Ice Skating and Charity

Our favorite British bunch were in England this past week to support David as he played (and won) his 100th cap against France. The whole Beckham family went to Paris for a celebratory dinner at the Baccarat restaurant with David's parents, Ted and Sandra Beckham, and Victoria's parents, Tony and Jackie Adams. In addition to spending time with their relatives, Posh and Becks took their middle son, Romeo, ice skating at a new rink that opened near London's Hyde Park. While Victoria and David try to shield all of their children from the paparazzi as much as possible, in the past few years they have been very cautious when it comes to pictures of Romeo. He suffered from frequent epileptic seizures when he was a baby. His parents used to be terrified that the flashbulb photographs would cause violent fits and begged paparazzi to leave the little boy alone. Though his condition has since gotten much better, it's nice to see his parents trying to protect their children from the paparazzi. Their experience has made Victoria and David want to help other families who have epileptic children. They recently became involved with volunteering at the Epilepsy Foundation of America, are helping the organization get donations and hope to host a charity soccer game for children and their parents in the greater Los Angeles area.

Wait.. Who Is That?!

Will the real Posh and Becks please stand up.... You may not know their names, but they probably look extremely familiar. Meet Camilla Shadbolt and Andy Harmer... award-winning, professional Victoria and David Beckham look a-likes (and they're British as well, so they got the accent thing goin' too.) Camilla and Andy spend thousands of dollars each year to follow the current fashion trends and ever-changing hairstyles of D and V. They meticulously study photographs of them in order to perfect their poses and expressions. Camilla definitely has the bee-stung Posh pout down to a science, and with that spiked hair and those sunglasses Andy could fool anyone (he is even an accomplished soccer player and has tattooed his body with exact replications of David's, which include a picture of his wife on his upper arm and the names of his three sons on his wrist.) What's very strange though is that the two share very similar facial features to the real Beckhams.. perhaps they have had plastic surgery to get that way or maybe it is just a huge coincidence, either way, the uncanny resemblance is creepy.

Camilla and Andy are employed by Famous Faces, a talent/booking agency in London that specializes in employing celeb look-a-likes. And these two are cashing in. They have made millions being the 'LA Fakers' as they are commonly known and have faked appearances at awards shows, commercials, birthday parties and weddings. They have been fooling paparazzi, fans and other celebrities for over seven years now, and they used to date, but now they just pretend to be married when they impersonate Posh and Becks.

The real David and Victoria are well aware of their 'stunt doubles' and are a bit more frustrated and freaked out than they are flattered. In fact, they are threatening legal action against the imposters if they do not stop monopolizing on their fame. Camilla and Andy have enjoyed the perks of a free sports car, jewelry and VIP restaurant seating as a result of their professional posing. They even filmed a show for Sky One television in London called The Beckhams Go to Hollywood. David and Victoria's publicist say the fakers are bad for the Beckham brand and could ruin the couple's reputation.

The closest i've ever come to a celebrity look-a-like is in the form of a wax sculpture at one of Madame Tussaud's museums. This is a very strange idea to wrap my head around. These people make a living, devote their lives to "being" someone else. Are they really getting to have their own identities when they pose as the Beckhams 24/7? Is this their way of trying to escape reality and 'fake break' into the celebrity scene? I personally don't understand the appeal of having a job like that because it is defined by fantasy, though I will say it's unbelievable and a bit ridiculous how much they resemble the actual stars. Below is a link to an article that further explores the idea of celebrity impersonators.

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/showbiz/article1417260.ece

Star Playdates
Victoria and David joined fellow Brit, actress Kate Beckinsale and her director husband Len Wiseman for a double date at trendy STK restaurant in Los Angeles on Monday. They were accompanied by three security guards and left through the garage level exit to try and make it a paparazzi-free evening. The couples enjoyed a night of dinner, drinks and dessert and even signed several autographs for adoring fans and restaurant staff. Earlier in the day, Vicks was seen shoe shopping on Rodeo Drive with son Romeo (LOVE his Brady jersey!) and Desperate Housewives pal Eva Longoria. Though Posh and Becks pretty much kept to themselves when they first moved to California, they now have a group of high-profile famous friends consisting of: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, and Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthey. They seem to be settling into their lives in California, perhaps they will rethink ditching the US for the UK.

