Oscar gift baskets, R.I.P.

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Claudia Mon, Jul 14, 2008 at 09:33 AM EST

penso che edward norto sia molto bravo a recitare e anche che si bello ma la cosa che mi piace di lui e che nn fa sl film drammatici ma anche di azione, di fantasia e il film che a me piace di più di lui è il velo dipinto
spero che sara così bravo per sempre fino alla sua fine :)

Gigi Stan Wed, Jan 23, 2008 at 05:40 AM EST

Speaking of gift baskets, here is a good place to look, definately not in the $35k range :-)
http://www.LocateGiftBaskets.com and my absolute favourite is http://www.PurpleBaskets.com

nik Tue, Dec 19, 2006 at 07:37 PM EST

I think Ed Norton has a point. Most of these celebrities can afford this stuff on their own anyway. I'm sure no one will shed any tears b/c they won't be getting a gift basket this year(now, their personal assistants who get the stuff anyway might be a little upset.)

Anyway, the Oscars, Golden Globes, SAGs, and every other award show we'll see in the next few months are all about money, not the celebration of "the craft".

samp Tue, Dec 19, 2006 at 01:29 PM EST

way to go ed norton!! love him! the bags were ridiculous and getting way out of hand...how about getting rid of the swag rooms at film festivals like sundance next!!?

PJ Tue, Dec 19, 2006 at 11:32 AM EST

He may be right, but his fellow voters will never give him an Oscar now.

Rishi Tue, Dec 19, 2006 at 10:01 AM EST

WOW
I love Norton for this.
You are a hero man, and I wish they would give away the money to a charity in the name of the winners

Jenny Tue, Dec 19, 2006 at 08:56 AM EST

I have to agree with Norton's statements. What just amazes me about the gift baskets are these celebrities makes millions per movies, the very people who can afford to buy the items given to them for free. It's true about the rich getting richer.

jake Tue, Dec 19, 2006 at 01:39 AM EST

i love Edward Norton to death but disagree with him on this one and YES he's a killjoy. Most of the people who get these gift baskets auction them off for charity -- so instead of criticizing those who get them, he should encourage them to donate them -- much like there's an organization that accepts donations of the dresses that women wear. So besides that, why shouldn't people get free stuff? If you were in their position, you would feel the same way or if you felt like Norton, you could spread the wealth yourself. Expecting companies to donate or to give to the joe nobody is pure fantasy.

Angela Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 11:41 PM EST

Oh please, if these awards are really a "celebration of the craft" then why televise them? Why wear gowns and tuxes that cost thousands of dollars? Why even have a ceremony? Its the glamour of Hollywood. And that includes getting free stuff that you could buy thousands of anyway. I wonder if Ed Norton always gave his to charity. Does he live in a really tiny house because it is just about the art of acting rather than the perks of Hollywood?

Most of the items given away are actually paid for by the companies that make them. Its called advertising.

Brooklyn Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 10:11 PM EST

Edward Norton - you rock!
I've been a firm believer for years that any gift bags/freebie swag that celebrities and non-celebrities alike get to gorge themselves on and horde into their limosines like a group of gluttonish pigs - is a despicably greedy, completely unnecessary trend that needed to be stopped once and for all.
Kudos to Mr. Norton for helping the Academy to see the light and finally stop giving them out. It's sick to see people who have so much already get truckloads of goodies that they don't really need anyways, while so many unfortunate people are starving and homeless elsewhere.
It just always seemed so very wrong to me...so I'm really grateful and proud of Edward for speaking out against the excessive comsummation of expensive goodie bags.
Another example where free swag was getting rampantly out of control is at Film Festivals such as Sundance, where celebrities (or media whores like Paris Hilton) who shouldn't even be there, would show up just because they knew they'd be given oodles of free stuff just because of who they are...it's so, so very wrong. Awards Ceremonies and Film Festivals are about celebrating the creative talented people involved in the art of filmmaking for their achievements - not to get see the rich just get even richer by being given diamond encrusted bras and all-expenses paid trips to exotic tropical resorts!
I hope they ban gift bags at every award/festival/event from now on, unless it's money being given to charities.

