In thinking that celebs have enough without all the freebies?

[ProfessorMoody]

More than happy to be told IABU, but is it just me that sees celebrities on Instagram being constantly sent freebies for their children and their homes?

Take Giovanna Fletcher for example. Married to a pop star turned writer, an author in her own right and can't be struggling with money. However she's always opening "presents" from companies, clothes for the children, toys, furniture, homewares etc.

Obviously this is done so she'll show them on Instagram and generate sales for whoever has gifted them, which is all well and good and an obvious advertising tactic.

However, it annoys me, perhaps irrationally, but it does. There are so many babies and older children out there who are desperate for clothes and toys and essentials. So many struggling parents who would be so grateful for things like this. Sending them to a celebrity who already has most of these things, and can afford to buy them for herself, seems a bit of a shit thing to do when there are needy children everywhere.

It breaks my heart to see Giovanna open yet another parcel of beautiful children's clothes when I've had to buy children at school socks and pants out of my own money because they just don't have them.

As I said, perfectly willing to be told IABU.

Expecting capitalism to be charitable is like expecting a lion to be vegetarian

The FTSE 100 companies gave nearly £2 billion pounds to charity in 2015/16, the last year I can find figures for. It could be môre, and doesn’t compare with levels given by the great Victorian philanthropists. Capitalism is good, it creates wealth. The problem is that too few people are hanging on to it, and not sharing it around like they used to.

@ProfessorMoody

Just to put another perspective onto this.

I'm a jeweller. I'm also a single mum to 2 boys living in a rural town in Scotland. I started my own business, and did OK online. I then started selling wholesale to shops, but the market is flooded with independent jewellers so it's hard to get noticed. I started sending look books out to stylists and free pieces to celebs. Being able to get pictures of celebs wearing my stuff transformed my business.
I went from being topped up by tax credits to earning over £80,000 a year. I don't think I need to explain the difference that has made to my children and their quality of life.

Without giving freebies to celebs, I might never have become as successful. I am able to donate a good amount to the school want a vists every Christmas (so they buy good presents for every child) and I'm able to give a weekly donation to my local footbank. Obviously I do other bits here and there, but the Christmas toys and footbank cost the most. So it does benefit other people, and it's not just celebs taking advantage or getting free stuff. There's a lot more behind the scenes good being done.

*santa visit not want visit

They have to pay tax on them- so some are not gifts they want.

In the USA they refuse many goody bags as the tex outweighs the value of the gift to them.

There's a propylaea YouTuber I watch that is constantly opening boxes and boxes of gifts, a lot of which are high end or cost a lot of money. I get the point and that it's to advertise but they take two seconds to open them, barely look at them. I hope they give some away but I have my doubts these same people have a cupboards of hundreds of candles, there seems to be a certain level of greed involved.

Popular*

That's fantastic, FiftyShades, well done and congratulations!

Definitely a different perspective - small business owners have children to support too

@Fiffyshadesofgreymatter that's a fanatic achievement and has actually broadened my opinion, so thank you.

I've just noticed my autocorrect apparently thinks footbank is a better word than foodbank!

I've just posted on the Insta thread that Mrs Meldrum is going on another holiday thanks to Thomas Cook.

If thousands of women didn't follow these 'celebrities' on Instagram then there wouldn't be a market for it all. The poster above was right. They open the package and the item is never seen again.

Some of the celebs will be passing a lot of the things on to charity(or poorer relations) Especially where they get duplicates.
Though a lot of the reality and internet celebs seem to sell things on which feels distasteful. They probably know their careers won’t last so have to make hay.