A celebrity is a person who has achieved broad public recognition, usually through the attention of mass media. The term celebrity generally implies a positive public image, in contrast to the negatives associated with the words ‘infamous’ and ‘notorious’. Celebrities often achieve their status as the result of a combination of factors, such as wealth, participation in sports or entertainment, political influence or a connection to another celebrity.
People who have achieved fame in this way may have a well-deserved public image, or they may have earned it through their actions and deeds. Traditionally, famous people have been recognized for their work or achievement in some particular area, such as music, art, politics or science. However, in modern times it is increasingly possible for people to become famous as a result of their lifestyle or behavior. This has led to an increase in the number of so-called ‘bad image celebrities’ who have achieved fame as a result of their bad behaviour.
The earliest examples of celebrity are found in classical and medieval Europe, where people sought to be remembered after their death. The Athenian politician Alcibiades, the playwright Aristophanes and the philosopher Socrates were all celebrities of this type, as were the ancient Greek athletes Pheidippides and Leonidas of Rhodes. However, it is the rise of Hollywood that truly brought celebrities to the fore, and it is here where the concept of a person’s status as a celebrity begins to blur with that of the star.
In addition to the traditional routes of becoming famous, many artists have also gained their status through competing in competitions such as The X Factor and Eurovision Song Contest. This type of celebrity can lead to a large following for a band or individual singer, who may go on to have a successful solo career. This was the route taken by the members of Take That and ABBA, amongst others.
Other ways of gaining a celebrity status are through achieving high sporting achievements or being involved in global events such as the Olympics. This can lead to enormous amounts of money being paid to an athlete and a large following for their performance, as was the case with golfer Tiger Woods. The ability of faster internet to connect the world has enabled many sports stars to achieve fame from all over the globe, with footballers and other teams being followed and watched by fans from across the planet.
The emergence of reality TV has also reshaped how we view celebrities, with nobodies becoming famous through programmes like Big Brother and some of them going from being a no-one to an instant celebrity. This highlights the blurred lines between stardom and normality that are now being forged by the modern media, and that Hermione Lee describes as a quasi-religious ‘longing for latter-day saints and heroes in an increasingly secularized society’, which sits alongside a desire for a debunking of culturally fetishised extraordinariness.
