What does it take to be a celebrity in today’s culture? How important are social media and branding in contemporary stardom? Is it still possible to become a celebrity simply by excelling in a particular profession (ex: acting, music, writing, etc.)? Be sure to offer specific examples to support your points. Limit: 15 responses
Hannah Berkel
ReplyDeleteNowadays, social media has a huge impact on who is a celebrity. Social media is run by influencers, Tik Tokers, and TV personalities turned influencers. If you were a former contestant on The Bachelor who is still riding the fame through brand deals and podcasts, you are considered to be a celebrity. The line is a little blurred between who is an influencer that relies on brand deals and sponsorships and a celebrity who is simply an influencer because they have millions of followers and have influence over them. I find it a little confusing at times, as the top “influencers” are considered to be the people with the most Instagram followers, like Cristiano Ronaldo and Selena Gomez. They gained their celebrity through their talents, but are lumped into the same category as Charli D’Amelio who dances on TikTok.
However, it is still possible for a person to become a celebrity through talent. For example, in 2018 a 17 year old Rachel Zegler posted a video of herself singing a cover of “Shallow” by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper to Twitter (Gonzales). The video went viral, and a month later she was cast as Maria in Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story. Her singing talent landed her a lead role in the film, and she already has other projects lined up including a live action Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Even now, all I have seen on social media for days is the fact that she was not invited to this year’s Oscars, despite West Side Story being nominated for Best Picture. Her talent, combined with the help of social media, has launched her on a career in music and film that is sure to propel her even further into stardom.
Honestly, sometimes I think branding does not even matter anymore. Take Kanye West for example. He has his music and his fashion line which notably carries his Yeezy shoes. He was one of the top earning celebrities in 2020, bringing in $170 million (“The”). His earnings and brand remain unharmed as far as his music and products are concerned, despite the fact that his reputation is one that drives up much controversy and public discourse. Personally, I am not a fan. I know that I am always met with, “But you have to admit his music is good”. While I admit I have listened to some of his songs and think the ones I have heard are alright, I know that my own opinion of him has been shaped by his behaviors and activity on social media. I think that social media has been a big factor in his relevance. He has a massive following despite most of his posts being incoherent ramblings or attacks on other celebrities, most recently targeting them at Pete Davidson. Social media users like to talk about him, especially when he provides them with content that is meme-worthy or so ridiculous that they just have to share it. There are people who have been fans of his music from the start, and people who know him as a crazy guy online. However, his most recent online behaviors have led to him facing some consequences, including him being barred from performing at this year’s upcoming Grammy Awards (Asward). Whether we will begin to see the demise of his brand entirely is unknown, but sometimes even huge controversies are not enough to bring a celebrity down.
Works Cited
Aswad, Jem. “Kanye West Barred From Performing at Grammys Due to 'Concerning Online Behavior,' Rep Confirms.” Variety, Variety, 21 Mar. 2022, variety.com/2022/music/news/kanye-west-grammys-concerning-online-behavior-1235209759/#recipient_hashed=62dfc0b27ad1de67d64a0c44fb55f17fe8a7cd610e9d3f50edf2cced899812f7.
“The Celebrity 100: The World's Highest-Paid Celebrities 2020.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, www.forbes.com/celebrities/.
Gonzales, Starr Bowenbank and Erica. “Rachel Zegler, 'West Side Story''s New Maria, Made Her Met Gala Debut.” ELLE, ELLE, 29 Nov. 2021, www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a25902667/rachel-zegler-west-side-story-ansel-elgort/.
In today’s day and age, social media has accelerated the amount of celebrities in the world. Social media has been the most beneficial way for celebrities to start their career. For example, TikTok has created many celebrities, such as Charli D’Amelio. Charli was just a normal girl who lived in Connecticut, and her dancing videos blew up on TikTok. Many people liked her for her personality and dancing skills. She instantly gained millions of followers, and now she is the highest paid TikTok star. Joseph Pisani and Theo Francis from the Wall Street Journal stated, “Ms. D’Amelio’s compensation was higher than several CEOs of big publicly traded companies…” (Francis and Pisani). Celebrities have also changed their persona as technology changes. Rihanna went from a singer to an entrepreneur and now a social advocate. Celebrities must be able to act accordingly to keep themselves relevant in today’s society. Louis Wise from The Guardian noted, “As we constantly refresh for new content, we are being asked to refresh our celebrities” (Wise). Celebrities need to constantly evaluate themselves and see what they can do to keep themselves relevant and unique. Celebrities need to be mindful of the latest trends.
ReplyDeleteCelebrity branding has allowed many celebrities to enhance their career. Many fans are easily influenced by celebrities and the products that they use. Celebrity branding has allowed fans to have a sense of connection with celebrities. For example, Charli D’Amelio has a partnership with Dunkin’. She created a coffee drink that would appeal to her younger consumers and named it “The Charli”. Many celebrities have entered into the makeup department with their own products. One of the most celebrity brands is Kylie Cosmetics by Kylie Jenner. She created her own lip kits, “were designed to recreate the overlined, perfect pout that the reality star was famously sporting at the time” (Kasparian). Many people bought these lip kits to create similar lips like Kylie. All of the celebrity partnerships and brands are promoted through social media. Celebrities promote their brands to their millions of followers and their followers buy it. I think branding will continue to thrive in the coming years.