Alice Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 08:55 PM EST

Sometimes Edward Norton gets a little lofty, but he's RIGHT ON with these comments!!! Bravo!!!!

Jenny Canuck Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 06:37 PM EST

Edward Norton - I applaud you.

sam Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 06:04 PM EST

I would like to never again see a news story about all of the junk that is in these baskets. That seems to be more news in these greedy times than the nominees or anything else. It is ridiculous to give rich people more expensive trash that they don't need or really want. Norton is right on with this and I hope that more celebrities will follow his lead.

Ep Sato Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 05:47 PM EST

Josh- Folks with jobs like yours are the real reason people like the rest of us even get to watch tv. Without producers, ad sales, grips, camera people, writers and heck, even interns all we (the viewing public) would see are a bunch of pretty people staring at a camera, if even that much. Don't be discouraged and it's pretty cool that you are pursuing a dream the right way.

If anyone deserves free goodies, it's regular working joes and janes. Tyra and Janet Jackson did a gig where this famous Hollywood boutique gave freebies to a group that of troubled kids. The store got a phat tax write off, and the kids got to have the coolest gear in town. I'd love to see more of this sort of product charity. Yo Motorola, "endorse" some folks as they leave the train. What if Nike "endorsed" kids in the same neighborhoods where people who earn $20 gran a year still buy $150 athletic sneakers? And if Fred Perry's people are reading this, "endorse" me one of those track jackets I want more than J.lo's phone #.

Josh Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 05:33 PM EST

Considering I graduated with honors from college with a B.A. and a minor and have ended up at a low-paying TV station where I only make a little over $20,000 after four years, I applaud Norton. How about spreading the wealth to hard-working citizens nation-wide, so we can actually afford to buy "The Painted Veil" et al on DVD?

toni Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 05:20 PM EST

Bravo Edward Norton!
Love him for speaking out honestly about a ridiculous practice. In a society suffering from excess, it is refreshing to read about someone who stands against the bloated example of greed for greed's sake.
I never understood the practice - seriously, has anyone ever run out to purchase a fur lined/Swarovski crystal/neon lit encrusted pair of jeans/cellphone/sunglasses just because Entertainment Tonight/Access Hollywood/Extra/People Magazine publicized that Paris Hilton chose seven of them for free????
Clearly Edward Norton is in touch with reality. He's one of the few actors who chose his profession out of a love for acting, not out of a desire for fame and freebies.

Christopher Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 04:47 PM EST

Norton's a missionary. He'd like to bring ethics to a business only slightly less sleazy than pornography. And I don't say that to mock him, but to praise him.

I would like to see an Oscars where a concerned George Clooney would rise, motion for an usher, and ask why Paris Hilton is seated, and a Best Foreign Film nominee isn't.

I'd like to see the Oscars take itself seriously in foundation and loose in self-reverence. I'd like to see it non-partisan, where artists have respect for their fans and for the Academy. One where Jon Heder warns that he will come out dressed in his Napoleon Dynamite tux and the orchestra will play his song if winners plug political causes during their acceptance speeches.

(And I'd like to see him make good on the threat, and then warn that the next threat level is William Hung, who shyly waves from behind a curtain.)

Hey-- I can dream.

Wendi Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 02:19 PM EST

Michelle - you should read the interview.

Q: You had three films this year. Is it odd to see awards committees singling out one performance over another?
A: It’s impossible to ascribe anything meaningful to that process—you only have to taste it once to know it’s like politics. These things are gamed by the studios with so much money.

carole Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 02:14 PM EST

total killjoy.

Bob G. Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 01:57 PM EST

I knew there was a reason why I really like Edward Norton.

