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The reality of the celebrity money machine

16 November 2011 Last updated at 19:29 ET Help

How did US celebrity Kim Kardashian and her family make $65m (£41m) last year, when they can't act, play an instrument, sing, dance, or throw a ball?

While they have none of the talents that traditionally lead to fame and fortune, celebrities like Kardashian, Paris Hilton, Spencer Pratt, and the cast of The Jersey Shore make money from sponsorship deals for everything they do.

Author Jo Piazza's book, Celebrity, Inc., chronicles how a public appetite for celebrity antics caused the US media to create "faux-celebrities".

Produced by the BBC's Daniel Nasaw and David Botti

Photo/video: Reuters, Getty Images, AFP/Getty Images, Iconix Brand Group, Associated Press, NASA, and ThinkStock

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