#004 - Long live the fauxmance
+ home recommendations, and a bunch of excellent books.
One thing that a career in Public Relations can make you (aside very tired, and very online) is very cynical, particularly around headlines that blow up over night… and more so when these headlines are about a new or budding pop culture relationship. When these conversations start taking place within my friendship group… with a flurry of texts around who Paul Mescal was recently spotted with, or what Sabrina Davidson is up to, I often bite my tongue to not ruin the fun. When I do share when I think a couple might be in it for the PR, people often jump to the conclusion that I am insinuating their relationship is straight up… fake. That these two people who have been pictured canoodling in public aren’t participating in any kind of real relationship, and it’s all just one big ruse to drum up publicity for a new movie (Kylie Jenner and our boy Timothee… right before Wonka, anyone?!). But that’s not what I always mean. Sometimes, it’s simply the public-facing aspect of their relationship, and how the participants are carefully curating how the world sees their romance to put them in a mutually beneficial position. So here are some recent obsessive thoughts on PR and celebrity relationships, how they can be mutually beneficial, and how the stage-managed celebrity relationship has somehow ascended into the realm of performance art.
Love has been on my mind a lot lately, as I settle into the final months of the first year of married life, and spurred even further by the spectacle of celebrity romances plastered across recent headlines.
Only recently, conversations lit up the zeitgeist around the legitimacy of Emily Ratajkowski and Pete Davidson’s reported union, and the rise of the royal family drama recently has reignited discussions around Meghan and Harry’s love story (which was also the focal point of a six-part global Netflix extravaganza).
It’s deeply rooted in human nature to be captivated by the romances of the rich and famous, and the fascination can be traced back through history from the tragic tales of Romeo and Juliet, to Antony and Cleopatra. Now, with our never ending access to Hollywood through our smart phones, this fascination has become even more acute.
More than ever now, celebrity relationships have evolved into lucrative business ventures, so when we refer to PR relationships, we’re not always meaning a fake relationship — we’re meaning they’re weaving their relationship into a smart commercial venture. The commodification of personal brands has never been more exaggerated, and so it only makes sense to take advantage of when two strong personal brands come together.
Take, for instance, the meticulously orchestrated wedding of Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker, a multi-platform marketing spectacle in collaboration with Dolce & Gabbana, reportedly netting the family a staggering $15 million. Similarly, Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra's wedding became a showcase of sponsored content, with at least eight brand deals integrated into the festivities, ranging from Ralph Lauren to Lime Scooter (???… so many questions around this particular sponsorship).
While these are easy examples to rattle off, it’s not always this blatant. Consider the subtle intertwining of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' playful online banter with the promotion of their respective alcohol brands or Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas when they were still together, strategically aligning their public appearances with endorsements, such as Turner's role as a Louis Vuitton brand ambassador. Even couples you might think are above the ‘PR relationship’, like pop culture royalty, Beyonce and Jay-Z, aren’t immune. They earned a reported $30 million for a collaboration with Tiffany & Co. It's a testament to the enduring allure of celebrity love and its undeniable influence on both popular culture and the bottom line.
To be honest, I appreciate the obviously self-promoting theatrics of fauxmance’s such as Em Rata and Pete Davidson or (lest we forget), Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston, far more than apparent genuine efforts at authenticity displayed by the likes of Harry and Meghan, who are attempting to downplay the clearly exaggerated commercialisation of their relationship. While I don’t doubt they truly love one another, they’re the ones laughing all the way to the bank after they secured more than $100 million to divulge mundane text messages from the early stages of their relationship… the joke is on us for caring so much. And, that’s what I mean when I mention PR relationships.
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Kinda obsessed with purchasing…
I am a certified knick knack girly and I am currently in the final stages of what has felt like a very long renovation project. In the excitement to get my house back, I’ve been thinking about all the fun things I can decorate the new areas with.
NONNA'S GROCER LE MUSCATEL CANDLE - a collaboration between Nonna’s Grocer and Maison Balzac, so what’s not to love? Picturing this baby stacked on top of some cook books on a shelve above my stove…
ALICE PALMER CANDLE CLIP RED SCALLOP LAMP SHADE - warm lighting is everything, and I honestly want to fill my house with lamps… this shade has jumped to the top of the wish list.
KIP & CO CHECKERED FRUIT BOWL - this is the perfect way to level up your kitchen bench or kitchen area, popping some beautiful produce on display. If you’re over the whole checkered pattern, it also comes in the cuuuuutest blue and pink stripe colourway.
HOW TO LIVE WITH OBJECTS - it’s my firm belief you can never have too many coffee table books (or too many knick knacks!), so this is the perfect combination of both for me.
ARCHIVIST GALLERY CHASING BIG CATS LUXURY MATCHES - because why the bloody hell not?! Home is a sacred space, and little luxuries just make it that much more enjoyable.
FAKE CAKERY CAKE INCENSE HOLDER - is it cake… or is it an incense holder?!
Kinda obsessed with listening to…
I’m really on that podcast grind again lately, and I have listened to a few absolute stellar ones, but one that has stuck with me was the first episode of the new season of The Imperfects, with Pat Cummins. I had no idea who Pat Cummins was going into the episode (he’s the captain of the Australian cricket team, for those also ignorant). The episode covered all things love and loss, and spoke to me really deeply. I had such a deep admiration for Pat by the end of the episode, and was shocked to find out he is younger than me. What an excellent role model for young Australians everywhere. If you haven’t listened to this episode, I highly, highly recommend it (and if you haven’t listened to the Imperfects at all… what are you literally doing?!).
Kinda obsessed with reading…
We’re coming to the end of Women’s History Month, so here are five incredible memoirs by women that you need to add to your bedside stack stat:
PS — if you’re a big reader, follow me on Goodreads here! I log every single book I read (as well as audiobooks I listen to… don’t @ me). I love seeing what other people read too so please add me so I can get even more inspo!
A final remark…
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and with that, friends, I’ll see you next time.
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