Celebrity culture

Assumption: Wicky and Micky don’t have much in common. One dresses in red meat; the other doesn’t even eat the stuff. One writes lyrics like “I want your ugly, I want your disease, I want your everything as long as it’s free.” The other writes philosophy. But they are both cultural celebrities, and the media gravitates to them for comments. And they both have used this celebrity status to weigh in on all issues under the Sri Lankan sun. A celebrity culture is the structure that influences those deemed to be celebrities. Any medium can be viewed as a vehicle for creating a celebrity culture.

The famous religious books of the world’s faiths are replete with examples of individuals who are well known by the general public. Some of the pharaohs of ancient Egypt set in motion devices to ensure their own fame for centuries to come. Celebrity culture, once restricted to royalty and biblical/mythical figures, has pervaded many sectors of society including business, publishing, and even academia.

Profile

With every scientific advance, names have become attached to discoveries. Especially for large contributions to humanity, the contributor is usually regarded honourably. Mass media has increased the exposure and power of celebrity. A trend has developed that celebrity carries with it increasingly more social capital than in earlier times. A celebrity is a person who has a prominent profile in the media and is easily recognised.

If one is famous, then he is considered a celebrity. Celebrity status might be associated with certain professions and frequent appearances in the media. People may become celebrities in a wide range of ways: from their professions, following appearances in the mass media, or even by complete accident or infamy. The term “instant celebrity” describes someone who becomes a celebrity in a very short period of time.

In some place, someone who achieves a small amount of transient fame (through, say, hype or mass media) may become labelled a “B-grade celebrity”. Often the generalisation extends to someone who falls short of mainstream or persistent fame but who seeks to extend or exploit it.

In the 21st century, public fascination with celebrities and demand for celebrity gossip gave rise to the gossip columnist, tabloids, paparazzi and celebrity blogging.

Early recorded instances of celebrity include the winners at the Olympic games in ancient Greece. Winners of the games promoted their fame by commissioning hymns praising their exploits.

In ancient Rome, portraits of powerful men appeared stamped on coins. Works of art bearing their likenesses further enhanced their fame. Gladiators could also gain considerable fame as news of their victories spread by word of mouth.

In the 16th and early 17th centuries repeated performances of Shakespeare’s plays contributed to his fame. Writers gained recognition as literacy levels improved and reading became a form of entertainment.

Many consider Lord Byron the archetype of the modern day super stars of the film world. On the success of his first long poem, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage Byron stated “I went to bed one night and simply woke up famous.”

In the Victorian era authors such as Charles Dickens built up their popularity by publishing their work in newspapers and magazines.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the explosion of mass reproduced images made it possible for people of lower spheres of culture, e.g. the popular entertainment industry, to become huge celebrities. Growth in the number of media channels in the late 20th century led to increased exposure for celebrities. In the early 21st century there are more celebrities than previously.

Scope

The rise of international celebrities in acting and popular music originates in large part in the scope and scale of the media industries, enabling celebrities to be viewed more often and in more places. Most cultures and regions have their own independent celebrity systems, with distinct hierarchies of popular film, television and sports stars. A person who garners a degree of fame in one culture may be considered less famous or obscure in another. Some nationwide celebrities might command some attention outside their own nation.

Some professional activities, being highly paid, exposed and in which it is difficult to excel are likely to confer celebrity status in themselves.

For example, movie stars and television actors with lead roles in prominently scheduled shows are likely to become celebrities. High-ranking politicians, businessmen, national television reporters, radio personalities, daytime television show hosts, “supermodels”, successful athletes, porn stars and chart-topping musicians are also likely to become celebrities.

A few humanitarian leaders such as Mother Teresa have even achieved fame because of their charitable work. Some people have achieved fame online and thus are Internet celebrities. While some film and theatre directors, producers, fashion designers, artists, authors, trial lawyers, scientists, journalists and dancers have achieved celebrity status, celebrity is not a necessity for success in these fields.

In Sri Lanka we do have a few real celebrities though we have many a clowns from many a field who consider themselves celebrities. We have celebrities who are that for being more infamous than for any illustriousness; and, in fact, the profession of politics is the best example where there is an extraordinary concentration of such celebrities.

A common complaint of modern celebrity culture is that the public, instead of seeking virtues or talents in celebrities, seek those who are the most willing to break ethical boundaries, or those who are most aggressive in self-promotion. In other words, infamy has replaced fame.

The social role of the town drunk, the court jester, or the sexually indecent are not new, but arguably, the glorification of these individuals is. One possible explanation of this trend is that an artificial i mportance has been created in order to promote a product or a service, rather than to record a purely biographical event.

As more new products are launched in a world market that is constantly expanding, the need for more celebrities has become an industry in itself. Another possible explanation is that this exaggeration of modern celebrity culture is created out of a need for drama and spectacle. Celebrity involvement in local and global affairs is nothing new. Mark Twain, for instance, spoke out against the genocide in the Belgian Congo at the turn of the century.

Helen Keller was a prominent anti-war activist. But it seems that over the past decade, more and more celebrities have gotten involved in all kinds of nonsensical affairs. It’s almost as if they’ve been instructed, like beauty contest aspirants or rising high school juniors, to add some gravitas to their resumes by choosing an issue to become passionate about. But how many of our celebrities do get involved in issues that require dissent.

Noble

There is something inherently noble about the celebrity dissident, but there is something slightly ridiculous about the celebrity wonk.

It’s when celebrities do what comes naturally to them ‘cuddling up to power’ that they become slightly ridiculous. Power and popularity are the lifeblood of celebrity culture.

Only if cultural icons go against the grain and risk unpopularity do they engage in an inherently noble enterprise. Alas, Sri Lanka is barren in that respect. See you this day next week. Until then, keep thinking, keep laughing. Life is mostly about these two activities.

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