Not just content with TV appearances and receiving rave reviews in the media, celebrity chefs have been taking to the waves creating menus for restaurants on cruise ships or even turning up on the ships themselves.

Take a trip on either of Ocean Village’s ships and you could be rubbing shoulders with James Martin, him of ‘Ready, Steady, Cook’ and ‘UK Food’ fame, who started life on the ocean waves back in 2003 when he launched The Bistro on Ocean Village.

As well as developing the menus for the Bistro and training the chefs, James also makes the odd appearance in the galley onboard so if you’re cruising in the Caribbean in January, or in the Med in April, June or September next year, you might be lucky enough to have your meal cooked by the man himself. Now that’s something to impress your friends with.

Italian food-lovers, you’ll be spoilt for choice in the brand new Aldo Zilli restaurant on Thomson Celebration. Aldo is the man behind several gourmet West End eateries that have been pulling in A-list celebs and discerning theatre-goers for years and you may also have seen him appearing on the ITV programme Celebrity Fit Club, although don’t they say you should never trust a slim chef?! Thomson has said the Aldo will be onboard Celebration every now and then to keep an eye his floating restaurant, although no dates have been released yet so keep an eye out.

Unsurprisingly, Cunard teamed up with one of America’s leading chefs, Todd English, for one of its dining alternatives on Queen Mary 2 and it proved to be so popular that Todd also has a restaurant on the newly launched Queen Victoria. Having worked in Italy, his menu has a distinctive Mediterranean flavour. Not only is Todd a renowned chef, he also owns a number of restaurants throughout the US and has his own TV series.

If you fancy something a bit different, try Crystal Cruises. Dishes from world-class master chef Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa already feature on Crystal Serenity but it has recently been announced that Nobu is partnering with Crystal for two new restaurants, Silk Road and The Sushi Bar, aboard Crystal Symphony. Don’t expect classic Japanese dishes though as he’s internationally renowned for blending Japanese food with Peruvian and European flavours. Although the dishes onboard will be prepared by Nobu-trained chefs, the great man himself will be on Crystal Symphony during her trans-pacific voyage in March next year to oversee the launch so you might get some tips.

For something a little more traditional, The Prego restaurants on Crystal’s ships have authentic regional Italian cuisine, with signature creations by Piero Selvaggio, owner of the renowned Valentino restaurants in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

You might think that there’s nothing to these celebrity chefs creating dishes and menus to tempt passengers, after all that’s their trade, but did you know that some of them also design the restaurants onboard too? Yes, not only do they create dishes for you to enjoy, they want you to experience the full monty as it were. As James Martin puts it: “…when I put my name to something I need to know that it really is mine and that I have had input on everything right down to the size of the spoons”.

Not all cruise lines boast menus created by celebrity chefs, but you could still sample their food as some appear as guest lecturers onboard. Travel on Seven Seas Navigator on 7th June 2008 and see former White House chef Walter Scheib who served under Bill Clinton and George Bush, whilst UK Michel Star chef Billy Reid from the Belvedere in London shared some of his secrets on Holland America’s Maasdam Reid in November.

What’s the reasoning behind using celebrity chefs? Following the recent announcement by P&O Cruises, that not only is Marco Pierre White creating dining experiences on the new superliner Ventura, but also on Aurora and Oceana, we decided to ask the company a couple of questions.

What made P&O Cruises decide to use celebrity chefs to create restaurant menus, e.g. to attract potential passengers?

The standard of dining on the P&O Cruises ships has always been very high but as passenger demographics change, it is necessary to offer more choice and flexibility. Also, tastes have evolved with the popularity of food programmes on television and the rise of celebrity chefs. Everyone is more aware of the provenance of food and thus more demanding. A carefully chosen meal made from the finest ingredients can be a very memorable experience.

When Gary Rhodes opened Arcadian Rhodes it was instantly popular and therefore we wanted to extend these select dining experiences across the fleet with chefs which typify the high standards of P&O Cruises and fit the atmosphere of the ship.

What made P&O Cruises decide on Marco Pierre White and Gary Rhodes?

Marco and Gary are amongst the top chefs in the UK and probably in the world. Both Michelin starred chefs are the embodiment of the finest British cooking. Marco is known as the “godfather of British cooking” and Gary prides himself on using the finest ingredients to be found in the UK. Gary has had many successful television series and books and has built up a dedicated and loyal following. His style of cuisine has received rave reviews worldwide and it was fitting, therefore, that he had a restaurant on Arcadia, Britain’s most contemporary superliner when she was launched in April 2005. Arcadian Rhodes was so successful that last year Gary opened Oriana Rhodes on Oriana, again a fine British-led menu.

