Celebrities pay $40k for a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, then act surprised for some reason

Getting a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame is one of the biggest honors of a celebrity's career — but being awarded one is never a total surprise, no matter how many people pretend it is.

Case in point: "Weird Al" Yankovic, who tweeted:

Flattering? Yes. Humbling? I'm sure. But "unbelievable?" Not so much, for one simple reason: a celebrity has to submit a letter of agreement to confirm that they approve of their nomination for a star on the Walk of Fame, otherwise the nomination is rejected.

Anyone can nominate a celebrity for inclusion — including fans, the public figure's manager, agent, studio, network, or the celebrity themselves. Maybe most of they aren't that vain, but let's be honest, there are probably a bunch that are.

The only stipulation is that whoever does the nominating also agrees to be responsible for paying the $40,000 it costs to install and maintain the star, which is why it makes sense for talent (or their family) to nominate themselves — $40k is a lot of love to shell out unless you're really invested in someone.

And yet, so many famous folks act like their inclusion is earth-shattering news, even though they've been aware of the possibility for weeks, or potentially months, before the year's recipients are announced.

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"We are constantly asked about the process. Nominating someone for a star is as simple as can be! All we ask for is a completed nomination application and a commitment to sponsor the star should their celebrity sign off on the nomination and attend the event if selected. Anyone can nominate their favorite celebrity, including a fan," says Ana Martinez, Producer of the Walk of Fame ceremonies, in a statement on the Walk of Fame website.

To be fair to Yankovic and other enthusiastic star-getters, agreeing to a nomination doesn't guarantee that a celeb will be approved — the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce chooses who will be awarded a star, and they say that they get around 300 applications a year, which have to be whittled down to 20-24 recipients, and there are probably a ton of humble luminaries who don't think they'll actually be selected. But Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jennifer Lawrence, Mark Hamill and Shonda Rhimes, who are among this year's recipients alongside Yankovic, probably felt at least a little qualified — more than the Rugrats and this guy, at least.

We don't blame anyone for getting excited about being chosen to be a permanent part of Hollywood history — the Walk of Fame is a big deal, no matter who pays for it.

But getting an award that you applied for isn't "unbelievable," it's just recognition of your talent — and shouldn't that be enough?