Celebrity

For the 1998 movie, see Celebrity (film). For the N'Sync album, see Celebrity (album). For the party game, see Celebrity (game).

A celebrity is a person who is widely recognized (famous) in a society and commands a degree of public and media attention. The word stems from the Latin celebritas, itself from the adjective celeber meaning 'famous, celebrated'.

Fame is the major prerequisite for celebrity status, but not always sufficient. There has to be a level of public interest in the person which may or may not be connected to the reason they are famous. For example a public figure such as a politician, industry leader etc. may be famous but not a celebrity unless something else triggers public and media interest (e.g. Virgin Director Richard Branson attempting to circumnavigate the globe in a balloon) Other types of fame, particularly those connected with mass entertainment are almost guaranteed to lead to celebrity even if the person deliberately avoids media attention. Examples of these are performers such as actors and musicians and athletes.

Michael J. Fox a 21st century US celebrity
Michael J. Fox a 21st century US celebrity

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Rise of celebrity culture

Main article: celebrity culture.

The modern mass media has increased the exposure and power of celebrity. Often, celebrity carries with it immense social capital that is highly sought-after by some individuals. High-paying jobs and other social perks unavailable to most people are readily extended to celebrities, even for work not connected to the talents or accomplishments that made them famous. For example, a retired athlete might receive high "speaking fees", or compensation for public appearances, despite his talent having been sports, not oratory.

While some envy celebrities, and many aspire to celebrity, some who have attained it are ambivalent about their status. Often, celebrities cannot escape the public eye, and risk being followed by fans or paparazzi. As well, child celebrities are notorious for having poor emotional health in adulthood, and often turn to drug abuse when their celebrity fades (as it usually does). As adults, celebrities may suffer from Hollywood marriages which quickly end in separation or divorce.

Some participants in reality television shows have admitted that they appeared on these programs with the goal in mind of attaining celebrity. Most often, they achieve only "fleeting celebrity" with no social or economic value. However for those with career ambitions in the media, it can be an ideal start as a fastlane to fame as an actor or presenter. For example, the Australian Big Brother semifinalist Blair McDonough landed a major part in the worldwide-broadcasted family soap Neighbours (even some plot elements mimicking his BB performance).

Celebrity culture, once restricted to royalty and mythical figures, has pervaded many sectors of society including business, publishing, and even academia (the scilebrities).

Only a small proportion of individuals in any profession can achieve true celebrity. For those who do, the benefits can be substantial-- in the form of speaking fees, book advances, and high-paying "consulting" jobs from firms seeking access.

However, celebrity has its disadvantages as well. Academics and business leaders who become well-known often lose credibility with their peers (or at least perceive that they do). This does not necessarily have to be the case, particulary if they are somewhat selective about the non-specialist appearances they make. This was proven in 2005 when canon law professor Rik Torfs, who otherwise would have stood no chance, proved to be a very witty, erudite and original guest in political and general backgound programs on Flemish TV and in leading quality newspaper De Standaard, was voted a close second by the academic community in the election of a new rector (active chancellor) of Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, one of the major universities in Belgium.

In many fields, such as the arts and publishing, a moderate measure of celebrity (being "established") is necessary before individuals are able to "get respect". Most non-famous individuals in these sectors are poorly-compensated, though they may be as talented or more so than well-compensated, famous people in the same field.

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Celebrity structure

Each nation or cultural community (linguistic, ethnic, religious) has its own largely independent celebrity system, e.g. individuals who are extremely well known in India, might be unknown abroad, except with the Indian diaspora.

Subnational entities or regions will also have their own 'celebrity system'. This will be largest and most independent in distinct regions such as Quebec and Puerto Rico. Locally, regional newscaters, politicians or community leaders could be consdiered celebrities: for example, Lin Sue Cooney is a well known television reporter in Arizona, but she is not that well known in other areas. Singers, actors (especially working in their native language) and other media celebrities from say the Netherlands are much more likely to be famous in equally Dutch-speaking Flanders, and vice-versa, than anywhere else.

Thus celebrity is relative, depending on geographic scale. A celebrity will be known only by those audiences that are reached by the media in which the celebrity features. In a smaller country, linguistic or cultural community, a figure will be less likely to gain worldwide celebrity. Shakira is an example of someone who was known largely in the Spanish-speaking world before increasing her global fame through English language-versions of her songs.

Some celebrities can be considered 'global' - that is, they are known across the world. These will almost all be high-powered religious or political figures, Hollywood actors, globally successful pop musicians and successful sports stars.

Many people will refer to celebrities as A-List, B-List, C-List, D-List or Z-List. These indicate a placing wihtin the hierarchy, though due to differing levels of celebrity in different regions, it is difficult to place people within one bracket. In addition to this, these 'lists' do not actually exist; they are concepts whose definition will change from person to person.

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Professions that offer celebrity

Kosmonaut - Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin.

Some professional activities, by the nature of being high-paid, highly exposed, and difficult to get into, automatically confer celebrity. For example, movie stars and television actors are almost invariably celebrities. High-ranking politicians, television reporters, television show hosts, supermodels, astronauts, and major-league athletes are also celebrities.

Some film and theatre directors, producers, artists, musicians, authors, trial lawyers and journalists are celebrities, but the vast majority are not, or much less than their real importance in the business. Some people in these professions strive to avoid celebrity, while others seek it.

Any person who is able to get his or her own television show (or section) will usually become a celebrity: this includes chefs, gardeners, and interior decorators on shows like Trading Spaces and While You Were Out. However fame based on one program may often prove short-lived after it is discontinued.

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Celebrity families

Individuals can achieve celebrity, but there are also many celebrity families, such as various royal families (often interest in these will be highest when scandal is involved, as with the House of Windsor) and artistic 'dynasties' e.g. the Barrymore, Cassidy (David and Shaun Cassidy), the Osmonds, Osbournes, Quintanilla, Redgrave, Sheen/Estevez, Stiller, Mistry, Jackson and Baldwin families, as well as the Bushes, Clintons, Luke Ellis's family and Kennedys and some sports families.

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Celebrity resentment

Because celebrities have fame comparable to that of royalty or gods in the past, some people exhibit curiosity about their private affairs. Due to the high visibility of celebrities' personal lives, their failures are often made public. Therefore, "celebrities" are usually viewed as exhibiting worse personal behavior and having worse moral values than most people. Whether this is true or not is questionable, because the exact meaning of the word "celebrity" is difficult to define, not all celebrities exhibit bad behaviour, and, sometimes, the acts that a celebrity does reflect social trends that non-celebrities might also do. A case in point may be the behavior of non-celebrities on Reality television.

Some have argued that the notion of celebrity is self-reinforcing and ultimately vacuous: some celebrities are not famous for their accomplishments, but merely famous for their fame and presumed fortune. For example, Paris Hilton would not be a public figure without her wealth, but her family's prominence has created and reinforces her fame. Hilton is in some senses a special case; she is famous at least in part for being an example of the perceived negative or shallow aspects of celebrity life, and some believe she is going out of her way to fill that role and gather further attention. But in many ways, figures like Hilton and other 21st century celebrities are just occupying celebrity niches previously occupied by stars of earlier generations.

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Literature

High Visibility, by Irving J. Rein, Philip Kotler, and Martin Stoller, studies the phenomenon of celebrity. To them, celebrity requires not only fame, but fame with an evident monetary value.

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See also

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External links