Prior to social media, many celebrities were famous because of their traditional skills, such as acting and singing. Since social media has become extremely popular, people aren’t becoming celebrities because of these skills. They are becoming famous because of other things they do on the internet. TikTok has allowed for many creators to expand their network and become famous. For instance, Emily Mariko became popular on TikTok because of her cooking videos and organization skills. This is not just limited to TikTok. Many famous celebrities got their start on YouTube. Jeffree Star got his start on YouTube. He posted makeup tutorials on YouTube, and then he became famous and even launched his own makeup line. I think people can still become famous by excelling in a certain profession, but social media has expanded the list of professions in how people can become famous.
Works Cited
DeleteKasparian, Jessica. “16 Celebrity-Owned Beauty Brands to Try in 2022.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 10 Feb. 2022, https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/reviewed/2022/02/10/celebrity-owned-beauty-brands-2022/6740766001/.
Pisani, Joesph, and Theo Francis. “These TikTok Stars Made More Money than Many of America's Top CEOS.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 14 Jan. 2022, https://www.wsj.com/articles/these-tiktok-stars-made-more-money-than-many-of-americas-top-ceos-11642078170?utm_id=46862&sfmc_id=4782528.
Wise, Louis. “'Where Are the next Tom Cruises?': How the Internet Changed Celebrity.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 27 Feb. 2021, https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/feb/27/where-are-the-next-tom-cruises-how-the-internet-changed-celebrity.
Lilly Davidson
ReplyDeleteToday, becoming a celebrity can happen in a bunch of ways, and it is no secret that social media has a big influence on celebrity culture. People can become famous through social media or use it as a place to stay relevant and connected to fans. TikTok and YouTube stars are probably some of the biggest ways people can become famous from social media. I mean just look at the D’Amelio sisters, who are making almost $30 million combined (Pisani and Francis). Charli D'Amelio became famous from just posting videos of herself dancing on TikTok, and her sister was not far behind. This quickly rose them to fame and now have them seated as the top TikTok influencers today. YouTube and Instagram also put out influencers left and right. From Logan Paul to John and Hank Green to Jenna Marbles and James Charles, there are a lot of instances where social media drives people to stardom.
Social media is also a great place for celebrities to maintain their relevance and build their brands. Celebrities can interact with fans on social media, keep people updated on their life and current projects, and promote or create products. Branding goes hand in hand with celebrity. You can think of any celebrity and, more often than not, associate them with something. Whether it’s a personality trait or type of content or scandal, people associate celebrities with something. Take Rhianna for example. Not only is she a widely celebrated musician, but she is also the creator of Fenty Beauty. She is associated with music and cosmetics. But her brand is bigger than that. She carries the mission of inclusion and “sought to create a cosmetics company that ‘made women everywhere (feel) included’” (Berg). People love her brand because she advocates an important goal. Since branding is so closely tied to celebrities, it maintains a very important part of stardom. Basically, you can’t have one without the other. And just like “brands have different goals and audiences, so do celebrities” (Barnhart). There is a seemingly never-ending supply of brands.
When it comes to becoming a celebrity based on excelling in a particular profession, I definitely still feel like that is still possible today. Acting, music, writing is all mainstream in society, and on such big levels. One movie or episode can make someone famous. One book can blow up. One song can hit the charts. I don’t think traditional claims to fame are going anywhere, but I do think social media can play a big part in enhancing it. For example, Bookstagram and BookTok are two examples of how social media can help grow the popularity of author’s work through Instagram and TikTok. Niche audiences aren’t so niche anymore, and these traditional celebrity professions have the chance to maintain their ability to create someone famous, but now it can be that much easier.
Works Cited
Barnhart, Brent. “How to Build a Brand with Celebrity Social Media Management.” Sprout Social, 8 June 2021, https://sproutsocial.com/insights/celebrity-social-media-management/.
Berg, Madeline. “Fenty's Fortune: Rihanna Is Now Officially a Billionaire.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 6 Aug. 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2021/08/04/fentys-fortune-rihanna-is-now-officially-a-billionaire/?sh=6b597f517c96.
Pisani, Joseph, and Theo Francis. “These TikTok Stars Made More Money than Many of America's Top CEOS.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 14 Jan. 2022, https://www.wsj.com/articles/these-tiktok-stars-made-more-money-than-many-of-americas-top-ceos-11642078170?utm_id=46862&sfmc_id=4782528.
Ben Labadia – Part 1
ReplyDeleteTo be a celebrity in today’s culture means to be socially relevant to a wide audience. Celebrities like Zendaya, who is both the star of many famous television shows and films, have large fanbases on social media. Zendaya is a very likable and humorous person, which draws more people in to enjoy following her. In the past, stars were either singers or musicians, like Zendaya, who started out on Disney Channel performing. However, now, as social media grows, it is less about the talent, and more about the brand of the celebrity as a person. Continuing the Zendaya trend, not only is she an incredibly talented singer, dancer, and actor (having won an Emmy in 2021 for her role in Euphoria), but she also shares her public life with the world. This includes her relationship with another major celebrity: Tom Holland. Tom Holland is Spider-Man, the biggest Marvel character at the moment, and someone known worldwide. Zendaya’s fans not only come to follow her, but they come to follow the relationship, and to enjoy this down-to-earth, adorable power-couple.
