By George Loomis
“Twilight” stars have already invaded our movie theaters and magazines, so it should come as no surprise that they now occupy the Forbes Celebrity 100 as well. This year’s Forbes power list contains a mix of newcomers and mainstays, featuring everyone from lovebirds Robert Pattinson and Kristin Stewart to “Harry Potter” star Daniel Radcliffe. Even Britney Spears returned to the top 10 in a big way!
While Britney moved up to #6, Can’t Be Tamed artist Miley Cyrus rushed to fill Britney’s 2009 rank, claiming #13. It must have been Britney’s endorsement deals with Elizabeth Arden and Candies that did the trick — not to mention her successful tour — but she’s not the only lady of pop with power. Almost as predictable as the “Eclipse” leads climbing Forbes’ ranks is Lady Gaga’s tremendous debut on the list at #4.
Speaking of artists who’ve somehow convinced listeners to legally buy music, Taylor Swift moved up dramatically from #69 to the #12 spot, thanks to her enormous airplay in 2009 and lucrative endorsements with Sony and CoverGirl. Not only did her Fearless album top the 2009 sales charts, Taylor accumulated 12 million downloads from fans getting their Swift on via iTunes and Amazon.
Daniel Radcliffe comes in at #82 this year, but when his run as “Harry Potter” ends in 2011 with the second half of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” perhaps he will find time to prove himself his own entity. Robert Pattinson broke in halfway at #50, thanks to “Twilight,” and Kristin followed close behind at #66.
And something is certainly to be said for the woman who penned Robert and Kristin’s words. Powerhouse writer Stephenie Meyer, who constructed the elaborate vampire saga teens everywhere are sinking their teeth into, hasn’t even released a new book in over a year. But the film versions of “Twilight” are bringing fans back to the box office round after round, and her vampire novels have sold over 100 million copies.
What do you think of this year’s Forbes Celebrity 100, and are the rankings fair? Who should have been higher, and who should have been included that’s not on the list at all?
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