How do your onboard chefs work with Marco and Gary, e.g. do they go to their restaurants to be trained?

Yes, Marco and Gary have a team of chefs onboard who only work in their restaurants. These chefs spend a great deal of time in London cooking with Marco and Gary and learning the essential skills of cooking and presentation to their exacting standards. In addition, Marco and Gary both spend a great deal of time onboard, generally five or six cruises a year in which they monitor the chefs, change the menus and present demonstrations for passengers.

With cruise lines snapping up some of the top chefs, what better excuse do you need to go on a cruise?

Endorsements by celebrities have been a powerful way of selling products for a long time. Early movie stars and popular athletes helped sell a wide variety of consumer goods, such as cigarettes, beverages, candy bars, automobiles, even Jello. And it seemed to work well as people clamored for the latest product endorsed by their heroes. Today, athletes like Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan have kicked it up a big notch to sell such things as automobiles, underwear and athletic equipment. Following this, companies like Nike and Adidas cut deals with Colleges and High Schools so the athletes will wear their logos in order to impress young people. For women, Hollywood actresses help sell tons of beauty products and clothing. Bottom-line, celebrity endorsements are an important part of marketing products to the general public.

But would you really buy a product simply because a celebrity endorses it? Well, for low-ticket items, maybe, but for high-ticket items like automobiles, hopefully not. Celebrities may be good for drawing attention to such products, but I would like to check it out more closely before slapping down a huge chunk of change. It’s interesting that advertisers find it more important to sell image as opposed to a product’s features and benefits. For example, how many times have you watched a television commercial and you weren’t exactly sure what they were selling?

This is also why celebrities have to cultivate their image. If their appearance and actions send the wrong signals, however slight, advertisers will avoid them like the plague. It also means they are under considerable pressure to be successful in their chosen field. The gravy train will inevitably run out if they fail. It kind of makes you wonder what these people are like when the cameras are turned off and they can act like human beings.

Celebrities are also useful for drawing attention to charities. I think just about everyone on the planet has seen Sally Struthers support the “Save the Children Fund.” Such efforts are greatly appreciated by nonprofit organizations. As for the celebrities, you have to wonder though if they passionately believe in the charity they endorse or are they doing it simply because it is politically correct and can help their careers.

Celebrities have also become an integral part of politics since the 1960′s. Prior to this, movie stars used to stay out of the political arena as studio moguls considered it bad business. Sure, they had their opinions but they basically kept them to themselves as they didn’t want to offend anyone which might effect ticket sales at the box office.

Today we have a wide array of actors and actresses stumping for their politician du jour. One has to wonder though if celebrity endorsements really helps in this regards. For example, actor George Clooney stumped for his Dad, Nick Clooney, when he ran for Congress in Kentucky a few years ago, but this didn’t appear to help and may have actually hurt the campaign. Now we have the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Chuck Norris, Barbra Streisand, etc, who have all weighed in on their political favorites. But does their endorsements impact voters? Well, according to a recent CNN poll, 11% responded they would vote for a politician based on a celebrity endorsement. This may be a small number, but it is still significant and growing.

It used to be politicians would solicit endorsements from newspapers, labor unions, and other civic organizations. But the tide is starting to turn as they are now actively recruiting celebrity endorsements. Any endorsement might be nice, but I have to question whether the individual or group is really qualified to render an opinion. As for me, I still want to check under the hood and kick the tires a few times before I invest in a high-ticket item.

For a listing of Tim’s Pet Peeves, click HERE.

As a society, we look up to celebrities and make them our personal idols. There is always something they have that we want, be it their stylish haircut, flawless skin, sparkling smile, or shapely body. We are always eager to learn about the latest celebrity diets, trainers, and weight loss tips. Marketing teams not only know this, but they also study it extensively in order to take full advantage of our wanting nature. Companies use celebrities to get their products noticed, and to lend credibility to their advertising campaigns.

Both Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem have been on the market for a very long time, and have proven successful results. However, a company in any industry needs to distinguish itself from its competitors in order to maximize sales. This is why companies employ big names to push their product, hoping that a pretty face and a dusting of star power will induce the consumer to choose them over the competition.

