Celebrity culture
[2] Today, as it is now used as entertainment, celebrity culture is viewed as a form of "escapism" from reality and a means of preoccupation for everyday people.
[3] Celebrity culture in the United States began in the late nineteenth century as the nouveaux riches sought personal publicity in the society columns and magazines of the day.
Celebrity culture, once restricted to royalty and biblical/mythical figures, has pervaded many sectors of society including business, publishing, and even academia (the scilebrities).
[citation needed] Each nation or cultural community (linguistic, ethnic, religious) has its own independent celebrity system, but this is becoming less the case due to globalization (see J-pop or K-pop).
According to Oliver Dreissens, celebrity's social and cultural prominence can be traced back to the success of the mass media.
Richard Dyer has stated that celebrity culture is bound up with the condition of global capitalism in which "individuals are seen to determine society".
[11] Cable television and social media sites such as YouTube, have made "overnight" sensations which have perpetuated today's perception of celebrity culture.
[11]: 493 Celebrities such as Justin Bieber, who rose to immense fame after being discovered on YouTube, are argued to elicit emotional ties and self-reflexiveness that invoke a seemingly personal connection.
A businessman and real estate dealer who has licensed his name to properties and other brands, Trump gained national fame when he starred in the television show The Apprentice in 2004 and again during the 2012 presidential election by implying that then-presidential candidate Barack Obama was not a natural-born United States citizen.
[10] This unification and large platform provided by celebrities has been a point of interest for political leaders and groups to gain further reach within various campaigns.
[10] As noted by the author Frank Furedi, "Politicians self consciously attempt to either acquire a celebrity image or to associate themselves with individuals who possess this status.
A study[23] done in 2008 notes that CEOs are depressed at more than double the rate of the public at large, suggesting that this is not a phenomenon exclusive to celebrities.
[25] This happens because constant exposure to and coverage of these figures leads people to believe that celebrities are their social intimates, who they want to admire, gossip about, or copy habits from.
There is research[clarification needed] that suggests child celebrities have poor emotional health in adulthood, and often turn to drug abuse.
The information given to people to consume and discuss allows for civic engagement on a global scale as there is material to talk about with others that is generally known through gossip.
Often, the media plays a key role in celebrification by drawing public attention, which can be positive or negative, but nonetheless contributes to the development of the celebrity persona.
It also refers to a self-representation technique whereby people present themselves as public personas, create strategic affective ties with audience members, and view followers as fans.
By associating products with glamour, exclusivity, and success, celebrities create aspirational value that drives consumer behavior.
Similarly, Beyoncé’s 24-carat emerald-cut diamond ring and Kim Kardashian’s 15-carat Lorraine Schwartz piece became benchmarks for extravagant styles.
Social media has amplified this effect, as fans closely follow celebrity engagements and replicate their jewelry choices.
Iconic partnerships, such as Audrey Hepburn’s association with Givenchy or Rihanna's collaborations with Fenty and Dior, illustrate how celebrities influence trends and brand identity.
Red carpet events and social media amplify these connections, with outfits worn by celebrities often selling out or sparking viral trends, a phenomenon known as the "Kate Middleton Effect.
[36] In the automotive industry, celebrity endorsements or ownership of luxury cars like Rolls-Royce, Tesla, or Bugatti influence consumer perceptions.
Public figures such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylie Jenner showcase their collections on social media, positioning these vehicles as symbols of success and exclusivity.
Different platforms are being utilized: Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and TikTok, all of which provide a new outlet for celebrities to express their thoughts.
[citation needed] One possible explanation of this trend is that an artificial importance has been created in order to promote a product or a service, rather than to record a purely biographical event.
A desire to achieve this type of posthumous fame may have motivated Alan Abel, Adam Rich, and Pauly Shore to stage their deaths.
In some cases, after historians uncover a creator's role in developing some cultural or technical process, the contributions of these little-known individuals become more widely known.
People who were far more famous after their deaths than during their lifetime (and often were completely or relatively unknown) include painter Bob Ross;[41][42][43] Greek philosopher Socrates; scientist Galileo Galilei; Romantic poet John Keats; painter Vincent van Gogh; poet and novelist Edgar Allan Poe; singers Eva Cassidy and Nick Drake; comedian Bill Hicks; writer Emily Dickinson; artist Edith Holden, whose 1906 diary was a best-seller when published posthumously in 1977; writer Franz Kafka; singer Jeff Buckley; diarist Anne Frank; philosopher Søren Kierkegaard; musician Robert Johnson; writer John Kennedy Toole (who posthumously won a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 12 years after his death); author Stieg Larsson (who died with his Millennium novels unpublished); musician, artist and poet Rozz Williams; and William Webb Ellis, the alleged inventor of Rugby football.
Herostratus, a young Greek man arsoned the Temple of Artemis (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) in 356 BC to immortalize his name.
