My most vivid memory of Carmen Electra is of one certain wallpaper that every “normal” guy had in his PC during my engineering days. It was a heavenly snap of that delectable body covered only at strategic portions with flowers. I saw her Meet the Spartans some time ago which is now rightly placed among the IMDB bottom 100. Anyway, this recent news of her third engagement with Rob Patterson gives me an opportunity of looking at the recent overdose of such celebrity engagements and breakups.

Honestly speaking, I never knew who Rob Patterson was, till I stumbled on this news. Well, Korn videos are popular in the college campuses, but like most other rockers, this guy is also identified by the band name rather than his own. But suddenly he has captured the “imagination” of those singled and frustrated ones like me, just like our Arun Nair’s meteoric rise to tabloid stardom.

To his credit, he is supposed to be a software entrepreneur. But neither I nor any of my friends knew which company he owned until someone asked the question in a soporific quiz competition. (For those who want to know, Nair’s company is called Direction Software Solutions.)

I don’t want to sound clichéd but all these celebrity link ups do have a marketing objective at least at the subconscious level. A profile affair is probably the best way to gain instant publicity and most probably a career boost. This is something that the marketing gurus would not have thought of and the B-Schools would never have taught. But yet, it is much more effective than multi million dollar Ad campaigns.

But what is more interesting is people’s reaction regarding such incidents. For example during our own AbhiAsh (or should I say Abhishwarya or even Aishshek! Hope Brangelina doesn’t sue me for copyright violation!) Wedding, all the public forums were full of self proclaimed well wishers preaching their heart out. I especially remember one who was advising Ms Rai to quit films and have kids to make “ailing” big B happy. Well I am no fan of her films, but what a blatant display of sexist and regressive mindset this was!

Coming back to Carmen and her beau, they seem to be enjoying this phase or so it seems from the photographs. My best wishes to them! Hope it would not end before it begins like many others.

photo By Jordan Strauss/Wire Image, Via People