Lily Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 01:55 PM EST

Oh no! Poor Entertainment Tonight. They usualy break up their segments into 5 night of cr*ppy reporting about this stuff. They'll have to come up with something else

Michelle Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 01:51 PM EST

Eddie's got a point, but maybe he should have complained about how the Oscars suck every year and have sucked for some time, now, and how un-worthy films and actors are consistently nominated?

Hmmmm?

AS Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 01:37 PM EST

Way to go Ed Norton. The fact that this is even a story is a comment in and of itself about our American society, but at least Ed Norton can remind us about priorities.

Hollywood has become less and less about art and more and more about celebrity, and its pathetic.

Now please excuse me and I continue to read Entertainment Weekly ...sigh.

Kari Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 01:37 PM EST

It's ridiculous how much free stuff celebrities get, when they're the people who can actually afford expensive crap like that. What a crazy idea that they give things to people who are actually in need?! I think Norton is one of the few celebrities who actually has it right.

matt Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 01:16 PM EST

Norton is of the old school. He's a real actor that takes his career seriously. More power to him.

Kat Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 01:16 PM EST

I think it was a great move! Those bags were crass and out of control. Good job, Ed!

Fatima Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 01:15 PM EST

I feel kinda bad for Jennifer Hudson. Its her first experience with all this crap, and I bet it would be fun if only for one occasion

Ellipsian Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 01:08 PM EST

Seriously, is there anyone--including the recipients themselves--who is really gonna whine publicly about this? The practice is excess in the face of excess itself; it's more than the icing on the cake, it's another freakin' CAKE or two on the cake. Let's let award nights require celebrities to get "paid" for the night with free press; it's still more than most deserve.

Emily Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 01:02 PM EST

Ed Norton is awesome, it was the right move.

Andrea Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 01:01 PM EST

I am so HAPPY that someone in Hollywood finally spoke out against the idiocy of giving thousands of dollars in free merchandise to people who could easily afford to buy everything they were given! The interesting thing will be to see how many "stars" (i.e Paris Hilton and her ilk) just stop going to these shows now that the free stuff is gone.

And am I the only one who wished--just once--to get my hands on one of those goodie bags? LOL

bud Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 01:00 PM EST

Yay!! Good for him.

bootsycolumbia Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 12:50 PM EST

Jo: How many of these awards shows does Edward Norton attend? I watch a fair amount of them, and I would have to say aside from maybe the Oscars, I've never seen him at any. So how can you call him a hypocrite? I'd say wait and see, when the awards season really starts getting going, how many actors are suddenly going to be unable to attend because of prior committments (when we know it's because they won't be getting that bag'o'swag). Then we'll know who the real hypocrites are.

GeeMoney Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 12:41 PM EST

Glad he said something about it. Movie starts make tons of money. They don't need all of that stuff... they can go out and buy it themselves!

They should get any of their clothes for free either, but I guess if I were famous and Dolce and Gabbana wanted to give me free stuff, I wouldn't turn it down!

Todd Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 12:37 PM EST

It's about time....

NineDaves Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 12:36 PM EST

i like him ever more now.

Dan Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 12:32 PM EST

Good for E. Norton. Found that practice a little disgusting. Always thought the people getting those bags should donate them to be auctioned off for charity. Like some of the women do with their outfits.

zurie Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 12:28 PM EST

Who else do we think is "our generation," that norton selflessly credits for such a stance?

NYC Girl Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 12:16 PM EST

Good for him.

Jo Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 12:07 PM EST

So noble - So he is going to give back the gift bags or make a contribution for the ones he already recived - right? right? - cough hypocrite, cough

Kevin Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 12:06 PM EST

Nice work Norton! Listen, I have no problem with the privately financed six-figured parties, the ones that take place post-Oscars, but those baskets were always ridiculous to me. Shame on anyone who dislikes the idea of taking from the rich and giving to the poor. It's one thing to "earn it," but to merely show up to an awards show doesn't deserve a $35,000 gift! These actors should be the ones paying the academy for an increase in industry status.

