Every year, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce selects an average of twenty famous show biz people (or groups) to have their names embedded in the Walk of Fame. As you stroll up and down Hollywood Boulevard and many of the intersecting avenues in that area, you can see the various past selections. And if you go to Hollywood on the day they're unveiling a new star, you can often see the recipient in person, down on his knees with Johnny Grant, the honorary mayor of the area.
The selection process makes it seem like a little less of an honor. You have to be nominated for it…and in most cases, people are nominated by their agents or publicists or producers. People have been known to nominate themselves. One star per year is awarded posthumously but if you're alive, you have to agree to be there for the unveiling ceremony before they'll consider your nomination…and it also helps if you can bring along a few other well-known folks to lend their glamour to the event. (A number of stars who oughta have their names in the concrete — like David Letterman — don't because they've never indicated a willingness to show up for any ceremony or have made it clear that they wouldn't.)
You also have to pay for it. Or if you don't, somebody has to pay for it. In most cases, the fee (currently $25,000) is paid for by someone doing business with the celebrity. For example, you're starring in a new movie that's coming out next August. The studio publicists decide that it wouldn't hurt the film if you were to receive a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame next August. So they coordinate with your fan club (or set one up if you don't have one) and they throw the clout of the studio behind your nomination and promise the presence of other celebs. The 25 Grand comes out of the film's promotional budget.
But you know what? Even if you're aware of all the machinations involved, it's still an honor. They've just announced the names that tourists will be walking on soon…the stars that will be installed and unveiled over the next twelve months…
In the category of Motion Pictures, they'll be honoring Angela Bassett, Cate Blanchett, Stan Lee, The Munchkins, Tim Robbins and The Westmores of Hollywood.
Under the classification of Television, we have Bill Geist, Kate Linder, Howie Mandel, Sherwood Schwartz, Vince McMahon, Susan St. James, and a posthumous recognition of Brian Keith.
In the Recording Artist group, stars will go to Christina Aguilera, Brooks and Dunn, Ricky Martin, Red Hot Chili Peppers and, posthumously, George Harrison. (You'd think George Harrison would already have one but he doesn't, probably because he wouldn't agree to be there. Neither do Paul or Ringo, probably for the same reason. There's a star for John Lennon but I'm guessing that was awarded after he died. There's a five year waiting period for posthumous stars so this was probably the first opportunity to give one to Harrison.)
Lastly, in the category of Live Theater/Live Performance, there's one star being awarded and it goes to Stephen Schwartz. It's kind of interesting that —
Wait a minute! Scroll up a second and see if I just typed what I think I typed. Stan Lee? Stan Lee's getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? All right! Congrats, Stan! They haven't announced dates for any of these unveilings yet but I'm going to try to make it to Stan's event. The only other one of these I ever attended was the one for June Foray.
And I may try to make it to the ceremony when they honor The Munchkins. Meinhardt Raabe is scheduled to attend. He's the gent who played the Coroner of Munchkin City, and I imagine they'll have other surviving Munchkins in attendance, such as Jerry Maren. It is kind of a Yellow Brick Road up there on Hollywood Boulevard these days. That is, if you ignore the derelicts and drug dealers. Wonder if they're going to make all those Munchkins get down on their knees for the unveiling. They're already pretty close to the ground.