The term ‘media whore’ is now widely used in celebrity gossip circles. Though it may come across as something derogatory if you go by the literary meaning of the term, the same cannot be said if you take it as a modern idiom. It refers to celebrities who always court celeb gossip reporters to get themselves into the focus. They deliberately make off-color comments to create a controversy in the pages of entertainment news. This category of celebrities, mostly ex reality show stars or mainstream celebrities past their primes, manage to grab headlines not just by making statements which are bizarre and fictional. They sometimes get into relationships with bona fide celebrities to bask in the sunlight of short-lived fame.

Kiss and tell stories are ones where the partner of a celebrity sells out the details of a relationship to celebrity gossip sites. The sellout may include leaking voicemail messages or text messages, emails and other personal correspondence as proof to the celeb gossip sites. The entertainment news sections thrive on such stories and they offer a ton of money to the ex-partner who decides to divulge the details. In the lure of big money, the kiss and tell story may be distorted or fabricated to a great extent.

Kiss and tell stories work well with the readers of celebrity gossip sites because they reveal the inside details. The details of the relationship that come out in such stories are intimate, fairly accurate and very intensely personal. Wouldn’t you like to read what Tiger Woods texts to his mistress? There is a certain pull about these stories on the celeb gossip sites. The editors of entertainment sites know this and that is the reason they pay millions of dollars to the person who’s willing to do a tell-all exclusive with the paparazzi portal.

Kiss and tell stories can be evaluated on ethical grounds. Many do not see persons who reveal all to a celebrity gossip column in a favorable light. But you cannot possibly stop the media whores from going to the celeb gossip sites because for many of them, they got into a relationship with a rich and famous person so that they can bargain their story with an entertainment news site or publication. It’s just a business proposition for many of them. You cannot rule out the honest ones altogether. These are partners who were actually wronged by their more famous half. When they talk about their story to the media, it’s like a justice call for them. You cannot blame them for sensationalism.

You may raise the ethical question while talking about these celebrities. But you cannot possibly ignore the effectiveness of kiss and tell stories. They sell well and a good expose can shoot a celeb gossip site’s popularity through the roof. That is why entertainment news bosses are willing to pay that much of money for a kiss and tell story. As for the person who bears the brunt of it, all I can say is that it is a thankless position to be in!