Therefore, social media and branding are probably the most important thing when being a celebrity in today’s world. According to Forbes, the highest paid celebrities of 2021 were ones who, at first became famous from their natural talents, such as Reese Witherspoon for her acting ability, but in addition, own a company or brand that provides additional income. Witherspoon was one of the top paid celebrities of 2021 because she received not only $20 million for her work on The Morning Show, but for selling her company Hello Sunshine (Voytko). Another example was Kanye West, who grew in fame because of his talent in song writing and rapping, but who now makes most of his money by designing Yeezy shoes for Adidas (Voytko).
Other celebrities come directly from social media and use their instant fame to grow a loyal fanbase. Some of these celebrities tend to do better with brand deals and ads on social media because of the higher rate of engagement that comes from a smaller celebrity (Wallach). The more a celebrity can connect to their audience, the stronger the relationship will be, and the more famous they are. As stated prior, Zendaya truly connects to the Gen Z audience on social media and is widely adored. Other social media stars, like Brittany Broski, have mid-sized followings, but are adored by their fans in similar ways to larger Hollywood stars simply because they make a point to have personal connections with fans. And social media, especially Tik Tok, “…followers are obsessive,” feeding off the short content posted to see more because of how hooked they can get (Pisani & Francis).
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DeleteBen Labadia – Part 2
DeleteIn 2021 and 2022, celebrities were specifically successful because of the personal aspects of their lives and how they utilized them to add to their brand and provide something interesting for their fans to grasp onto. For example, Adele released her album 30 after having not released an album in a decade. This album, however, comes sorely after her divorce, as she opens up to her fans about what that time in her life was like (Stephanou). Britney Spears, too, became relevant again because of the fight for her rights within her conservatorship, and she trended multiple times with the “Free Britney” movement (Stephanou). Fans new and old came together to support her in this time in her life, and the fact that she became so open about what was happening to her was what drew the fans in.
Thus, it is the social relevance that celebrities require to maintain celebrity status in a day and age where people enjoy closer connections to people they follow. While some celebrities choose to build their bank accounts with business ventures, those who capitalize off the connections to their fans truly build the brand loyalty it takes to be a beloved celebrity.
Works Cited
Pisani, Joseph, and Theo Francis. “These TikTok Stars Made More Money than Many of America's Top CEOS.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 14 Jan. 2022, https://www.wsj.com/articles/these-tiktok-stars-made-more-money-than-many-of-americas-top-ceos-11642078170.
Stephanou, Angela. “50+ Most Popular & Trending Celebrities of 2022.” Tell Tales, 8 Mar. 2022, https://www.telltalesonline.com/26925/popular-celebs/.
Voytko, Lisette. “The Highest-Paid Entertainers 2022.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 6 Mar. 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2022/02/09/the-highest-paid-entertainers-2022/?sh=36c40434331a.
Wallach, Omri. “The World's Top 50 Influencers across Social Media Platforms.” Visual Capitalist, 17 May 2021, https://www.visualcapitalist.com/worlds-top-50-influencers-across-social-media-platforms/.
To be a celebrity in these days you need to be unique and interesting. You must stand out and have a presence that keeps people wanting to keep up with you. Also, you can’t be boring, your personality and things you do keep people engaged. But social media and branding play a big role in careers.
ReplyDeleteThe Kardashian’s as we all know are famous for pretty much no reason. Kris Kardashian made her children’s careers by having their own show, and it was interesting. Though it was so staged and full of drama, that’s what kept people coming back. I used to be obsessed with watching Keeping Up with the Kardashian’s; I’m not sure why I liked it so much, but it kept me coming back. I think just seeing how they live and what goes on in their lives kept me interested. But by them having this show is what they were known for then they all went to do their own things. Kylie started her own make-up line, Kendall models, Kim started Skims, Khloe and Rob have clothing companies etc. They all have social media and have millions of followers and do brand deals to get even more money.
Kim being with Kanye can have a negative impact on her brand/image. The way he’s so vocal on social media sometimes affects her: according to “Kanye West Barred from Performing at Grammys Due to 'Concerning Online Behavior,' Rep Confirms.” Kanye West has been barred from performing at the Grammy Awards due to his “concerning online behavior,” a rep for the artist confirms to Variety (Aswad). Kanye has been posting the families personal business and attacking Kim’s boyfriend Pete Davidson. Kanye’s Instagram account even got suspended at one point.
Celebrities have large followings which really help their brand. For example, Rihanna was already famous for making music and then she came out with her own beauty line called Fenty. Her beauty line has been so successful over the years and now she’s a billionaire: according to “Fenty's Fortune: Rihanna Is Now Officially a Billionaire.” Rihanna is now worth $1.7 billion, Forbes estimates—making her the wealthiest female musician in the world and second only to Oprah Winfrey as the richest female entertainer. But it’s not her music that’s made her so wealthy. The bulk of her fortune (an estimated $1.4 billion) comes from the value of Fenty Beauty, of which Forbes can now confirm she owns 50%(Berg). By Rihanna being well known and already having such a huge following on social media allowed her to promote her beauty line successfully.
