Star Chambers

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Each show has an attitude that matches its network: Cribs has a Total Request Live hangout vibe; HGTV tours are serious about design and decor; Celebrity Homes has that characteristically E! combo of cheekiness and fawning that network president and CEO Mindy Herman calls "the Wink." But each one says a little something about how being a star has changed since the caviar-dreaming days of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. For instance: They're not just posh stars; they're domestic artists. It's not enough to be rich now; you have to be authentic and hands-on. Just as today's conspicuous luxuries, like SUVs, convey an air of utility and industry, so do celebrities on HGTV emphasize how they earned their opulence by hunting their own antiques and devising design schemes. (What greater luxury than the time to cruise estate sales?) They're more spiritual than you and I. So much so that they often require paraphernalia from multiple religions. Boy George's gothic Roman Catholic fixtures compete with a statue of Ganesh; Tomcats siren Jaime Pressly has "like, 800 Buddhas" and Hindu-themed statuary. But they're still down to earth. On E!, Baywatch Hawaii star Stacy Kamano bakes packaged cookie dough (household hint: "First, you need to get scissors"); The Waltons' Michael Learned tells HGTV she once kept her Emmy statuettes in the garden (household hint No. 2: They rust).

Then again, the true audience may not be us but other stars. Producers for all the shows say they are beset with appearance requests from stars who watch the shows, especially Cribs, whose guests often reference other segments and use their own to offer shout-outs or subtle digs. "I've watched a few of these MTV Cribs," says musician-DJ Moby in his downtown New York City loft, "and it doesn't seem like anyone has a bookshelf. I'm concerned that people aren't reading anymore." Maybe not. But at least they've got the Cristal on chill.