn might have been trying on some Cosabella lingerie from the new Forever collection: a padded soft bra, low-rider thong and low-rider bikinis. Female viewers might also have
appreciated a peek backstage, to see those actresses busting out their T3 Tourmalines, the so-called "Rolex of hairdryers." Claiming to be the lightest, fastest and quietest hairdryer
in the world, it makes one ponder the ultimate hypothetical showdown: The revolutionary appliance in one corner, and the pre-waxed, soaking wet chest hair of "The 40-Year-Old Virgin"
nominee Steve Carell in the other.
The 2006 Movie Awards were led by male-dominated films like "Virgin" and "Wedding Crashers," so it was only right that Justin Timberlake went home with something he didn't have to
fork over to Cameron Diaz. Maybe he'll want to play with the Superman, Napoleon Dynamite or Kamhi World "40-Year-Old-Virgin" action figures, or maybe he'll instead spread the love to
his wheels with a License2Bling license plate frame, embedded with Swarovski crystals. After that, perhaps Justin will invite over Owen Wilson, Hayden Christensen and Will Ferrell,
and they can all take turns playing with their brand-new copies of the nearly photo-realistic video game version of "The Godfather."
As the stars load up the arms of their entourages with the three(!) designer bags needed to contain this year's goodies, they'll likely give them one all-encompassing order: Keep
your grubby hands off the electronics. If Jamie Foxx happened to need a portable DVD player and a one-year subscription to Netflix, well, he's in luck. If Kate Beckinsale was looking
to sink her teeth into a portable device, she'll no doubt be psyched about her new PocketSurfer, a portable Web browser that will allow her to shop, check stock quotes and even approve
the latest stills e-mailed to her from the "Click" set photographer. Christina Aguilera spends countless months out on the road touring, so it only makes sense that she'll now sporting
a Samsung Helix and one year of XM2go Satellite Radio with MP3, which allows her to bookmark "Genie in a Bottle" whenever it comes on and then purchase it through Napster, essentially
paying herself.
Good thing the bags come with handles, because they'll be that much easier to tote when the celebs take off for a weekend getaway. First off, they can disguise themselves from the
paparazzi with sunglasses by Fendi-Marchon, then they can slip into something more comfortable — like the Seven for All Mankind jeans made exclusively for the 2006 Movie Awards. Next
they can sneak off to La Costa Hotel & Spa for a getaway that includes private accommodations, dinner and a romantic "spa journey" in a VIP suite. Perhaps Kate Hudson could hang poolside
in her new Salinas bikini swimwear, while Matt Dillon could kick it old-school in his limited-edition Vans slip-ons. Oh, and if heavily adorned Gnarls Barkley whirlwind Cee-Lo wants to
dial things back a bit before kicking it in the sun, Tattoo MD will be handing him a $1,000 gift certificate toward laser tattoo removal.
If you want to catch a glimpse of all these sweet items in the months to come, keep your eyes on the movie premieres, talk-show appearances and wardrobe-dissecting magazine features
that they'll undoubtedly be flaunting them in — after all, that's why so many companies are eager to make like Anthony Kiedis and give it away. And if a bag happens to spill on its way
to the trunk of a celebrity Escalade, some bystanders might dive on that Swarovski crystal chandelier pendant. The real movie geeks, however, will be on the official "Superman Returns"
package (action figure, dog tag and "inflato-suit"!) faster than awards presenter Samuel L. Jackson can throw a snake off a plane.
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