ReplyDeleteAlso, some influencers have had success at branding themselves and are now Celebrities. Emma Chamberlain, Casey Neistat, Dolan twins, Paul brothers etc. have become so successful over the years after starting on YouTube. Emma was very original and had her own style of vlogging and her personality made her stand out: “Influencers Are Now More Trusted Spokespeople than Celebrities.” states, for an influencer to impact a consumer’s choices, however, they must appear authentic. 58 percent of respondents said being authentic and genuinely caring about their interests is a very important trait for influencers to have, followed by 53 percent for being funny or having an engaging personality (Lai). Casey had his own way of filming and created daily vlogs that were very entertaining. The Dolans were identical, and I loved the content they made. The Paul brothers each did daily vlogging and were very entertaining. All these influencers produced good content which kept me coming back to their videos. The Dolans have been gone from social media for a couple years now, and I wonder what their doing these days. I know when they come back to social media they will probably be trending.
But I do think it’s still possible to become an actor, musician, writer etc. today but harder. Because social media plays such a big role, I think people are better off showing their craft on social media to be explored. Acting and becoming a musician is very competitive today. A lot of music artist actors too or turning to acting too: Post Malone, Harry Styles, 50 Cent, Jennifer Lopez etc.
Overall, I think it takes a lot to be a celebrity, and that social media and branding really matters throughout their careers.
Works Cited
ReplyDeleteAswad, Jem. “Kanye West Barred from Performing at Grammys Due to 'Concerning Online Behavior,' Rep Confirms.” Variety, Variety, 21 Mar. 2022, https://variety.com/2022/music/news/kanye-west-grammys-concerning-online-behavior-1235209759/#recipient_hashed=62dfc0b27ad1de67d64a0c44fb55f17fe8a7cd610e9d3f50edf2cced899812f7.
Berg, Madeline. “Fenty's Fortune: Rihanna Is Now Officially a Billionaire.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 6 Aug. 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2021/08/04/fentys-fortune-rihanna-is-now-officially-a-billionaire/?sh=352aaaed7c96.
Lai, Steven. “Influencers Are Now More Trusted Spokespeople than Celebrities.” [ION], 13 Nov. 2019, https://www.ion.co/influencers-are-now-more-trusted-spokespeople-than-celebrities.
Robert Lyon 1/2
ReplyDeleteSocial media is much like a double-edged sword. It is beneficial to those who use it properly both socially and monetarily. For those who abuse social media, well, like we see with Kanye West, it will get you barred from the most prestigious award ceremony in the music industry. Twitter and Instagram have no problem shutting down someone’s account these days, they don’t care if you are the President of the United States, they take down. It seems like Kanye West can’t get out of the spotlight even if he tried, but is he really trying or just trying to become even more famous? Some may wonder if he is just plain out of his mind, which may be true. When celebrities post things on Instagram or Twitter you often wonder if they just want their ratings/fandom to increase. There are celebrities like the Kardashians, Taylor Swift and J-Lo who have a large number of fake followers, leading many to ask whether they pay for seven followers. (Griffith) Why would these well known celebrities need to pay for followers, the answer is simply their competition, social media influencers.
Influencers have become the true celebrities of 2022. Where people used to buy whatever shoes their favorite celebrity was wearing, today millennials and Gen Z would rather see what YouTube influences Jeffery Star is doing. Influencers are now more trusted as spokespeople than celebrities where 50 percent of millennials said they trust influencers they follow for product recommendations compared to only 38 percent for their favorite celebrities. (Lai) More so than ever, it is easier for the average person to break into celebrity status, that is if you know how and what content people want on YouTube. Influencers are gaining popularity because they partner with major brands like Amazon, Nike, and American Eagle through short fifteen second videos through TikTok. Many times, these short videos are paired with music from artists like Lil Wayne, Kanye West, and AJR. Because Tik Tok is available in the global market, it makes it easy for anyone to become a “celebrity influencer.”
I certainly think in areas like theater and movies, the traditional route of gaining roles in certain movies and working your way up by being really good is still possible. Social media hasn’t really affected theater in that respect. In terms of the music industry and marketing world, social media is the place to gain followers. The more followers the more endorsements by major companies, music artists and the start of one’s own celebrity “influencer” status. As our attention spans for commercials and advertisements decrease, we want to be able to click on something that interests us and that we can relate to. More so than ever those of us who are connected to our devices don’t want to have to go elsewhere for entertainment, it’s a trend that will continue. The average joe will become the next Brad Pitt, mark my word.
Robert Lyon 2/2
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
Aswad, Jem. “Kanye West Barred from Performing at Grammys Due to 'Concerning Online Behavior,' Rep Confirms.” Variety, Variety, 21 Mar. 2022, https://variety.com/2022/music/news/kanye-west-grammys-concerning-online-behavior-1235209759/#recipient_hashed=62dfc0b27ad1de67d64a0c44fb55f17fe8a7cd610e9d3f50edf2cced899812f7.
