Ever wonder what goes into the gift bags given to Academy Award nominees each year? Wonder no more. Here is a peek into the $168,000 loot bag given out to this year's top nominees. And who, exactly, does "top nominee" refer to? Only the non-winners in the categories of best actor, best actress, best supporting actor, best supporting actress and best director. Additionally, the host will snag one of the 21 gift packages put together by Distinctive Assets.
So what, you say, do these packages include? From practical to absurd, the goodie bags contain a free Silvercar Audi rental for a year ($20,000), a gift card for an astrology reading, horoscope, and dream analysis ($20,000), a custom candy and dessert buffet ($800), a glamping vacation from Terravelo Tours ($12,500), a train trip on the Rocky Mountaineer ($14,500), a nine-night Italian vacation package ($11,500), non-invasive LED light therapy for “weight loss” and “body contouring and sculpting” ($4,068), a cute Matrone bicycle ($1,200), and $25,000 worth of custom furniture “perfect for giving their Malibu pad a special look,”. Oh, and there's also an…ahem…sex-related peripheral valued at $250. The naughty items don't end there. The bags also contain something called an “orgasm booster” created by the same doctor who invented the Vampire Facelift ($5,000), as well as a sampling of “the world’s only luxury condom”.
There is more to the package, but these are the big ticket standouts of the goodie bag.
Jealous? No need to be. On top of the fun of not winning an Oscar, recipients of the gift bag will be taxed on the gifts as income. Yep, under the U.S. tax code, this kind of swag, intended more for marketing and celebrity association than good will, is taxable income. The celebrities can expect to receive an IRS Form 1099 in the mail, even if they don't attend the gifting suite or donate their swag to charity.
