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Famous for being famous is a term, usually used pejoratively, for someone who attains celebrity status for no clearly identifiable reason (as opposed to fame based on achievement, skill, or talent) and appears to generate their own fame, or someone who achieves fame through a family or relationship association with an existing celebrity. [1]
The term originates from an analysis of the media-dominated world called The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-events in America (1961), by historian and social theorist Daniel J. Boorstin. [2] In it, he defined the celebrity as "a person who is known for his well-knownness". [3] He further argued that the graphic revolution in journalism and other forms of communication had severed fame from greatness, and that this severance hastened the decay of fame into mere notoriety. Over the years, the phrase has been glossed as "a celebrity is someone who is famous for being famous". [2]
The British journalist Malcolm Muggeridge may have been the first to use the actual phrase in the introduction to his book Muggeridge Through The Microphone (1967) in which he wrote:
In the past if someone was famous or notorious, it was for something—as a writer or an actor or a criminal; for some talent or distinction or abomination. Today one is famous for being famous. People who come up to one in the street or in public places to claim recognition nearly always say: "I've seen you on the telly!" [4]
Neal Gabler more recently refined the definition of celebrity to distinguish those who have gained recognition for having done virtually nothing of significance—a phenomenon he dubbed the "Zsa Zsa Factor" in honor of Zsa Zsa Gabor, who parlayed her marriage to actor George Sanders into a brief movie career and the movie career into a much more enduring celebrity. [5] He goes on to define the celebrity as "human entertainment", by which he means a person who provides entertainment by the very process of living. [5]
This topic is also known in German-speaking countries. Terms like "Schickeria" or "Adabei" characterize the media, which on the one hand are also understood critically but on the other hand are an important editorial topic that electronic quality media do not want to do without today for commercial reasons. People's reporting is fundamentally an important area of journalism that functions according to its own rules, especially in the print medium, and according to journalist Norman Schenz is characterized as "We no longer just write about an event, we tell stories". [6] [7] [8]
The Washington Post writer Amy Argetsinger coined the term famesque to define actors, singers, or athletes whose fame is mostly (if not entirely) due to one's physical attractiveness and/or personal life, rather than actual talent and (if any) successful career accomplishments. Argetsinger argued, "The famesque of 2009 are descended from that dawn-of-TV creation, the Famous for Being Famous. Turn on a talk show or Hollywood Squares and there'd be Zsa Zsa Gabor, Joyce Brothers, Charles Nelson Reilly, so friendly and familiar and—what was it they did again?" She also used actress Sienna Miller as a modern-day example; "Miller became famesque by dating Jude Law . . . and then really famesque when he cheated on her with the nanny—to the point that she was the one who made Balthazar Getty famesque (even though he's the one with the hit TV series, Brothers & Sisters ) when he reportedly ran off from his wife with her for a while." [9]
Celebutante is a portmanteau of the words "celebrity" and "debutante". The male equivalent is sometimes spelled celebutant. The term has been used to describe heiresses like Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie in entertainment journalism. [10] More recently, the term and descriptions similar to the term have been applied to the Kardashian-Jenner family. During an interview in 2011 with some of the Kardashians, interviewer Barbara Walters said, "You are all often described as 'famous for being famous'. You don't really act, you don’t sing, you don’t dance. You don't have any - forgive me - any talent." [11] Later in 2016, Time described the Kardashian-Jenner family as ubiquitous celebutantes for being the highest earning reality stars. [12]
The term has been traced back to a 1939 Walter Winchell society column in which he used the word to describe prominent society debutante Brenda Frazier, who was a traditional "high-society" debutante from a noted family, but whose debut attracted an unprecedented wave of media attention. [10] [13] The word appeared again in a 1985 Newsweek article about New York City's clubland celebrities, focusing on the lifestyles of writer James St. James, Lisa Edelstein and Dianne Brill, who was crowned "Queen of the Night" by Andy Warhol. [10] [14]
Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports or the entertainment industry, their position as a political figure, or even from their connection to another celebrity. 'Celebrity' usually implies a favorable public image, as opposed to the neutrals 'famous' or 'notable', or the negatives 'infamous' and 'notorious'.
A gossip columnist is someone who writes a gossip column in a newspaper or magazine, especially in a gossip magazine. Gossip columns are written in a light, informal style, and relate opinions about the personal lives or conduct of celebrities from show business, politicians, professional sports stars, and other wealthy people or public figures. Some gossip columnists broadcast segments on radio and television.
Walter Winchell was a syndicated American newspaper gossip columnist and radio news commentator. Originally a vaudeville performer, Winchell began his newspaper career as a Broadway reporter, critic and columnist for New York tabloids. He rose to national celebrity in the 1930s with Hearst newspaper chain syndication and a popular radio program. He was known for an innovative style of gossipy staccato news briefs, jokes, and Jazz Age slang. Biographer Neal Gabler claimed that his popularity and influence "turned journalism into a form of entertainment".
Robert George Kardashian was an American attorney and businessman. He gained recognition as O. J. Simpson's friend and defense attorney during Simpson's 1995 murder trial. He had four children with his first wife, Kris Kardashian: Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, and Rob, who appear on their family reality television series, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and its spinoffs.
Caitlyn Marie Jenner is an American media personality and former Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete.
A socialite is a person usually from a wealthy or aristocratic background who is prominent in high society. A socialite generally spends a significant amount of time attending various fashionable social gatherings, instead of having traditional employment.
