Why it pays to be a celebrity these days
Flavor Flav met the Big Swede on "The Surreal Life," spun it into his own multiple-season reality show and then his own sitcom.
Peter Brady, oops, Christopher Knight, met his wife on "The Surreal Life" and turned that into another two shows. The wife, Adrienne Curry, turned it into a show and two spreads in Playboy.
Wee Man (pictured in NBC photo) kicked himself in the head repeatedly and let Johnny Knoxville and Steve-O have their way with him and now he's walking tightropes on "Celebrity Circus" on NBC.
Yes, indeed, it pays to be a celebrity these days, be that a marginal or major famous face. Not that it never paid off in the past. But ever since reality and celebreality became everyday television programming, B-listers and below are scoring some pretty cool experiences.
It used to be that us journalists had the best perks in town at family and friend gatherings, from standing on the field at Yankee Stadium to being on the red carpet for movie premieres to being backstage at Fashion Week. Now we can all get access to the hip and hot via people who have a few seconds left on their 15 minutes of fame.
And good for us and them. Take a look at some of the things celebs get to do now so long as there's a camera nearby and the chance to be eliminated or to eliminate someone from something:
• Live in a house with a bunch of other former famous people and act as if you're in college again.
• Free access to "date" a dozen or so hot-bodied chicks in the quest for "love."
• Milk cows
• Jump through hoops (literally)
• Lose weight without paying for physical trainer
• Be able to write off the cost of rehab on next year's tax return
• Capitalize on people's endless need to stare at the train wreck your life has become by getting paid to document your career's jump-start.
Just to name a few. Next time you see a promo for a new celebreality show, don't just moan and groan at its inception. Just accept it for now -- you can still moan and groan, though -- and realize we get to live in an age when after-thought celebs will do anything for our amusement and their bank accounts.
Seriously, someone please dust off the mom from "Silver Spoons." Any idea what the twins from "Double Trouble" are up to? Or Nicole Eggert? I smell a new reality series here. Maybe something about when mothers become mother-in-laws. Oh, this could be big.
- La Monica


We're never afraid to admit our love for "
I've long contended that the KFC biscuit is the best single item in fast food history. Now comes "news" that Hollywood may be joining in support of my theory. 
