When Did Fame Get So Accessible?
Fame used to be something that was considered rare and unattainable. The entire concept of celebrities and fame has changed dramatically over the past few decades, especially with the accessibility of social media. With these platforms getting more and more widespread each year, virality is within everyone's reach. Fame is no longer a distant dream- we’ve enabled it so that anyone can become famous. It can open doors or close them just as easily.
With an instantaneous rise to fame, there’s almost always an instantaneous downfall that follows. Whether it’s because they did something controversial or because people simply just lost interest, fame has become more fleeting than ever before. It becomes harder for influencers to maintain interest and relevance when there are a million people doing the exact same thing.
It’s reached the point where online presence carries a lot of weight. Your digital footprint and reputation online can affect how you're viewed socially, professionally, and even personally. This online presence becomes somewhat of a digital identity, where likes and follows are indicative of status or influence, and at times we’ve found ourselves unconsciously judging others by that standard. We’ve ultimately reached a point where our online presence is more than just a reflection of who we are and the experiences we choose to share – it’s actively shaping our lives.
It started with celebrities like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, with tabloids capitalizing on exploiting and exposing their lives. Even today, celebrities' and influencers' lives are still exposed on the internet. Except now, these people willingly do it themselves. People used to be famous for actually doing something- but now, people are famous just for recording their day-to-day lives. Alongside this, one recent trend is the traditional celebrity and the influencer swapping roles. The entire illusion and fantasy of traditional celebrities is that they don’t lead normal lives. So when celebrities become influencers by showing their real life, the illusion and excitement die. Emma Chamberlain, when discussing this on her podcast Anything Goes, said, “The internet has ruined the mystery of the traditional celebrity and turned the average person into a mysterious celebrity.”
So the question remains: is celebrity culture dead? The glamour and exclusivity that used to come alongside red carpets and old Hollywood will likely never return, as fame has become something entirely different in the digital age.
Hollywood used to be the place of celebrity culture, but with the industry of fame getting broader and broader, its dominance has weakened. It’s at the point where influencers often have a bigger cultural impact than celebrities do. Audiences today crave authenticity and raw, unfiltered content over unattainable standards that strive towards unrealistic perfection.
Fame used to be something so rare that few would get to experience it in their lifetimes. Now, everybody has access to it – there aren’t any requirements for fame nowadays, and sometimes people don’t even get viral on purpose. While fame is still powerful, it’s lost its prestige. People now question whether it holds any real value if influencers and reality TV stars can achieve it without any real skills or accomplishments.
When everyone has access to something, it becomes less special- and the thing with our society is that as more people discover something, fewer people want it. We’re all drawn to the idea of attaining something unattainable, and that’s where the neverending cycle begins.
Strike Out,
Elise Archer
Boca Raton
Elise Archer is a Content Writer for Strike Magazine Boca. She loves being inspired almost as much as she loves inspiring. She has a passion for everything creative- and she’s a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. If you can’t reach her, she’s either busy shopping, lost somewhere, or writing. But if you would like to: elisearcher111@gmail.com or on Instagram @elisearcherr
