MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Addict
Good for Ed Norton, I think it's disgusting too-obviously those celebs can afford all of that stuff. The decision to get rid of them probably is all about the IRS in spite of the issues he raised.
Of course some celebs do give them away to employees or auction them for charity.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2511237,00.html
At the 2006 Academy Awards, the “swag bag” was thought to be worth about $100,000 (£50,000), including such perks as a home-cooked meal for ten by the celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, a free Cadillac for two weeks, $7,000 of Victoria’s Secret underwear, and a coupon for Lasik eyecorrecting surgery in LA.
But film stars will leave the 2007 Oscars empty-handed after the intervention of the US taxman, who has declared that the gifts are liable to income tax.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences reached an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service in August that will result in tax forms being sent to 2006 gift bag recipients, and plans for a goodie bag at the 2007 Oscars have been scrapped.
The Golden Globes — where the gift bag for 2006 was valued at $62,000 and included a $22,000 cruise to Tasmania and a $4,000 voucher for teeth-whitening — is expected to follow the example of the academy. Everyone who attends the Globes next month is likely to receive a gift “worth less than $600”.
“Whether you’re popping the popcorn, sitting in the audience or starring on the big screen, you need to pay your taxes,” said Mark Everson, the IRS Commissioner. “There’s no red-carpet loophole for the stars.” Not all Hollywood celebrities will lament the passing of the goodie bag.
Ed Norton, the Oscar nominated actor and director, has described them as “sick and disgusting”, claiming that they made Hollywood “look ridiculous and out of touch”.
He told New York magazine: “The gift baskets, worth amounts of money that a low-income family could live on for a year, [are given to] people who have so much already. It gets depressing. You sit there, going, ‘This is an embarrassment’.”
Of course some celebs do give them away to employees or auction them for charity.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2511237,00.html
At the 2006 Academy Awards, the “swag bag” was thought to be worth about $100,000 (£50,000), including such perks as a home-cooked meal for ten by the celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, a free Cadillac for two weeks, $7,000 of Victoria’s Secret underwear, and a coupon for Lasik eyecorrecting surgery in LA.
But film stars will leave the 2007 Oscars empty-handed after the intervention of the US taxman, who has declared that the gifts are liable to income tax.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences reached an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service in August that will result in tax forms being sent to 2006 gift bag recipients, and plans for a goodie bag at the 2007 Oscars have been scrapped.
The Golden Globes — where the gift bag for 2006 was valued at $62,000 and included a $22,000 cruise to Tasmania and a $4,000 voucher for teeth-whitening — is expected to follow the example of the academy. Everyone who attends the Globes next month is likely to receive a gift “worth less than $600”.
“Whether you’re popping the popcorn, sitting in the audience or starring on the big screen, you need to pay your taxes,” said Mark Everson, the IRS Commissioner. “There’s no red-carpet loophole for the stars.” Not all Hollywood celebrities will lament the passing of the goodie bag.
Ed Norton, the Oscar nominated actor and director, has described them as “sick and disgusting”, claiming that they made Hollywood “look ridiculous and out of touch”.
He told New York magazine: “The gift baskets, worth amounts of money that a low-income family could live on for a year, [are given to] people who have so much already. It gets depressing. You sit there, going, ‘This is an embarrassment’.”
I've always found it ridiculous that these multi millionaires are given thousands of dollars worth of things they can afford to buy many times over. What's worse is when they set up rooms at these different events where they can just go in and grab as much free merchandise as they want. I've seen photos of celebs with bags overflowing with stuff. It's disgusting.
