By Andrew Hornery
Copyright smh
Forget the merch stand: having a personal moment with your idol is proving to be a profitable business for some celebrities. For $1000, Oprah Winfrey devotees can buy an “inner circle experience” during her December Australian tour. Along with a seat in the front two rows, it includes a meet-and-greet and a “professionally” taken photograph with Oprah. You even get a “curated, Oprah-themed wellness kit” as a parting gift.
Diehard Metallica fans won’t be getting any wellness kits in November for their $4000 “Snake Pit Experience: Nothing Else Matters” tickets. These also include a meet-and-greet, a photo with two unspecified band members and the chance for a “group conversation”.
If it wasn’t for Kylie Minogue, 45-year-old Sydney barista James Traill says he’d be a home-owner by now. “I don’t like to think of the amount of money I’ve spent on Kylie tours and merch; it probably amounts to a deposit on a flat,” laughs Traill, who also runs an Instagram page called @thekyliehistorian with almost 26,000 followers. He’s met Minogue a few times: “She’s worth the expense,” he adds.
Dr Paul Harrison, chair of consumer behaviour and marketing at Deakin University points out that, for superfans, celebrity worship “isn’t irrational at all. Once it was religion or royalty; today, celebrities are many people’s reference point when it comes to defining their own place in the world. The stars’ backstories – Oprah pulling herself up by her bootstraps, for example – resonate with fans. This activates ‘mirror neurons’, encouraging them to emulate their idols, which reduces their rational defences when buying or doing something that a celebrity is endorsing. These personal experiences become a tangible bridge to the celebrity. The problem is, they’re only seeing a curated portion of their idol’s life, not the messy reality.”
