SLEEPY KATE MOSS GETS WAKE-UP CALL

Supermodel Kate Moss, dumped by several companies after her cocaine
use was exposed, is at age 31 in no danger of being unemployed. One
columnist quipped that she could always model "comfy mail-order shoes."

It was London's Moss who popularized the look of a waif astray yet
without fear. Her little-girl face stared at us with a blank
expression that some called "heroin chic." The public was beguiled.
When photos of her topless at age 14 made the rounds, her fame only
increased. No wonder she thought she could get away with anything.
Now she knows better.

The Hennes & Mauritz clothing chain says an apologetic Moss has
pledged to follow the company's anti-drug policy and uphold an image
that is "healthy, wholesome and sound." Other companies whose profits
depend on influencing consumer choice now doubt customers will buy
whatever Kate's selling.

Her falling fortunes, The Associated Press observed, "raised
questions about how an industry notorious for its drug-fueled party
life can cultivate Moss' bad-girl image, and then turn on her once
that image matches reality."

Yet the hypocrisy is so predictable no one can say Moss was duped.
Her celebrity endorsements are valuable only if the public admires
her. The unsmiling woman who pushed the modesty limits of mainstream
advertisement now doesn't seem so cool - just sad.