Customer Reviews

How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I hate to type this because I know from the book Melissa (the infinately more likable of the two) reads the reviews on Amazon.com, but this is tripe. This is a hideous vanity project and here is the secret of the book:
You need to be HUGELY connected. No matter what they tell you this is how they became (very marginally) famous: They know famous gossip columnists, famous publicists, famous models, famous producers, pop culture icons, you name it, and THIS is what they use to get famous. No average person in (lets just say)Suburban Nashville or Montana could possibly get remotely famous following their advice because they do not have friends who can get them HUUUGE free parties, slip their names into New York Magazine, etc. They went to whealthy private schools where they made connections, worked for national publications, and OVER AND OVER they use those connections to get (very marginally)famous. DO you know Molly Sims? Would she come to your party? Would famous artists paint your portrait? Major gossip columnists return your call? The head of one of the biggest PR firms in the country joyfully throw a sponsored party for you because you have been good friends for six years? Could your friends introduce you to some of the biggest movers and shakers in Hollywood? No? this book will be worthless to you.. Unless somehow you are unaware famous people are butt kissers with entourages and assistants. There, I gave away all the secrets: Connections, connections, connections (Oh, lots of butt-kissing and an assistant and entourage). There are no secrets here, and by stating in the begining they are normal, average, nobodies, they are pretty much just.. lieing.. Though in the forward they come off as horribly deceptive talking about how they met (Uh huh, both desssperate to meet eachoter, and obsessed. Right) and never regain credibility. I *want* to like Melissa (Cat's Meow is GREAT) and she seems really nice and self-effacting, but by participating in this book, I just can't.

The fact that I have never heard of either of the authors should have been my first clue as to how ineffective their techniques are.

Throughout the book so many names are dropped that the reader nearly trips over them at every turn. How are those of us who don't know Michael Musto and the like supposed to apply the advice of these two authors? The fact that they do have friends in high places and still couldn't become well-known speaks volumes.

There is, in truth, very little advice contained in this book. It is mostly filled with anecdotes of the authors' exploits with very few practical tips for fame-seekers.

In the authors' quest for fame they missed the mark. It wasn't fame that they achieved, but rather the ability to be anonymous free-loaders.

My true confession is that I have not read this book; however, I saw Melissa on television talking about it. She stated that one of the things she did was give the book an effusive review right here on Amazon. I appreciated her honesty. It confirmed my suspicions regarding a lot of the book and music reviews here.
An amusing lady. Look to the other reviewers for opinions on the book and be a little wary of five star reviews.

Don't waste your time or money reading this book. The positive reviews were clearly written by their friends - or themselves. The book reminds me of going on a blind date with someone who is so self involved you start seeing Charlie Brown's teacher making that "harr heer heer hoar haar" noise as their mouth opens and closes.

When these women aren't boring you by dropping names, they're giving advice on how to become a neurotic socialite wannabe. Unfortunately, they seem to strive to be just such a person with such vigor they don't notice how desperate and pathetic they really are. A sad insight to desperate women who place too much value in everthing that doesn't matter.

After reading this book, several things came to mind:

1, Disgust, that I wasted the time it took to read this book;
2. Sorrow for the writers who were so self-involved they couldn't see the `forest for the trees'...

If the purpose of the book is to help young girls survive tough periods of grammar school social pressure, it fails miserably. The authors claimed "fame" came from trading favors for past/future mentions in articles the women write in various papers and magazines.

Obviously, kids don't have favors like that to trade; there is nothing useful for a teen to learn from this book. Other than perhaps, what even a teen can read between the lines: learn early that fame is not important; don't become a thirty-something social wannabe so desperate for attention you make a freeloading fool of yourself, and then, write a book about it.

If there's anything to be learned from this book, it's exactly how NOT to act as a teen or an adult. It is disturbing on many levels that these two thirty-something women were so desperate for attention they couldn't see that their freeloading behavior was disgusting. Worse yet, they were so struck the night they "thought" they had fame, they couldn't see the people laughing behind their back... And perhaps worst of all, they were so desperate to try to get that feeling of fame back that they wrote a book about the experience.

