Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy
    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Personalized celebrity greetings gain popularity during pandemic

    How much would you pay for your son’s favorite basketball player to wish him a happy graduation? Or a pep talk from your favorite reality star? Or a birthday wish from rapper Snoop Dogg?

    • rss
    • apple-podcasts
    • spotify
    • Share
    By Madeleine Brand • Sep 22, 2020 • 8m Listen

    How much would you pay for your son’s favorite basketball player to wish him a happy graduation? Or a pep talk from your favorite reality star? Or a birthday wish from rapper Snoop Dogg? For the right price, it’s possible with an app called Cameo, which connects fans to celebrities who deliver personalized messages. It’s not a new service, but COVID-19 has increased demand.

    The full episode

    5 of 5
    E-commerce, takeout, and the environment during the pandemic
    1. 0:00The fight to fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat could reshape the fight to control the Senate
    2. 9:27What more e-commerce during the pandemic means for the health of people and the planet
    3. 17:35Ordering more takeout during the pandemic? Here’s how to reduce your food packaging footprint
    4. 25:46‘Agents of Chaos’ focuses on a Russian troll farm and Vladimir Putin’s impact on the 2016 election
    5. 41:23Personalized celebrity greetings gain popularity during pandemicYou’re reading this
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Madeleine Brand

      Host, 'Press Play'

    • KCRW placeholder

      Sarah Sweeney

      Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW

    • KCRW placeholder

      Michell Eloy

      Former Producer/Line Editor, Press Play

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Amy Ta

      Digital News & Culture Editor

    • KCRW placeholder

      Naomi Fry

      staff writer for the New Yorker

      CultureCoronavirus

    The full episode

    5 of 5
    E-commerce, takeout, and the environment during the pandemic
    1. 0:00The fight to fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat could reshape the fight to control the Senate
    2. 9:27What more e-commerce during the pandemic means for the health of people and the planet
    3. 17:35Ordering more takeout during the pandemic? Here’s how to reduce your food packaging footprint
    4. 25:46‘Agents of Chaos’ focuses on a Russian troll farm and Vladimir Putin’s impact on the 2016 election
    5. 41:23Personalized celebrity greetings gain popularity during pandemicYou’re reading this
    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand