Beneath the carefully manicured image inside the House of Beckham in this era of sporting and show business personalities earning huge salaries for performances, personal appearances and endorsement of products, it is always interesting to gain an insight into the lives of the individuals and partnerships who have become “mega brands”.
Ruthless Management
In The House of Beckham, the experienced investigative historian and author Tom Bower has unravelled a jigsaw puzzle of information, facts, rumours and gossip about David and Victoria Beckham. The duo has generated considerable wealth and influence by the successful and, on occasions, ruthless management of “Brand Beckham”.
Readers may well find the book’s subtitle “Money, Sex and Power” intriguing, and they will not be disappointed!
It is clearly evident throughout the text that they make, with management team support, strenuous efforts, including extensive use of the media and tabloid press to promote themselves as a glamour couple, frequently labelled as “Posh and Becks”,
Bower gives an intimate insight into many aspects of the private lives and lifestyles of how business savvy these icons have become. He discusses their wealth, power and influence while opening the window to their vulnerability and the rumours about relationships, vanity, greed and David’s search for “honours”.
The text focuses on the couple’s highs and lows in the chapters “Marriage Crisis”, “Sex Scandal”, and “Double Dealing” to whet readers’ appetites. David’s bust-up with Alex Ferguson is discussed at length, highlighting the Scot’s disillusionment with how he believed Beckham had become a “different person”.
A Gleaming Bentley
Tom notes how concerned the manager was about Beckham’s interests in his showbiz life, external contracts and his range of Ferraris, Porsches and a gleaming Bentley gaining precedence over his football ones. The “Bootgate” incident after the game with Arsenal in February 2003 received huge publicity and eventually led to David’s transfer to Real Madrid on a four-year contract at £100,000 per week.
The author also notes that Victoria encouraged the public interest, for instance, when she told Michael Parkinson in a television interview that David’s nickname was “Golden Balls”.
Bower discusses the Beckham’s new life in Spain at length, including Victoria’s frustrations and, more particularly, an apparent liaison between David and his personal assistant Rebecca Loos. The rumours required all of Victoria’s skills to manage the media frenzy after Loos sold her story to The News of the World.
David’s profile from an admiring public, despite his difficulties with the England team, was high, for example, he was a UK ambassador for their bid to stage the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
The move from Madrid to Los Angeles was a huge move for the Beckhams, with David’s profile as a player and personality viewed by many as the saviour of US football.
Tom describes the couple as the most overhyped couple on the planet, craving exposure and being aware that their family fortune depended on him being a superstar. The chapter “Cheapskate” details how the Beckham publicity machine promoted the Beckham profile.
He achieved his 100th cap when, as Tom notes, Capello “bowed to the FA and Prime Minister” and recalled Beckham for a friendly match against France.
Staggering Reading
The revelations about Victoria’s business and show business downfalls alongside the complicated structure of their corporate empire make staggering reading. However, David’s earnings in 2009 were around £30 million and the Sunday Times Rich List predicted he would actually earn £50 million in 2015.
Despite the doubts of many, David was unrivalled as an ambassador for Britain, and his 109th England appearance against Slovakia furthered this worldwide acclaim. The big question was whether David contributed sufficiently to society to justify his apparent yearning for a knighthood.
It is apparent that the snub took him aback as he didn’t hold back with his foul-mouthed response and derision of other stars who had been honoured.
With the current headline news regarding star personalities collecting for charitable causes, it is apparent that David was willing to work for charities to raise funds, but “there is no way it should cost me anything”.
Only Time Will Tell…
Only time will tell if more adventures as an ambassador and working alongside royalty will conjure up that elusive knighthood. Tom Bower acknowledges that David and Victoria have successfully promoted their togetherness and steered away from pitfalls and challenging disasters that have destroyed other celebrities.
The global “brand of Beckham”, which has created their prosperity and wealth, is for many readers an indication of their aspirations, willpower and determination to achieve.
This enduring strength acts as a role model in contrast with the cynicism of other readers who will be aghast at the wealth accrued and the self-effacing illusion of substance and help for others.
Tom Bower has, in his own inimitable style, compiled an enthralling and revealing text enlivened with a range of intriguing photographs. In many aspects, he has shown a welcome ruthless streak when addressing and challenging the career portfolios of David and Victoria to unravel the evidence and penetrate the smokescreen of publicity machines.
Well worth reading.
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