Victoria's Blog

Vic recently updated her personal blog, reflecting back on her recent reunion tour with the Spice Girls. Here is an excerpt:

"Hello... Just wanted to quicky blog about the recent tour the girls and I completed. There were many tears of joy and sadness as it came to an end. Look how far we've come! Who would have thought that our reunion could have turned out to be this amazing? It just shows what can grow out of an exciting thought, an idea, a hope, a dream. Yes, our reunion tour is proof that dreams do come true. We have been lucky enough to have shared it with the most loyal fans in the world. Ten years on, you came back still wanting more… and it looks like we made some new friends along the way. You have inspired and ignited us with each show, the 47 that we performed, each time was amazing and it is thanks to you. We apologize for cutting the tour short, but we have family obligations, and children starting school, etc. The Return of the Spice Girls Tour was amazing though, and I appreciate and love all of the fans. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

xoxoxo

Victoria"

It seems that many celebrities now have their own blogs, filled with their personal thoughts often found on their official websites. While not only a way to notify fans of upcoming events, it also seems like a way to establish a type of online connection with their loyal followers. Celebrity blogs seem to help bridge the distance between celebrity and admirer. Celebrity blogging is a different form of media because it allows the fan to read the first-hand comments from the celebrity, as opposed to reading a selected piece in a magazine. Blogs allow for the celebrity to share their raw words and thoughts without the worry of them being taken out of context or manipulated by the media. Is it a way for them to create a sort of relationship with their admirers and increase fan loyalty?

Celebrities in Training
A new survey conducted in London by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers found that 53% of elementary school children aspire to be like Posh and Becks rather than their own parents. One student was quoted saying "I want to be like Victoria because she is rich, skinny and very pretty." This study also found that 32% of middle schoolers wish to be like Paris Hilton... (yikes.) ATL general secretary said that she was not the least bit surprised by the impact that celebrity culture has on children. "It reflects the current media obsession with celebrity and the effect of celebrity culture on society as a whole. We are deeply concerned many students believe celebrity status is available to everyone. They do not understand the hard work it takes to achieve such rank and do not think it is important to be actively engaged in school work as education is not needed in order to be a celebrity. Celebrities are the reason for the increase in school drop-outs."

This study raises a bunch of important questions-- do you think kids are more impacted by celebrity culture than adults? What kind of message are kids getting to make them want to be like Paris rather than aspire to be a teacher or a doctor? Do celebrities have a direct effect on kids, such as causing them to drop out of school? At what point does the experience of idolizing go too far?

Victoria's Secret?
She Wants a Baby Girl
VB, who absolutely adores her three sons, has confessed to her husband that she is desperate to add a daughter to their brood. David told OK Magazine in an interview that he too is longing for another child. He also said that he was so touched by his recent UNICEF visit to Sierra Leone that he would love to adopt a baby from Africa. Victoria added "Adoption is something that David and I have talked about quite a bit. We feel we are a very privileged family who are lucky enough to be in the position to share our good fortune. I love being a mum and it is my dream to have a girl of my own."

David Inks New Deal
The soccer star just signed a contract with Sharpie permanent markers to be in its new global marketing campaign. The campaign will include print and online advertising, and in-store promotion. When asked to comment on becoming the new face of the company, Becks told People Magazine: "I have always enjoyed signing autographs for people, especially since I used to love getting my heroes' signatures when I was younger... I love to use Sharpie markers, so it's a natural choice to partner with them."
Update: The first commercial of the series can now be viewed at www.sharpie.com