Let’s face it. America loves entertainment. We all like being entertained. What entertains us differs from one person to the next, but the simple fact is we live in a world of where our appetite for entertainment news beats out our interest in politics. (Remember how more people voted for a single episode of “American Idol” than in the last presidential election?)

Entertainment by definition is a distraction. Concerts, amusement parks, sporting events, movies, television, books, the Internet — all are common forms of entertainment and forms of distraction. Celebrities fascinate and distract us. We’ve got more gossip rags and blogs than ever before. But why are we so interested? Why are we interested in where Paris Hilton goes or what Gwen Stefani wears? Because it distracts us from our own situation? Because it can be a pleasant diversion? Yes. And that’s also what the salon can provide — a distraction.

This is our “entertainment issue” and we’re covering everything that’s entertaining about running a nail business, including nail news from the celebrity field. Why does the celebrity angle matter to a nail technician? Well for starters, how about all the coverage nails get in consumer magazines these days? I challenge you to look back 10, even five, years to find any substantial coverage of nails in consumer beauty publications, let alone the mainstream press. Today, there are countless stories on who wore what color nail polish to which event, what the hot new summer colors are, and what salons celebrities frequent.

These stories provide inspiration to us in the industry, and they validate your work.

Did you just get in the new summer shades? Or do you offer trend-setting nail art like what was seen on the runways of some of the major fashion designers? Let your clients know how your salon fits into the whole scheme of the celebrity world. Tear out pages from US Weekly, People, Allure, and Lucky when they mention products you carry. Create displays around them. Show your clients how you are up on the latest trends by offering the same colors the celebs can be seen sporting on the red carpet.

Did Lucky magazine mention a salon the editors went to that stays open late, serving cocktails and featuring a live DJ? See if you can incorporate any of these ideas in your salon. Or it might be a new service idea (Mojitos? Pomegranate?) culled from the hot new ingredient you’ve been hearing about. I mean, cocktails and nail services seem as natural a pairing as celebrities and paparazzi, right?

Enjoy this special issue. The salon as a form of entertainment is a great way to look at your business. And who knows, maybe one day you’ll find your name in lights.