HEIDI MONTAG

TIME (2010) 2/15/ 68

JOEL STEIN

Since much of the news at the moment appears depressing let's go to something lighter.

Heidi Montag plays a villain in the hit series THE HILLS (I said this is light) and has done a number of promotions for her

new album SUPERFICIAL. To get the word out, she posed for

PLAYBOY. Now that means that there was some frontal nudity.

However, she has been out done by other starlets who made

porn tapes before they sell themselves to the public for some

project. So that is not enough. So, she had substantial cosmetic

surgery to improve her looks. She is already quite striking but supposedly this made her even better. That got her on the cover of PEOPLE magazine. Both of these events were to promote the album. She was also on I'M A CELEBRITY...GET ME OUT and has started her own fashion line. That is 4 big promotions.

All of this was to hype the album. It's first day sales were

658 purchases. She is in good company. Others like Mick Jagger's solo album sold just a few more.

Joel Stein interviewed some of the purchasers and they are special fans. You can also go to HeidiPratt.com/ That by the way

is her married name. She married Spencer Pratt on THE HILLS a number of times.

So it is hard to start in another field. Joel Stein differentiates "celebrity" and "star." Hopefully sales will improve. It could be a good album.