Mozz Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 12:03 PM EST

These people can afford more than 35, 000 thousand dollars worth of goodies, in many cases, a 35, 000 dollar gift to them seems mighty poor... so i'm glad they got it over with... it's not bad enough that they lead dream lives, they have to be given a gift to be shown how lucky they are? that makes no sense.

Bill Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 12:01 PM EST

The swag-a-thon actually dimmed my enthusiasm for the couple of awards shows that I enjoy. Some flowers or a free massage is a thank-you; thousands of dollars worth of gadgets and services given to people who could afford them ten times over is disgusting consumerism. When millionaires are treated to $35000 goodie bags, is it any wonder that the rich get richer while the middle class vanishes and the poor starve? Good for Edward Norton for helping to kill this practice.

Bev Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 12:01 PM EST

I think the IRS requiring that celebrities pay taxes on the gift bags that they accept may have contributed to their death. Why would they accept something they have to pay for when they already have all that stuff? They usually just gave away all that crap anyway. This is going to hit their assistants worse then it will hit them.

aramis Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 11:56 AM EST

Dammit, Ep Sato...

"Lavish gifts and free goodies are being taken away? So now we've only got the massive red carpet, interviews with D listers and six figure costing gowns to remind us of who's famous? The agony!"

You took the words right out of my mouth (er, fingertips rather)!

I don't know why anyone cares really. I think the inflating costs of motion picture production (I mean, does it really cost $70,000 to blow up some lunky crap car from a junkyard?) is more frightening than how much that skin creme and trip to Bermuda costs. I was kind of hoping that - by the grace of the powers that be - whenever I finally made it up to that level as an aspiring writer that I would be able to get a hovercraft vehicle in MY gift basket, just for being awesome.

So what's the new deal? Gift cards to McD's with the following note...

"Thanks for taking the time out of your BUSY post-release PARTYING schedule to congratulate yourself and your esteemed 'colleagues,' here's a gift from us to clog what isn't there in the first place because you stepped on so many people to get here!"

???

=)

Sally Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 11:55 AM EST

"It did kill all the enthusiasm I once had for trying to figure out how to become a presenter at one of the major awards shows. But then, that enthusiasm only existed because I can't afford any of the wondrous items they received. Guess they'll have to figure out a new way to get free cells and sunglasses. I feel for them deeply...."

LOL - me too!

roel Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 11:54 AM EST

killjoy! whatever will kathy do?!

KTS Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 11:51 AM EST

It did kill all the enthusiasm I once had for trying to figure out how to become a presenter at one of the major awards shows. But then, that enthusiasm only existed because I can't afford any of the wondrous items they received. Guess they'll have to figure out a new way to get free cells and sunglasses. I feel for them deeply....

Ep Sato Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 11:47 AM EST

After the Sopranos made such a cool episode about this? Man that stinks! I kept hoping some schmoe would immitate Christofa and would punch someone in the face for their goodie bag.

Lavish gifts and free goodies are being taken away? So now we've only got the massive red carpet, interviews with D listers and six figure costing gowns to remind us of who's famous? The agony!

curly951 Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 11:46 AM EST

Bravo Edward Norton. It's about time someone had the guts and common decency to speak out about this unseemly practice. Surely someone in the entertainment world can figure out a way to continue to provide the publicity the swag donors crave while donating the proceeds to worthy causes. Anybody heard of eBay???

PK Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 11:46 AM EST

Good for him!!!! About time...that is a year's salary for the average American.

Deb Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 11:43 AM EST

I always thought it was baffling that the few people who can afford such lavish gifts tend to be the people who never appreciated getting them free in the first place.

Tyler D Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 11:39 AM EST

There were honestly people who received substantial enjoyment from hearing about what types of products were included in gift baskets? That's slightly baffling. Is the enjoyment derived from knowing how much these baskets were worth? I'm siding with Norton on this one. I don't mind the notion that he cares about his craft and how his profession is perceived.