Jenny Craig celebrity diet

Weight loss guru Jenny Craig brought her commercial weight loss program to the American public in 1985. It has been a commercial powerhouse and one of the more popular celebrity diets ever since. It involves a three-step program:

The first step is learning how and when to eat the pre-packaged meals.The second step is learning how to integrate regular exercise into your life.The third step is learning how to maintain momentum in order to keep the weight off.

Kirstie Alley

In December 2004, Jenny Craig Inc. announced that it had signed on Kirstie Alley to be their spokesperson. At the time, Kirstie was at her heaviest weight of 220 pounds. She was gracing the covers of numerous magazines showcasing her weight problem. Her weight issues were being talked about on almost every entertainment talk show and celebrity gossip magazine. She had also burst back into showbiz with her new television show “Fat Actress”, which focused on the weight problem of the main character. Kirstie was once again in the public eye, and a critical eye it was. Jenny Craig saw the potential financial gain for her company in contracting Kirstie to promote a celebrity diet. Not only was Kirstie constant magazine fodder, thus virtually guaranteeing substantial exposure, but she was also well-known and loved for her role on the long-running program “Cheers” as the sassy, sultry Rebecca Howe. Kirstie Alley has since lost 75 pounds.

In April 2007, Jenny Craig saw another lucrative opportunity, and made a celebrity addition to her team, Valerie Bertinelli, the loveable Barbara Cooper on “One Day at a Time”. Valerie confessed that she adopted this particular diet because she was impressed with Kirstie’s progress in the battle to lose weight. Valerie’s aim was to lose 30 pounds on the Jenny Craig program, and in September 2007, she realized her goal.

Nutrisystem celebrity diet

Nutrisystem was created in 1972. It started out marketing a liquid protein diet, which was abandoned in 1978 due to growing competition, and then it switched to selling pre-packaged meals designed to aid in weight loss. The company went bankrupt in the early 90′s, and re-emerged in 1999.

Nutrisystem’s method of operation relies on providing all the food for its clients, in order for them to remain true to their prescribed diet. Each and every meal is pre-packaged and sent to the client, rendering the diet simple to adhere to and relatively easy to maintain. However, Nutrisystem’s diet program is particularly geared toward weight loss, and does not focus on weight maintenance.

Tori Spelling

One eager advocate of Nutrisystem is Tori Spelling. She recently joined the program to shed some weight following the birth of her son. Tori admitted that she has never had weight issues in the past and was therefore looking for a quick loss program. This method is dramatically different from the one that Jenny Craig employs.

Summary

Nutrisystem is effective in helping its overweight clients shed those stubborn pounds quickly, but may not help them in keeping them off. The pre-packaged meals may aid clients in understanding portion control, but the program does not incite them to make future healthy food choices on their own.Jenny Craig Inc. also employs the use of pre-packaged meals, but when clients have lost half of their goal weight, the plan switches gears. Clients are then encouraged to start making their own meals, employing the techniques and tips they have learned thus far in the Jenny Craig program.

Do we “buy” it?

All you have to do is turn on the television to see that using celebrities to endorse products must be working brilliantly. We can observe tennis pro Maria Sharapova selling us Canon digital cameras, or Ellen Degeneres singing the praises of American Express, or Nicole Kidman pushing Chanel No. 5, and so on, so forth. When consumers wish to buy a certain product, they want to believe that the celebrity spokesperson is promising a good investment. So, just as we prefer golfer Tiger Woods selling us sporting equipment, and the stunning Halle Berry selling us cosmetics, we most definitely want a former “Fat Actress” selling us a weight loss program (a Celebrity Diet!).

Love of one’s country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border?’

– Pablo Casals

Patriotism is dying a tantalizing death in the hands of time. It is not only where people are having to compromise with the basic requirements of living. In countries where people are provided with a comfortable standard of living, citizens rip off the government, its policies and the constitution to shreds at the first opportunity. Pseudo non-conformists yell the country down to anyone who has ears to listen. They do not know how to redress; they only know how to rant.

The patriotic celebrations which have lingered on are more a festive occasion than a patriotic one. Cinco de Mayo, Fourth of July, and Memorial Day are events celebrated by the people to recollect the days of our ancestors bravery. However, the people who are celebrating would no lift a finger to replicate the ideals they are glorifying. And that is a sad fact.

