A celebrity is a person who has achieved a level of fame based on their accomplishments in entertainment, sports, politics or social media. This status is typically associated with an elevated lifestyle, privilege and a sense of omnipresence. It can be difficult to navigate, however, as the demands of a public life often impose significant strains on celebrities. Their personal lives are constantly subjected to scrutiny and they have to deal with hordes of invasive fans and paparazzi. The concept of celebrity has evolved over time, shifting from a link to notable achievements to an emphasis on image and persona. Understanding the complexities of celebrity can help students to examine the social and cultural dynamics that shape contemporary society.
Throughout history, many famous people have been referred to as celebrities. In the C19, for example, Hollywood film stars were known as “stars” and their popularity was a result of their ability to attract attention and create an atmosphere of excitement through their performances. Celebrities were able to transform their image into a brand that could be marketed and sold to the masses, gaining them economic power. These changes in how fame was constructed and perceived challenged the status a person could attain through birth or traditional achievement, promoting new types of fame that focused on persona, image and narrative.
This change was further reinforced in the C21 by the advent of television shows like Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which allowed ordinary people to become celebrities through their public personas rather than their conventional talents and accomplishments. In addition, social media platforms have shifted the definition of celebrity to one that is defined by the number of followers a person has. This has led to a proliferation of ‘famous for being famous’ individuals who lack any particular talent or accomplishment.
Neal Gabler writes that these kinds of celebrities, whom he refers to as “life movie stars”, are not truly celebrity in the traditional sense, but instead are people who appeal to entertainment values by providing real narratives that capture interest. This is why he states that fame doesn’t make someone a celebrity – greatness does. This is reflected in the idea that most people who are famous for being famous, as opposed to those who have actually earned their fame, tend to be unattractive, which reinforces a notion of beauty as an investment. This leads to a kind of narcissism that has influenced societal values over the past century, making it increasingly challenging for young people to achieve a realistic perspective on celebrity and its impact on the world around them.
