Fame has falsely become synonymous with the art of acting. Make no mistake, they are not the same. Celebrities are presented to us often quite curated & designed, essentially making them actors in their own productions which we come to know as their personas. They’ll even make appearances in movies or on TV shows. But they’re still not thespians.
Rex Woodbury presents a deeply insightful article on his Digital Native newsletter that examines the arc of celebrity over the past 100 years. From it’s origins with Hollywood silver screen stars like Garbo & Hepburn to TV’s greatest icon to date, Oprah, to the reality TV’s Kardashians who bridged the gap between that world & social media which Little Nas X & others have further leveraged magnificently since.
& it continues to evolve!
Charlie D’amelio, PewDiePie & slew of other names that I know nothing about are currently creating immense followings & making a killing! The core concept of the piece? “Celebrity” is becoming more niche, less exclusive, more interactive & therefore, more authentic.
A recurring theme as technology has changed celebrity is that content output goes up & production value goes down.
Rex Woodbury
This is fascinating stuff! Thespians are professionals who develop their craft & ply themselves in the art of suspending the belief of their viewers. Fame & celebrity are the designed side effects of the gargantuan entertainment machine in this part of the world which in turn inspired similar machinations in other parts. You have to wonder: if Hollywood had never made “stars”, would there be as many actors out here today or historically? How many of our existing stars would have possibly never been if the idea of fame, celebrity or wealth wasn’t a possibility in the profession?
The perceived allure of being famous –& all the pretty trappings associated with it –is the most intoxicating thing for many. But the reality is that while in front of the cameras, in the interview or on the stage, yes you’re charismatic, yes you’re charming, yes you may even be talented but you’re also always curated. Authenticity as a celebrity is oxymoronic. Even for YouTubers & TicTok stars who are revered for “just being themselves”.
The rise of “microcelebrities” & the proliferation of online content means that connections become deeper. We feel new levels of affinity for digitally-native stars—we feel that we grew up with them & that we’re privy to the most intimate parts of their lives. Business models are evolving to help the next generation of celebrities better mine value from their biggest fans.
Rex Woodbury
The new wave is digital celebrities. The notion that we can create ‘people’ complete with beliefs & views is not new either. Humanity has always had an affinity for playing God; from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein on through to artificial intelligence serve as testaments to that. In recent years, there’s even been talk of CGI eventually replacing actors. The cost or hassle of dealing with potentially difficult personalities (I’m not looking at you, Charlie Sheen as I write this) & their guilds would likely be vanquished headaches.
But there would still be actors. & they would still be performing. TV & film didn’t create the craft. They merely provided an alternate medium for the art to be presented in, a larger scale of accessibility & a way to immortalize performances.
Actors, like writers, painters, dancers, designers & builders will always be here, finding ways to do the work we’re moved to do. Famous, wealthy, celebrity or not.