Cinco de Mayo is a festival of the Mexicans. It means ’5th of May’ in English. The Mexican army won a great victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla on 5th May, 1862.It is not their Independence Day but they celebrate this day with gusto because it is a victory their ancestors won over the much-fancied and superior French forces. Though the French took over Mexico a year later, it did not topple 5th May from the zenith of Mexican glory.

You need not be a Mexican to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Americans have adopted and adapted many events that does not owe their origins to American soil. Cinco de Mayo is one of them. The Mexicans may associate their sense of patriotism with the day but if you are not a Mexican, you can treat the day as just an occasion of celebration and merrymaking. Cinco de Mayo celebrations are all about getting yourself bathed in the colors of the Mexican flag – red, green and white. You can wear a sombrero, the traditional Mexican hat, and be out on the streets. You can also down some tequila shots to spice things up.

Occasions for merry-making cannot keep pace with the need of the modern man to celebrate. Everyone wants to take a day off and do something that does not translate into the language of profit or bottom lines. In a bid to gather as many reasons to celebrate as possible, people have blurred the lines of culture and ethnicity. They have no qualms in celebrating an occasion has not come down to them through the pages of history or folk lore. Cinco de Mayo is widely celebrated in the United States. There is no reason to have any hang-ups about celebrating a patriotic occasion of another country as long as you care as much for your own. Someone rightly said, ‘A citizen of America will cross the ocean to fight for democracy, but won’t cross the street to vote in a national election!”

Celebrity Books: Who’s Next and Why We Buy

By Nick Krimp

The public seems obsessed with celebrities, and those entering the celebrity books arena endear themselves to fans even more. Film, music, television and sports stars who publish books show us everything from how to copy their hairstyles and fashion choices to how to become better parents and teach our children. There are even books by celebrities who tell us how to manage a boyfriend, or how to cook for one once trapped. As if the beloved superstars are known to date singularly and stay married forever.

Still, we follow the every move of our stars, often discussing what celebrity authors disclose in their books as if they’re our dearest friends. We embrace stars as though they’re a real part of our daily lives. It all begs this question: Why?

It’s only natural that we’d get pulled into their well-publicized dramas. Pop culture stars summon our most human yearnings: to love, admire gossip and immolate.

It’s difficult to accurately define, but it’s their charisma that attracts the audience to their lives, both public and private. Charisma refers to a seemingly “supernatural” or uncanny ability to charm, lead, influence, inspire, and/or persuade others. This particularly refers to a quality in some who easily can attract the attention and admiration – or even hatred – of others through a “magnetic” personality or appearance.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however. It’s possible to derive value from a celebrity’s life and knowledge beyond the acting or singing for which they’re best known. Many actually deserve praise as book authors, too.

A number of superstars have valiantly written biographies, novels, or children’s books. In fact, many books by celebrity authors are quite good.

What follows isn’t a list of self-serving autobiographies written by ghostwriters. All of the books on this list actually were written by the celebrity credited. You’ll be surprised by who’s now an accomplished children’s author, cook book author or novelist. A few of them have even published self-help tomes.

Jane Fonda, the screen legend and member of one of Hollywood’s most famous families seeks wisdom and meaning after 60 in My Life So Far.
Kim Cattrall, author of self-help books such as Sexual Intelligence and Being a Girl.
Dolly Parton, author of various cookbooks, an autobiography, and the children’s story Coat of Many Colors.
Pamela Anderson, author of the popular chick lit novel Star.
Jay Leno, author of the children’s story If Roast Beef Could Fly, plus co-author of books about motorcycles and cars.
Madonna, author of various books including Yakov and the Seven Thieves and The English Rose.
Billy Crystal, children’s book author of Grandpa’s Little One and I Already Know I Love You.
Katie Couric, author of various stories for children such as The Blue Ribbon Day and Brand New Kid.
Whoopi Goldberg, author of Whoopi’s Big Book of Manners, Alice and other books.
Woody Allen, author of several tomes including two humorous short story collections: Mere Anarchy and The Insanity Defense.
Bette Midler, author of The Saga of Baby Devine.
Bill Cosby, author of the young readers book series Little Bill and many other humor books.
Jane Seymour, author of the self-help Jane Seymour’s Guide to Romantic Living and also the interior design book Making Yourself at Home: Finding Your Creativity and Putting it All Together.
Alan Alda, author of the second chance look at life, Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself.
Jerry Garcia, author of the children’s books There Ain’t No Bugs on Me and The Teddy Bear’s Picnic, and others.
Felicity Huffman, self-help author of A Practical Handbook for the Boyfriend.