Griffith, Eric. “Kardashians, JLO, & Taylor Swift All in the Running for Most Fake Followers.” PCMAG, PCMag, 28 June 2021, https://www.pcmag.com/news/kardashians-jlo-taylor-swift-all-in-the-running-for-most-fake-followers.
Hess, Amanda. “Celebrity Culture Is Burning.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 30 Mar. 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/30/arts/virus-celebrities.html.
Lai, Steven. “Influencers Are Now More Trusted Spokespeople than Celebrities.” [ION], 13 Nov. 2019, https://www.ion.co/influencers-are-now-more-trusted-spokespeople-than-celebrities.
Pisani, Joseph, and Theo Francis. “These TikTok Stars Made More Money than Many of America's Top CEOS.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 13 Jan. 2022, https://www.wsj.com/articles/these-tiktok-stars-made-more-money-than-many-of-americas-top-ceos-11642078170?utm_id=46862&%3Bsfmc_id=4782528.
Gage Kilborne 1
ReplyDeleteIn today's society, it does not take much to be a celebrity. The big thing you have to do in today's society is just stand out and start your own trends to be unique. A perfect example of a celebrity who stepped out of the box is Lil Nas X. Lil Nas X's album Montero was a big stepping stone in the right direction for him as he was able to gain a lot of media attention revolving his social media presence (Rindner). Nas X was able to provide little sneak peeks of his music videos to his audience to tease them for what his newest albums will be. We saw him use these ideas with a few of his new songs back in 2020 with Take a Daytrip and Call Me By Your Name (Rindner). This is a powerful tool that he used to connect with his audience at a personal level.
Social media plays a big role in how some stars can make their marks on the world. A perfect example of someone who struggled in the early years but found the spotlight by social media is Addison Rae. Rae first was living in a trailer, struggling to make ends meet until she came across Tik Tok. After the 20-year old made her first video, she gained followers in just a month to help better increase her glory and fame. Because of this, she became one of the pioneers for social media influencers and started a new trend that is being used today. Many children nowadays want to be social media influencers because the workload is lighter than getting out of your house. Addison Rae is now being well-recognized in the film industry for her efforts on social media. She also just signed a deal with a make-up brand business line called Item Beauty (Kerla). This has been impactful for how companies can get information about their products for their targeted audience.
Gage Kilborne 2
DeleteIt is still possible to become a celebrity by excelling in a particular profession. The big reason for this is because the top 10 highest-paying celebrities all had a certain talent that they use to reach the spotlight (Forbes). We don't necessarily see celebrities who are not talented being successful at a certain talent, but they are on the rise. Future stars such as Addison Rae are being put in films to give them an opportunity to pursue their desired careers. Overall, celebrities have come up with endorsements to appeal towards their targeted audience.
Gage Kilborne 3
DeleteEditors, Forbes. “The Celebrity 100: The World's Highest-Paid Celebrities 2020.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 2020, www.forbes.com/celebrities/.
Kerla, Agung. “Addison Rae Business Empire, a Tiktok Star with High Income.” BizIn, 12 Jan. 2022, thebizin.com/finance/addison-rae-business-empire-a-tiktok-star-with-high-income/.
Rindner, Grant. “How Lil Nas X Mastered the Modern Art of Attention.” GQ, 17 Sept. 2021, www.gq.com/story/lil-nas-x-montero-rollout.
Voytko, Lisette. “The Highest-Paid Entertainers 2022.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 6 Mar. 2022, www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2022/02/09/the-highest-paid-entertainers-2022/?sh=115092d0331a.
Wallach, Omri. “The World's Top 50 Influencers across Social Media Platforms.” Visual Capitalist, 17 May 2021, www.visualcapitalist.com/worlds-top-50-influencers-across-social-media-platforms/.
To become a celebrity in today’s culture it takes having a brand, niche, or something that fans want to be interested in. Being a celebrity like Charlie Dimelo, everything has to be crafted so strategically. Have a niche, which for Charlie was dance. Everyone loved her dances on Tik Tok during the pandemic, making her one of the most followed Tik Tok stars on their app. “Ms. D’Amelio’s compensation was higher than several CEOs of big publicly traded companies, including Exxon Mobil Corp. ’s Darren Woods ($15.6 million in 2020), Starbucks Corp. ’s Kevin Johnson ($14.7 million), Delta Air Lines Inc…(Joseph Pisani)”. She had what it takes to become a celebrity but staying relevant is even harder. Being on multiple social media platforms giving fans a closer look into your daily routines also captivate fans. Being original and unique is also a way to be a celebrity in today’s culture. Being innovative on tik tok will get you recognition and have a whole fan base of people wanting to follow you and keep up with the content. But do we consider tik toks like charlie dimelo a celebrity? What is the true definition of a celebrity? I think that word celebrity from its originality of notable people like mairlyn monroe had changed in the 21st century. It is also still possible to become a celebrity by excelling in acting. music , writing and other crafts. Lil Nas X is a perfect example on how to become a celebrity using your craft. “At the BET Awards in June, Nas performed “Call Me By Your Name,” kissing one of his dancers at the end of the performance. The romantic moment was praised by industry figures like Diddy, but his actions also drew the ire of the rapper Boosie Badazz, who has been bashing Nas since he first came out in June 2019(Grant Rinder)”. When Lil Nas X first rose to fame it was very controversial due to him being on the song “Old Town Road'' with Billy Ray Cyrus. A lot of country artists felt that Lil Nas X was more pop and didn’t like seeing a black male succeed in a dominant white genre of music. “In many ways, Lil Nas X finding it hard to gain acceptance in the world of mainstream country mirrors a time when influential black artists found it difficult to get airplay on country radio(Christopher Mosley). ” Becoming a celebrity in music and acting is still obtainable It’s Argued become actor or a musician your more of an A list celebrity and may have more respect and longevity then tik tokers.