15 minutes of fame is short-lived media publicity or celebrity of an individual or phenomenon. The expression was inspired by a quotation misattributed to Andy Warhol: "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." Attributed to two other people, the first printed use was in the program for a 1968 exhibition of Warhol's work at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Sweden. The phenomenon is often used in reference to figures in the entertainment industry or other areas of popular culture, such as reality television and YouTube.
Brenda Diana Duff Frazier was an American socialite popular during the Depression era. Her December 1938 debutante ball was so heavily publicized worldwide, she eventually appeared on the cover of Life magazine for that reason alone. She was known and dubbed a "Poor Little Rich Girl" by the media, along with other famous socialites and debutantes Barbara Hutton, Gloria Vanderbilt, and Doris Duke.
Cristan Lee Judd is a Filipino American actor, dancer, and choreographer known for his brief marriage to Jennifer Lopez.
A superstar is someone who has great popular appeal and is widely known, prominent, or successful in their field. Celebrities referred to as "superstars" may include individuals who work as actors, musicians, athletes, and other media-based professions.
Jazz journalism was a term applied to American sensational newspapers in the 1920s. Focused on entertainment, celebrities, sports, scandal and crime, the style was a New York phenomenon, practiced primarily by three new tabloid-size daily newspapers in a fight for circulation. Convenient for readers on subways, the small-format papers were designed to display large page one photographs and headlines for newsstand sales. The tabloids' popularity was controversial, but also influenced the city's and nation's more traditional media, especially when columnist Walter Winchell became popular both in print and on the air.
Keeping Up with the Kardashians is an American reality television series which focused on the personal and professional lives of the Kardashian–Jenner blended family, airing between 2007 and 2021. The series focused mainly on sisters Kim, Kourtney, and Khloé Kardashian and their half-sisters, Kendall and Kylie Jenner. It also featured their parents, Kris and Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner, and brother, Rob. Partners of the Kardashian sisters also appeared on the show. Its premise originated with Ryan Seacrest, who also served as an executive producer. The series premiered on the E! cable network on October 14, 2007, and ran for 20 seasons over the span of almost fourteen years, becoming one of the longest-running reality television series in the US. The final season premiered on March 18, 2021.
Khloé Alexandra Kardashian is an American media personality, socialite and model. She rose to fame starring with her family in the reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians from 2007 to 2021. Its success led to the creation of spin-offs, including Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami (2009–2013) and Kourtney and Khloé Take The Hamptons (2014–2015). Following the ending of their previous show, she and her family began starring on Hulu's The Kardashians in 2022.
Kristen Mary Jenner is an American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman. She rose to fame starring in the reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians (2007–2021) with her family. The success of their show led her and her family to star in multiple spin-off series, including Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami (2009), Kourtney and Kim Take New York (2011), Khloe & Lamar (2011), Rob & Chyna (2016) and Life of Kylie (2017). She acted as executive producer for most of her family's reality programs. In 2013, she hosted a six week long pop culture-driven daytime talk show, called Kris. Following her family's decision to sign off from E! in 2021, they then went on to star in The Kardashians on Hulu from 2022.
Kimberly Noel Kardashian is an American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman. She first gained media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, but received wider notice after the sex tape Kim Kardashian, Superstar, which she filmed in 2003 with her then-boyfriend Ray J, was released in 2007. Later that year, she and her family began to appear on the E! reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which aired until 2021. Its success led to the formation of the spin-off series Kourtney and Kim Take New York (2011–2012), Kourtney and Kim Take Miami (2009–2013), and Hulu's The Kardashians (2022–present).
Kylie Kristen Jenner is an American socialite, media personality, and businesswoman. She starred in the E! reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians from 2007 to 2021 and then the Hulu reality television series The Kardashians from 2022. She is the founder and owner of cosmetic company Kylie Cosmetics. She is the fifth-most-followed person on Instagram.
Angela Renée White, commonly known as Blac Chyna, is an American pornographic actress, model, television personality, rapper and socialite. She originally rose to prominence in 2010 as the stunt double for Nicki Minaj in the music video for the song "Monster" by Kanye West. She gained wider media attention after being name-dropped in the song "Miss Me" by Drake the same year, leading to a number of magazine appearances, including pieces in Dimepiece, Straight Stuntin and Black Men's Magazine. In 2014, she launched her own makeup brand, "Lashed by Blac Chyna", and a beauty salon in Encino, Los Angeles. She has since made a number of media appearances, including in her own reality television shows, Rob & Chyna and The Real Blac Chyna.
Kim Kardashian, Superstar is a 2007 pornographic film featuring American television personality Kim Kardashian and singer-actor Ray J. It depicts the pair having sexual intercourse in October 2003 while on vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The film brought in more than US$1.4 million in its first six weeks.
Scott Michael Disick is an American media personality and socialite. He is most famous for starring as a main cast member on Keeping Up with the Kardashians and its spinoffs. Disick's popularity on Keeping Up with the Kardashians led to the development of a house flipping show, Flip It Like Disick, that aired on E!. In addition to starring on reality shows, Disick has pursued multiple business ventures, including starting a clothing brand Talentless, investing in nightclubs, and running multiple vitamin companies.
Emma Findlay Grede is a British businesswoman, entrepreneur and fashion designer. She is the CEO and co-founder of the denim company Good American, a founding partner of Skims, and co-founder of Safely.
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