As much as they try at times to pass off the events in this book as a spoof, too much of the motivation behind their actions is transparent, and very sad to observe. Which is a shame, as Robinovitz shows glimpses of great writing skills, something seriously lacking from Melissa.

Hopefully these women will someday see the forest for the trees, and learn that nobody really cares about self-involved freeloaders. The only thing worse than a socialite is a desperate, thirty something wannabe who can't see themselves for what they are.

Can we say shameless self promotion? The book contained no real tips just a lot of "So enough about you, let's talk about me." My American government book makes for a less tedious read. And now I'm wondering if those 5 star reviews were possibly posted by Melissa.

"How to Become Famous..." is a fast and funny read! Smart. Witty even. Something to make you smile during bad weather and keep you occupied during a lazy beach vacation.

I was thinking while reading it: WOW- some of the stuff in this book is really over the top. Melissa and Karen sure do have a vivid imagination!

I mean, can being famous be so calculated? Are celebs so deperate to be on the news that they would debase themselves to get a ET exculsive with Mary Hart? Is stardom the new drug and are PR people just pimps wearing Prada?

Then, one morning my questions were answered.
NEWFLASH: A sex tape starring Paris Hilton.... and Shannen Doherty's ex husband, Rick Soloman, was stolen from Rick's home and was now making it's way through the internet.

Has every newscaster in the world reported this story...all I kept thinking was....Paris Hilton MUST of read Karen and Melissa's book! Having a sex tape accidently-on-purpose- make it's way around the internet was a sure fire way of becoming a celebrity. That was when this book moved from being ironic to being accurate.


So, if you're tired of being unknown, looking for a way to get some attention, meals comped at the best restaurants, free designer duds, and your name on everyone's lips...."How to Become Famous..." is the book for you! Hey...it worked for Paris Hilton!

I read through this book at the bookstore one rainy afternoon.At that point in my life, I was interviewing for an internship position for a movie in Canada, so I couldn't find a better read for my foray into filmmaking.
I quickly skipped the self-agrandizing and self-promotion parts as well as the annoying name-dropping bits and retained the practical information: get great biz cards,never be too available,know how to develop a unique style.This useful information is the one that is shaded in grey in the book. I didn't like the writing at all and thought it was better directed towards a teen audience, as a woman of substance, I could not care less about the life of these 2 women. Nevertheless, the information that is provided is very useful and can be applied to any field.People who make it in any competitive industry are the ones who are great at self-promotion.It's a great little book for people on their way to L.A or N.Y, or anyone interested in P.R.

This book is trying to sell itself as more than it is. This is not entertaining and useful hints and tips on what ordinary Americans can do to ckaim some fame. It is simply a description on how two over-the-hill journalists in their 30s used their old sources to get invited to celebrity parties -for two weeks. (going to these parties is basically in the job desciption for journalists anyway.) The book is fun at times, but on the whole it is repetitive and self absorbed. Not worth the buy.

Whenever I read a music/fashion/teen magazine, I feel so uncool I'm like "Who are these people?" (and I work in entertainment.) There is a formula to becoming a celebrity nowadays. The only downside to that is, the more celebrities, the harder you have to work to maintain your status. It's a battlefield people, buy this book if you feel the need to claw your way to the top!

De La Cruz and Robinovitz have written a book that is so DEAD ON, it's hilarious. They talk like best girlfriends about how exhausting it is say "yes" to everything to chase and maintain fame, then how once you acheive the fame, you have to decline 99% of invites so you seem busy because "people want what they can't have." So true (just look at how well luxury items by Vuitton and Dior do when released in limited numbers). How funny to read that the people we see in photos hugged up next to each other at a bash might not even know each other (that's probably the work of a good publicist who said "Hurry, go take a photo with celebrity X, it will lift your status!)

Even if you're not trying to be famous, their "Cliff's Notes" style summaries at the end of each section can be applied to many situations. For example - how to get into parties you're not invited to, how to tip appropriately, how to be remembered, how to market yourself (hey, this is a skill you need to get a job nowadays!)

I enjoyed the book, laughed out loud at the light-hearted dissing of the celebrities who refused to write their book introduction and loved the tone of the book - like two good girlfriends filling you in on a wild experience they shared.