ReplyDeletePisani, Joseph, and Theo Francis. “These TikTok Stars Made More Money than Many of America's Top CEOS.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 13 Jan. 2022, https://www.wsj.com/articles/these-tiktok-stars-made-more-money-than-many-of-americas-top-ceos-11642078170?utm_id=46862&%3Bsfmc_id=4782528.
ReplyDeleteMosley, Christopher. “'Old Town Road,' by Lil Nas X, Is Forcing Billboard - and Country Music - to Reckon with Its Roots.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 9 Apr. 2019, https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/old-town-road-lil-nas-x-forcing-billboard-country-music-ncna992521.
Rindner, Grant. How Lil Nas X Mastered the Modern Art of Attention | GQ. https://www.gq.com/story/lil-nas-x-montero-rollout.
Nicole Clemons
ReplyDeleteSocial media has a huge impact on who is a celebrity nowadays. Social media has turned a lot of people into celebrities over the past years. Whether you are an influencer, or from a reality show, social media has the ability to bring people to fame in a short amount of time.
To become a celebrity today it is easy if you go the route of social media. If you make post that is interesting and what people want to see you content will blow up. Also, you have to keep up with your social media accounts. When you reach fame this way you are considered an influencer. Who often times make a majority of their money through ads, and sponsorships. While traditional celebrities used their talents such as acting, singing, and dancing to reach their level. Although they may not be taking the same route a lot of influencers are making more than enough money, which is what drive a lot of people to become influencers “Charli D’Amelio, who started posting videos of herself dancing on TikTok in 2019, brought in $17.5 million last year, according to Forbes, which recently ranked the highest-earning TikTok stars of 2021. With 133 million followers on TikTok, she makes her money from a clothing line and promoting products in TikTok videos and other ads”(Pisani and Francis). A lot of influencers are joining in to get money and become famous quick.
Branding on social media is very important in growing your brand overall. Especially when you are new to the industry you want to grow your brand to have more things to rely on if something else falls apart. An example of this is with Addison Rae who got her start with TikTok, “she made $8.5 million last year, according to Forbes. Her earnings put her slightly above W. Craig Jelinek, the CEO of warehouse chain Costco Wholesale Corp. Last year, Ms. Rae starred in the Netflix Inc. movie “He’s All That,” expanded her makeup line-Item Beauty and appeared in commercials for clothing brand American Eagle Outfitters Inc” (Pisani and Francis). She is adding to her brand to have something interesting for her fans.
Nicole Clemons cont
ReplyDeleteAnother celebrity who constantly adds onto their brand to stay relevant and keep fans engaged is Travis Scott. When updating their brands, a lot of celebrities take to social media to make the announcements. It allows for them to keep fans updated on their lives and current projects on which they are working. Travis is also partnering and collaborating with companies to boost his brand, the "Sicko Mode" singer a "brand whisperer" landing him on its 30 under 30 list. He reportedly made $20 million from his deal with McDonald's, launched his hard-seltzer Cacti and partnered with Nike and its Air Jordan line on Cactus Jack, a sub-brand he created”(Ryder). Brands are collaborating with these celebrities to bring more attention to their companies, while celebrities are collaborating for more money and opportunities these deals bring. After his Astroworld concert his future with brands may be limited. With all of the controversy a brand does not want to collab with him and have the potential to hinder their brand which he is already seeing “. Nike has postponed the release of its latest sneaker collaboration following the tragedy. Dior is evaluating whether to move forward with its spring men’s line in collaboration with Scott”(Ryder 2021).
It is still very possible to become a celebrity by excelling in a specific profession, but I think more people will take the influencer route to get their start. There are a lot of influencers who have starred in film which was always a goal for them, but they were not able to reach it without becoming an influencer. There are many talents that someone with a specific profession will have that an influencer will lack, “On the other hand, social media influencers, while popular and engaging, are not professionally trained and may not always communicate the ad’s messaging in the best way and generate actual purchase.”(Zhang 2021).
Work Cited
Revglue. “Influencer Marketing: A Comparison of Traditional Celebrity, Social Media Influencer, and Ai Influencer.” Boston Hospitality Review Influencer Marketing A Comparison of Traditional Celebrity Social Media Influencer and AI Influencer Comments, 1 July 1969, https://www.bu.edu/bhr/2021/10/04/influencer-marketing-a-comparison-of-traditional-celebrity-social-media-influencer-and-ai-influencer/#:~:text=Traditionally%2C%20celebrity%20endorsers%20are%20movie,et%20al.%2C%202019).
