At $36,000, This Year’s Grammy Awards Gift Bag Is as Indulgent as Ever

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As a civilian who resides outside of the entertainment industry and far, far outside of the 1%, celebrity swag bag culture is by far one of the more nonsensical parts of awards season. With each award show, presenters and performers are often given loads of free stuff just for showing up to do their jobs, while others are invited to gifting suites, where they walk from station to station collecting pool cleaning and pet grooming devices, gift certificates, and top-shelf liquor. The practical brain can’t help but ask (OK, let’s face it, whine): “But, do they really need any of that stuff?”

Of course, the point of celebrity giving isn’t about need, but marketing— and brands pay handsomely for the chance to put their stuff in the hands of a celebrity (or celebrity assistant). It’s just one of the ways that award season has developed into an industry of its own (think: fashion and beauty partnerships, styling and glam, parties, luncheons, and events—every bit of it sponsored. (Car companies even pay to be the official partner of an awards show and to provide fleets of vehicles that drop nominees and presenters off at the red carpet).

Read more at The Daily Beast.