A Brief History of Celebrity Personalities
Celebrity is a unique condition of wide public recognition and popularity of an individual or set up as a cause of public interest due to the media attention given to him or her. In the past few decades, celebrity was mostly confined to the major media, which were largely based in the major cities of the world. Today, the phenomenon of celebrity has become widespread and many other mediums are also coming up, especially the internet. This has created opportunities for people to make money out of the celebrity fever of individuals.
Media is the driving force that propels a celebrity into the limelight. Media outlets are in constant competition of making a bigger name, increasing circulation and popularity and so on. As far as mass media is concerned, celebrity is like a brand or a commodity whose sale is guaranteed by a steady stream of publicity. In fact, it has been the commonest phenomenon of modern times. Every day, there is an unprecedented number of photographs, news reports and advertisements of celebrities that are put up on the internet. People can even buy copies of celebrity magazines and newspapers to have an idea about the lives and works of these celebrities.
Another aspect of celebrity is the television, which is also a medium of mass communication. A popular TV program can easily gain viewership ratings of millions by just premiering it on the popular cable television channels. Celebrities are usually the faces of the television programs they are involved in. This makes them as ‘magical’ beings who are capable of performing miracles even on television! The image of a famous celebrity can easily influence the buying behaviour of a customer, especially if they are not very famous yet.
One of the other most important elements of celebrity is their personal life and behavior as well. Most television stars have their own personal representatives who manage their day to day activities and take care of their needs as well as their personal finances. They are very well known and renowned personalities, hence their personal representatives tend to take care of their needs like a personal assistant. These representatives are very well known for their charm and charisma which endear people to them instantly.
The media is another huge phenomenon that has greatly influenced the lives of celebrities as well as their fans. Many news items and breaking news items are published almost every minute of the day. In fact, these celebrity news items and stories become the talk of the town and get circulating by word of mouth very quickly. The impact of news items on the public interest can be quite huge and the aftermath of some news items becomes quite difficult to control or reverse. Even the death of a famous celebrity causes a huge sensation and the effect is felt for years to come.
In the past, the media and public interest created such a big buzz about celebrities that people were willing to pay anything to know about any celebrity. Hence, the popularity of celebrities hardly wanes in the modern era. Today, people want to know about celebrities not just because of their fame but also for many other reasons. To stay in the limelight, celebrities indulge in several activities including going to movies, attending parties, appearing in public, traveling, shopping etc.