Pisani, Joseph, and Theo Francis. “These TikTok Stars Made More Money than Many of America's Top CEOS.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 13 Jan. 2022, https://www.wsj.com/articles/these-tiktok-stars-made-more-money-than-many-of-americas-top-ceos-11642078170?utm_id=46862&sfmc_id=4782528.
Ryder, Taryn. “How Will Travis Scott and Kylie Jenner's Brands Be Impacted by Astroworld Tragedy? Experts Weigh in.” Yahoo!, Yahoo!, 24 Nov. 2021, https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/travis-scott-kylie-jenner-astroworld-concert-160645611.html.
Kaplan 1
ReplyDeleteSocial media plays a huge role in today’s celebrity culture. Many celebrities who have become famous within the last decade have social media to thank for their success. Other celebrities who became famous without social media now use it to boost their stardom. While people can still become famous through acting, music, and other means, it would be in their best interests to use social media to gain even more success and popularity. Social media is necessary to be and stay a relevant celebrity in today’s culture.
Social media has become key to branding and contemporary stardom in 2022. In order to become famous and stay famous, you must have a strong social media presence. There are many celebrities who were famous before social media’s popularity and now use social media to stay relevant. An example of this is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Johnson has 3.6 million followers on Instagram and is constantly promoting his brand by sharing gym pictures, workout routines, and healthy meals (Rodriguez, 2021). Johnson is known for his physique, so sharing health and wellness tips on social media is an excellent way to promote his brand.
While it is possible to become a celebrity by excelling in a particular profession, the most successful celebrities in 2022 strengthen their success by promoting themselves on social media. For example, look at Lil Naz X and Olivia Rodrigo. Both artists had multiple songs of theirs blow up on TikTok. This made their songs and albums skyrocket on the charts. “Call Me By Your Name” and “Drivers License” both hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 List (Busick, 2021). Both artists can thank social media for that number 1 spot. Both of the artists are famous for their musical talents but were able to use social media to gain even more success.
While it is possible to become famous by excelling in particular professions, many new celebrities are famous because of social media. Many Generation Z celebrities have gained massive amounts of success through social media. For example, Charli D’Amelio made $17.5 million in the year 2021. Her sister, Dixie D’Amelio made $10 million last year. Because of their success on social media, they are now starring in their own reality show The D’Amelio Show. They also launched a clothing line with Abercrombie and Fitch (Pisani & Francis, 2022). Their massive success on social media has turned them into major celebrities. There is no doubt about it, social media influencers are becoming as famous, if not more famous, as mainstream celebrities.
Social media has become a major part of life in 2022, so there is no surprise that it has also become a major part of celebrity culture. A lot of people spend hours a day on social media, so it is beneficial for celebrities to make sure they are relevant on all platforms. Social media has fully infiltrated the celebrity world.
Kaplan 2
DeleteWork Cited:
Busick, M. (2021, December 29). 20 of the top trending celebrities on social media in 2021. Shareablee. Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://www.shareablee.com/blog/20-of-the-top-trending-celebrities-on-social-media-in-2021
Pisani, J., & Francis, T. (2022, January 14). These TikTok stars made more money than many of America's top CEOS. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://www.wsj.com/articles/these-tiktok-stars-made-more-money-than-many-of-americas-top-ceos-11642078170?utm_id=46862&sfmc_id=4782528
Rodriguez, B. (2021, March 31). The 10 most followed celebrities on Instagram in 2022. Marie Claire Magazine. Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/a23863/most-followed-celebrities-on-instagram-in-2016/
It has become easier than ever to become a celebrity nowadays. Becoming “viral” is a term that has always been used when a celebrity is up and coming, but now it’s most prevalent through social media stars. Just a decade ago, celebrities were seen as musicians, actors, and athletes for the most part. Now, all it takes in today’s culture to become a celebrity is one video, or one photo. TikTok is a big culprit in the new ways of becoming a celebrity. Influencers have taken over the celeb world with their personalities so quick! It seems as though just showing your day-to-day life can make you have a huge following.
ReplyDeleteAlthough this is the new trend, there are still so many TikTok celebrities that show their talents and become viral. For example, Benson Boone, a TikToker who started singing for fun on TikTok a few years ago ended up going on American Idol! “Almost a year after auditioning for the series, the singer has released a single ‘Ghost Town’ with Night Street/Warner Records. The song became a huge hit, especially on Tiktok where it went viral and raised the numbers of Benson’s monthly listers on Spotify” (Jenkins). It’s crazy how about a decade or two ago, YouTube used to be the platform where singers could find their fame, and now they’re moving onto TikTok.
Social media has become a huge part in branding celebrity and is pretty much the only way for celebrities to stay relevant. “We all know celebrities drive pop culture. When it comes to social media, they often have huge followings on their own pages, but also are mentioned by other celebrities, fans, and publications, shaping conversations and culture” (Busick). There is so much that celebrities can do now with their social media pages to raise awareness, get more drive towards their brand, and interact with their fans to show authenticity. An example where a celebrity ruined their reputation on social media, was with Kanye West. “Based on his social media posts and activity in the past few months alone, he might use the stage to continue his online harassment of Pete Davidson, his estranged wife Kim Kardashian’s new boyfriend; he could attempt to lobby public sentiment for custody of his children-” (Aswad). Kanye West has been using his social media to reveal private messages between him and his wife along with messages with other people in his life. He has created tension between multiple celebrities and hasn’t been able to be controlled, therefore he has been banned from performing at the Grammys due to concern.
