Celebrities live in a different world. Their days are awash in limousines and flash bulbs, whereas you and I are stuck with taxis and flash-frozen fish sticks.

The A-list treatment doesn't end when it comes to awards shows. As if having a chance to win critical and public recognition isn't enough, many nominees or presenters for such ceremonies as the Academy Awards, the Emmys, and the Grammys are walking away with swag bags that would make Scrooge McDuck blush.

In 2008, non-winning Oscar nominees were given Distinctive Assets gift baskets containing swag provided by companies ranging from Sanani Coffee Co. to La Costa Resort & Spa. Luxe Hotel also felt the need to massage the disappointed egos of the rich and famous also-rans with a $15,000 gift basket. Among other things, it included vouchers for destinations such as Jamaica and Italy, and a $1,000 bottle of Clive Christian perfume (the preferred scent of the Queen of England and the Titanic's overly-prosperous passengers--no joke).

After the 2009 Emmys, those whose names weren't called could wash the stink of defeat from their hair with a $105 bottle of shampoo. They could also spend three nights forgetting their failure in an oceanfront suite--a package worth $2,250.

Music lovers aren't left out either. Presenters and performers for the 2009 Grammys received indoor glasses from Gunnar Optiks to protect their delicate retinas from the glare of computer screens. For those who wanted to rush out and produce another nomination, the Gibson guitar company gifted Joan Jett Signature Melody Maker electric guitars, which retail around $700.

After a night of being rewarded for not winning, it would seem reasonable that celebrities would have to go back to spending their own money. But life is unfair, and there are companies whose sole purpose is to give away products to the rich and famous. Los Angeles-based Distinctive Assets orchestrates gift baskets to be presented to celebrities for doing… nothing in particular. The likes of Paris Hilton and Oprah Winfrey were given pet gift baskets for an event aptly named the "HollyWOOF A-List Doggie Bags." Rather than Chinese leftovers, these doggie bags included Port-A-Poo dog waste carriers and cashmere blankies from SwaddleDesigns.

It seems that the already rich and notable are given pretty much anything, so long as their opinion is worth something. Celebrity exposure sells, which is why some companies are willing to give their products to the few people who can afford to buy them. It's too bad we civilians don't matter enough to score anything besides a free pen.

Sources: starpulse.com, fushionmag.com, hollywoodtoday.net, distinctiveassets.com, lasplash.com, prlog.org, lastheplace.com