Ryan Seacrest Scores $45m Deal, Redefines Coolness

Seacrest out … into the TV host stratosphere. We’ve never been fans of Ryan Seacrest since his style (t-shirts with suit jackets) and quips (Seacrest out) have always suggested a guy trying too hard to be cool. But we’re officially fans now because what does cool matter when you’re a $45 million dollar man?

The “American Idol” host has closed a new three-year deal with “Idol” producer 19 Entertainment, said to be worth $15 million a year. Under the pact, which is believed to be the richest ever for a reality host, Seacrest is locked in as host of “Idol” through 2012. Additionally, Seacrest will work with “Idol” creator and 19 principal Simon Fuller on developing new projects.

Seacrest has a separate cable deal with Comcast and is E! Entertainment’s lead anchor. He also produces such shows as E!’s “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” and ABC’s upcoming Jamie Oliver reality series.

The pact, which had been in the works for the past several weeks, gives Seacrest a gigantic pay raise, more than tripling his previous salary of slightly less than $5 million a season.

The fact that producing such vacuous material pays so much reminds us two things that Seacrest obviously knows as gospel: 1. Cool doesn’t matter, only marketability matters, and 2. Vacuousness done well (Idol) or bottom-barrel style (E!) is considered cool by the masses.