by Olha Romaniuk

Created on: August 06, 2008   Last Updated: December 05, 2011

In an industry where sex appeal and image are everything, celebrities are often using their private, personal lives (if there is such a thing in show biz) to attract attention, up the buzz or heighten awareness of their new project - whether it's a movie, a TV show or a new album. In the world of Hollywood, where the love lives of celebrities becomes a source of obsession for millions of gossip-loving, adoring fans, every innocent date to a restaurant or meeting with a producer can lead to speculations of romantic involvement. They were spotted together leaving the club, so are they dating? She showed up at a movie premiere without her husband, is their marriage on the rocks? Everything is blown out of proportion by the media, and the celebrities know that game far too well to now play along from time to time.

Remember the sudden whirlwind of a relationship that was Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' courtship? Regardless of whether or not their union is fake or not, it created a media frenzy right at the most convenient time for Tommy boy - the release of his new movie, The War of the Worlds. All of a sudden, all eyes were on him, and as the paparazzi photographed his every move, Tom never failed to promote the new flick on his media tour with Katie alongside. A perfectly-planned tour of public relations or a new blooming romance of epic proportions? The media did not know the difference, nor did it care.

Homosexuality in Hollywood is a whole different ballgame. Coming out as a homosexual can break an actor's career and limit his future job offers. Void of same-sex, on-screen romances, Hollywood does not look kindly upon its stars who decide to become public with their same sex relationships. Afraid that no one will believe a gay actor in a straight man or woman's role, the scripts are passed on to others, with more traditional sexual views.

Admittedly, a gay actor will receive a slightly different reaction than a gay actress. A more strict taboo is placed on homosexual men, not just in Hollywood but elsewhere as well. While lesbianism and bisexuality among women are often glamorized for the sake of a straight man's fantasies, gay men are still shunned by many, even by liberal Hollywood.

A fantasy of two leading Hollywood females sharing an on-screen kiss can be enough in itself to draw crowds into movie theaters for a big movie premiere. Sometimes, attraction between two women is glamorized for the sake of art, other times it is a gratuitious display

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