Celebrity Culture

Portrait photography became popular during the late 19^th and 20^th century. During that time, photography would often become a spectacle involving people acting out scenes from mythology or religion. Photography regarding popular people of the time would display their achievements. However this was often reserved for men rather than women. Photographs of popular women often displayed their physical beauty.

Celebrity culture became increasingly popular throughout the Golden age of Hollywood (1927-1960). Since the concept of the modern celebrity had only just started to flourish, popular people would still portray normality that would bring them down to earth. Clark Gable was a hero in real like as well as on the cinema screen. He had joined the US army during WWII. Bette Davis married a man who claimed had never heard of her.

This normality began to change with Marilyn Monroe. Monroe was known for her glamorous roles and her equally glamorous lifestyle. Her sudden quickly cemented her image as an iconic celebrity. The public had no idea of what she was really like under her celebrity status and can only remember her as an icon.

Andy Warhol explored the idea of celebrity through his artwork of famous people like Monroe and Elvis Presley. These works of art state that celebrities are different people underneath their public image. The overlapping images suggest their repeated coverage in the media. The images look like they have degraded overtime also hinting at the degradation of an individual from repeated publicity.

Over time, the concept of the celebrity has become increasingly popular. There has been a rise in the amount of reality shows catering towards the public’s need for attention and their ‘fifteen minutes of fame’, and the media’s constant demand for new celebrities. Our demand for these people has created a huge market generating a lot of profit which offers the question of who is gaining this profit. The general masses of society go through celebrities like they are dispensable, while the paparazzi try to provide as much coverage as they can, ultimately the company’s creating this circle of finding a focal point and reporting on it are generating the income.

The advent of social media sites like twitter has taken the role of celebrity to new heights. People can now type down their thoughts or opinions and make them public. We can now follow people and gain access to their personal lives. This constant coverage also comes with a more productive use. The 2012 Kony movement was an attempt to make the war criminal, Joseph Kony , a celebrity. By gaining widespread attention, people can become more aware of his crimes and try to make him and his actions public.