How to Befriend the Famous

Stars use their social networking pages to self-promote — but you too can reap the benefits of being linked to a celebrity.

By tying yourself to a Tinseltown local, you are exposing yourself to thousands of others in the Web world, as well as increasing traffic to your own space. Your photo is displayed in the celeb's “friends” list, and other cyber surfers can click and be directed to your profile.

And it's easy for fans to become cyber pals with a star. Just enter the name of the star you are seeking on the MySpace people search, click “add me,” and once your profile has been approved by the page host, you become a hotlink to a Hollywood heartthrob.

Once you’re admitted to the "in" crowd, you can peruse all their pictures and videos, subscribe to their blogs, post comments and criticism, cyber-meet and greet other fans and receive the latest in celebrity scoops via e-mail.

Occasionally, the stars advertise certain times they’ll be online to prattle with you personally, or you can shoot them off a direct message and hope for a reply.

But be prepared for a snub. Paris Hilton has about 151,309 pals, Britney Spears has 143,453 buddies and Hilary Duff hangs out with 223,577 "friends" — meaning they may not have time for you.

And while the likes of Jameson and Curry blog from the heart; A-listers like Britney and Madonna often have their publicity people polishing their pages.

However, Jordan McAuley, founder of contactanycelebrity.com, claims we shouldn’t be so quick to admit defeat.

“Many celebrities actually set up their profiles themselves, read their messages and respond to fans directly,” he said.

Louise Kellman, a 24-year-old San Francisco-based PR consultant, loves being part of a network with Spears, Beyonce, Shakira and Alicia Keys — not to mention her real-life pals.

“Not only can I stay in touch with friends globally, but I can be a part of the private world of my film favorites."

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