This just shows how important social media is for celebrities as it effects their whole persona. Whether it be an influencer like Charli D’Amelio on TikTok, or a famous musician like Justin Bieber, social media presence is important all around. Even though the world has made a turn in how they define celebrity, there will always be a possibility to become a celebrity simply by excelling in a particular profession. Humans crave watching and listening to talent, there will never be too much of it.
Works Cited
Aswad, Jem. “Kanye West Barred from Performing at Grammys Due to 'Concerning Online Behavior,' Rep Confirms.” Variety, Variety, 21 Mar. 2022, https://variety.com/2022/music/news/kanye-west-grammys-concerning-online-behavior-1235209759/#recipient_hashed=62dfc0b27ad1de67d64a0c44fb55f17fe8a7cd610e9d3f50edf2cced899812f7.
Busick, Madison. “20 Of the Top Trending Celebrities on Social Media in 2021.” Shareablee, Shareablee, 29 Dec. 2021, https://www.shareablee.com/blog/20-of-the-top-trending-celebrities-on-social-media-in-2021.
Jenkins, Justin, et al. “Benson Boone Is Thriving since 'American Idol' Withdrawal.” Talent Recap, 8 Dec. 2021, https://talentrecap.com/benson-boone-is-thriving-since-american-idol-withdrawal/#.
Amanda Perlin
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1, Part 1
Today, social media has become the main way for celebrities to establish themselves as they see fit. Tik Tokers, celebrities, and influencers are some of the people who use it to promote themselves. Getting famous can be a lot of different things, and social media has a huge influence on celebrity culture. It can be used to stay relevant and connect with fans. Social media has become the most important and influential virtual space and It's also a great way to promote your products and services. For example, in the Visual Capitalist article, it states “social media can also be an equalizer of power. It’s true that many celebrities boast large followings across platforms, but social media has also enabled previously unknown personalities to turn YouTube or TikTok fame into veritable star power and influence.” (Wallach). The power of social media is admirable as it allows users to reach a huge audience in seconds. It's also important to make sure that the platforms that you use are ones that are commonly used by your target audience. To answer the question; is it still possible to become a celebrity simply by excelling in a particular profession? I would say that It's still possible to become a famous person simply by being good at what you do. However, it takes a lot of effort and confidence to become a successful celebrity. The more people see that you are good at what you do, the more likely it is that they will start following you. For instance, TikTok influencer duo D'Amelio and her sister became famous after posting videos of themselves dancing on the platform. Their success has led to them being considered one of the top influencers on the platform. According to, These TikTok Stars Made More Money Than Many of America’s Top CEOs, “Dixie D’Amelio, Charli’s older sister, has about half the TikTok followers of Charli D’Amelio. But she was the second highest TikTok earner last year, according to Forbes, bringing in $10 million.” (Pisani and Francis).
Amanda Perlin
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1, Part 2
According to Forbes, D'Amelio earned $17.5 million last year. She made her living by sharing videos of herself dancing and promoting various products on TikTok. “With 133 million followers on TikTok, she makes her money from a clothing line and promoting products in TikTok videos and other ads.” (Pisani and Francis). Today, social media is a vital part of the lives of cultural influencers. It has become a platform that people turn to for entertainment, news, and recommendations. “Billions of people turn to social media for news, engagement, recommendations, and entertainment, and new platforms are always on the rise.” (Wallach). Everyone has talent on the platform, regardless of their genre. It's all about creativity and sharing, and songs that were previously not popular can suddenly become hits again. Viral videos can wake up a person's entire life, and many content creators have found themselves with multiple career opportunities. According to, ABS & CBN News, one of the most popular personalities on TikTok is YanYan De Jesus, who has gained instant fame for his dance covers and comedy appearances. He is also the 2019 SEA All-Star Champion. “TikTok sensation YanYan De Jesus who has achieved instant fame for his lively dance covers and comedy stints.” (ABS-CBN News). It's not about ethnicity or race, just content that's interesting and shareable. This platform aims to promote cultural diversity and bring a modern twist to the Filipino's traditional culture.
Works Cited:
ABS-CBN News, and TikTok. “How TikTok Is Making an Impact on Pop Culture and the World.” ABS, ABS-CBN News, 16 Sept. 2020, https://news.abs-cbn.com/advertorial/life/09/16/20/how-tiktok-is-making-an-impact-on-pop-culture-and-the-world.
Pisani, Joseph, and Theo Francis. “These TikTok Stars Made More Money than Many of America's Top CEOS.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 13 Jan. 2022, https://www.wsj.com/articles/these-tiktok-stars-made-more-money-than-many-of-americas-top-ceos-11642078170.
Wallach, Omri. “The World's Top 50 Influencers across Social Media Platforms.” Visual Capitalist, 14 May 2021, https://www.visualcapitalist.com/worlds-top-50-influencers-across-social-media-platforms/.