Some critics question about the quality of books by celebrity authors, contending their being published is only due to their celebrity, not their writing talent. Another common criticism is that such books prevents other, more deserving writers from being published, since there’s only so much money from book publishers, online bookstores, and retail outlets to go around.

Yet, the trend of big celebrity book publishing continues. Throughout 2008, look for memoirs, biographies, cookbooks, and more from these highly-anticipated celebrity authors:

Christopher Andersen, Somewhere in Heaven: The Remarkable Love Story of Dana and Christopher Reeve (due in July).
Rev. Run and Justine Simmons, Take Back Your Family (due in August)
Michael J. Fox, Always Looking Up: Meditations on Optimism (due in September)
David Letterman, The Late Show Fun Facts (due in September)
Diahann Carroll, The Legs are the Last to Go: Aging, Acting, Marrying, and Other Things I’ve Learned Along the Way (due in September)
Jenny McCarthy, Mother Warriors (due in September)
Judge Greg Mathis, Inner City Miracle (due in September)
Perez Hilton, Red Carpet Suicide: A Survival Guide to Keeping Up with the Hiltons (due in October)
Ty Pennington, Good Design Can Change Your Life (due in September)
Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Estefan Kitchen (due in October)
Ted Turner, Call Me Ted (due in November)
Stefan Kanfer, Somebody: The Reckless Life and Remarkable Career of Marlon Brando (due in November)
Sir Roger Moore, My Word is My Bond (due in November)
Kanye West, Through the Wire: Lyrics and Illuminations (due in November)
Bob Dylan, Theme Time Radio (due in November)
Paul Simon, Paul Simon Lyrics 1964-2006 (due in November)
 Magic Johnson, Magic Moves (due in December)

Celebrities and diets are a perennial hot topic. Celebrity diet is used to refer to a diet that is supposedly used by or is highly recommended by hollywood stars, singers, or other celebrities. Much of the magazine industry thrives on speculating as to who is eating what. There are many variations of these celebrity diets, but the one thing they have in common is the promise to lose weight fast. Celebrity diets usually involve meals high in protein. Joan Lunden only eats fresh fruit. Jennifer Aniston loosely follows the Zone diet but says it’s essential to cheat every now and then. Diane Sawyer does the Cabbage Soup Diet.

Heather Locklear likes McDonald’s and French fries. Jennifer Lopez eats eight mini-meals. Mandy Moore only uses coleslaw instead of mayonnaise and cheese on sandwiches. Claudia Schiffer drink sips green tea. Hollywood Celebrity Patricia Heaton eats lots of dairy. Melanie Griffith drinks smoothies. Demi Moore hollywood star drinks only herbal tea to curb her appetite. Demi Moore eats lots of protein. Nia Peeples shuns protein. Kelly Preston eats oatmeal and bagels. Tori Spelling loves the taste, diversity, and convenience of this diet plan and is now the celebrity spokesmodel for The Nutrasystem Diet.

Julia Roberts eats on blue plates when at home because that color is thought to be less stimulating to the appetite. Jennifer Hudson credits tons of cranberry fruit juice, along with a down-fat, great-protein diet, with assisting her lose 25 pounds. Alicia Silverstone restricts snacking because she trained one of her dogs to bark whenever she goes into the kitchen. Heidi Klum eats a salad with vinegar on it before going out to dinner because vinegar is known to restrain the appetite. Kristen Davis makes her walks more effective by wearing a WalkVest, which allows users to insert weights to make their workouts more fierce

Elle MacPherson eats cellulite-free thanks to foods high in lecithin like soy, peanut butter and egg yolks. Celebrity and hollywood star claudia schiffer has a light dinner of salad and steamed vegetables. Other diet of claudia snacks on tomato juice, black grapes and herbal tea. Celebrity janet’s excitic weight loss in 2006 captured the excite of the world. Janet Jackson drinks 2-3 custom-tailored liquid meals each day, including all the nutrients she wants. As her diet progressed, she introduced vegetables, berries and frozen fruit. These “celebrity diets” tend to leave you weak and fatigued. You may lose weight, but it will be because you are starving yourself.