Jennifer Flying; Teri-fying

By SAMANTHA ETTUS
04-AUG-05

For Hollywood, summer signifies blockbuster films and TV reruns. Yet there is never a shortage of real life drama to fill the ears and capture the eyes of celebrity watchers around the country. This week, screen siren Jennifer Aniston and TV's breakout star Teri Hatcher are full of summer surprises, making headlines for their behavior. But contrary to popular wisdom, not all press is good press, and in this case, one star is being brand wise and the other brand foolish.

Jennifer Aniston

As the world stood shocked over the fall of Hollywood's golden pair, Jennifer Aniston stood silent. For better or worse, many celebrities who suffer public breakups keep mum and stay that way (see Nicole Kidman). But Aniston has wisely chosen to come clean, breaking her silence this month and gracing the cover of Vanity Fair's August issue, which was reportedly pushed up two months due to concerns that the juicy interview would be leaked before the fall publication date. While Aniston could have given her audience another puff piece, this time she shares her pain and sets the truth straight about the rumors. Though rampant reports claim otherwise, Aniston insists she does want, has wanted, and will have children, and betrays her stoic front by admitting to being deeply wounded by ex Brad Pitt and his public antics with new love Angelina Jolie. Her candor serves as a potent reminder of her magnetism and demonstrates that her star turn as Rachel on Friends was no fluke, proving once again that the she possesses an approachable girl next door quality that can't be faked. And though she could have chosen any number of forums in which to tell her story – People Magazine, a Diane Sawyer special, or countless other gossip focused forums – Aniston made a brilliant choice in selecting Vanity Fair, a magazine respected for its refusal to pay for stories or pander to celebrities and for delving deeply into its subjects. Given the inevitable microscope in which she is under, Aniston has shared her tale as honestly and wisely as possible.

Jennifer Aniston's Celebrity A$$$$ets

Teri Hatcher

To follow entertainment news is to know Teri Hatcher's story, for it is one she likes to tell often. Lois and Clarke star turned self-proclaimed "has been" turned TV star again with her role on Desperate Housewives, Hatcher likes to think of herself as the comeback kid and is certain that her fans do too. But the biggest danger for a Hollywood star is to drink her own Kool-aid, and it seems that at this, Hatcher has become proficient. Her latest venture is an advice book for middle aged women who she believes could learn from her professional comeback and personal struggles. Hatcher claims that her new book will help her reach the women she is not lucky enough to run into in the supermarket aisles, but it is hard to imagine that, with all of the advice books out there, women really need one from Hatcher, a star in danger of falling for her own fame who has recently come under fire for her diva-like behavior. As the self-appointed headliner of an ensemble cast, she purportedly feels that she deserves a better wardrobe, more money, and more time in the spotlight than her costars. Yet one look at her saccharin Golden Globe award acceptance speech belies this claim. This was the forum in which she chose to declare her one time "has been" status. Since then, Hatcher has been consistently quoted as saying how grateful she is, yet at the same time she expects us to believe her frequent proclamations that her life as a single mother is mundane. And as a supposed inspiration for single moms, Hatcher doesn't emote the strength that we would hope, instead bragging that she hasn't had sex in years. Hatcher needs to reign herself in and focus her energy on building a stronger foundation from which a more believable image may be born.

Teri Hatcher's Celebrity A$$ets

Remember: The most dependable road to the top is to treat your brand as your greatest asset.

(Samantha Ettus, president of Ettus Media Management, is a leading voice on personality-driven brands. Her first book, "The Experts' Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How To Do" (Random House), will be published in September. For more information, go to www.theexpertsguideto.com.)