How do celebrities utilize social media to gain fame?

How do celebrities utilize social media to gain fame?

            In a recent interview with Olivia Munn, she went on to explain how celebrities use Instagram solely for fame and attention. Munn explained how “you can’t put out so much and then ask for your privacy and expect people to take you seriously all the time, the only reason is to get more followers or get likes, you want the fame and attention but if followers were the number one thing to getting a career, all the Kardashians would be in every big movie of the year.” Celebrities have now used social media in order for them to become closer with their fans as well. By using Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook it allows the stars to have the chance to talk to their fans in a moderately safe atmosphere. Social media allows fans to feel like they know celebrities on a more personal level. I’m sure many of us are guilty of following our favorite stars and feeling like we know them personally because we saw a picture of what they ate for lunch. It is quite bizarre if you really think about it but when it comes down to it, celebrities and fans use their social media to connect to each other. Fans can feel like celebrities are average people based off of what they see on their social media accounts. All publicity is good publicity in the eyes of a celebrity, although not every interaction on social media is positive. For example, the famous Amanda Bynes scenarios got everyone talking about her again when she fell out of the spotlight because of her twitter rampage. Social media has also become a way for celebrities to promote themselves. Daily instagram photos, tweets, and Facebook posts keep celebrities in the public eye and make them stay relevant.

            There are ten celebrities who are said to have the best social media skills. Robert Downey Jr. uses Facebook to promote his new upcoming movies and is a big fan of the new fad “selfies”. All of his social media posts come from him directly so it makes him seem down to earth and authentic, which his fans love. Vin Diesel who normally stays out of the spotlight is also the most-liked actor on Facebook with an outstanding number of 80 million likes and is also the 9^th most liked page on the site. He gains between 500,000 and 1 million likes every week, which makes him stay relevant because otherwise, you don’t see his name mentioned that much in the tabloids. Olivia Wilde is usually posting quite comical tweets, however she uses Twitter and Facebook to publicly support her numerous amounts of charities that she is involved in as well as her non- profit work. Ellen DeGeneres has also gotten herself the nick name “ Queen of Twitter”, as she uses twitter as a way to share her humorous personality and talk about her personal opinions on social issues, which her fans love. Oprah Winfrey is a celebrity that is known to be constantly skype-ing, tweeting, or Facebooking encourage advice to her readers and she makes sure she comes across very personally to her fans through social media. Leonardo DiCaprio solely uses social media to influence and spread the word on political and environmental issues. Ashton Kutcher uses social media to mainly spread the word about what the definition of beauty really is, women’s rights, what it means to really actually be happy. John Green who is the author of The Fault in Our Stars and was just labeled by Time Magazine as one of the top 100 most Influential People in 2014, uses social media, mainly Twitter as a way to talk about everything that is anything and has gained himself a respected reputation because of that. George Takei, has kept himself relevant by constantly posting hilarious status updates and always posting and supporting his views on gay rights. He is claimed to be one of the most loved people on social media. Elise Andrew is not even technically a celebrity but to people who know the famous Facebook page, I F**king Love Science, she is the founder and creator of the page. Elise has made herself known and talked about as if she is a celebrity because of the page that she has created.

            In an article written by the Huffington Post, according to Instagram, the top celebrity moments of 2014 were when, Blue Ivy and Beyonce dressed up as Michael and Janet Jackson for Halloween, One Direction’s Liam Payne joined Instagram and fans went crazy, Solanges wedding picture, Kim Kardashian actually broke records with the amount of likes she received with her wedding photo. Taylor Swift won everyone’s heart by the fact she began to comment on her fans instagram accounts, Justin Bieber posted a video of him recording music, Alicia Keys announced she was pregnant, Beyonce posted a picture of Jay Z and Blue Ivy to quiet all the breakup rumors, Lebron James posted a instagram photo with his two jerseys, and when Allison Wilson posted a “TBT” of when she was little. I am sure a majority of people can remember at least half of these Instagram posts and remember talking about them as well. This is how celebrities stay relevant and famous, don’t you agree?

           

Works Cited:

Marcus, Stephanie. "Top Celebrity Moments Of 2014, According To Instagram." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2015

"Olivia Munn Says Celebrities Use Instagram for Fame & Attention." Just Jared RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.

"How Celebrities Use Social Media to Build Their Brand." Social Media Today. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.

"10 Celebrities With The Best Social Media Skills." TheRichest. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.

Fame vs. Celebrities: How The Media Confuses The Two

Antonia Jones

What is the difference between being famous and being a celebrity? Is there even a difference? I believe the definition of celebrity and the definition of fame at the very least have overlapping characteristics. But the problem is that the media industry has blurred those lines. And they have done more than that. They have turned some people into celebrities who may or may not be worthy of this title.

I think the word celebrity can be defined in three parts. An article published by the Norman Lear Center describes two parts, “A celebrity must be known or he is no celebrity, which is why publicity is a prerequisite. So what turns a famous person into a celebrity? The grand answer, on empirical evidence, seems to be narrative.” (Gabler). This means that, in order for a person to be considered a celebrity, they have to be: 1. well known and 2. have a story. However, I would also add a third part to this definition. I believe that in order to truly be considered a celebrity, a person should have talent. How do we define talent though? What I may consider talent and what you may consider talent could be completely different.

Now, let’s quickly discuss fame. I would argue that the celebrity definition and the way in which we define fame are one in the same. For example, it’s safe to say that people like Leonardo DiCaprio, Sofia Vergara, Beyonce, and Bruce Springsteen are all celebrities. Each of them are well known, are interesting as people, have lives we want to know about, and have talent. In parallel to that, it’s safe to say that people like Bill Clinton, Steve Jobs, Anna Wintour, and the Dalai Lama are famous. They each are well known and each have contributed to different industries ranging from politics to technology to fashion to the spiritual life. The question is, do we care about their personal lives? In some cases, we do (cough, Bill Clinton), and in other cases we don’t.

We live in a world where we are surrounded by media and information. It is presented through high tech, on different media platforms, and on a range of topics. None of this is a bad thing, but I believe that Hollywood and the media industry have banded together to create a world where anyone can become a celebrity. In turn, this has watered down the entertainment world, the talent we see, the creativity we are exposed to, and even some of these industries themselves.

For example, why on earth is Kim Kardashian considered a celebrity? What valuable talent does she have? In fact, what the heck has she truly contribution to our society other than brainless entertainment? One celebrity blogger writes, “Infamous celebrities.. are famous for being almost universally disliked… Infamous celebrities are a direct result of public awareness of their obsession with the celebrity world” (Social Media and Celebrity Culture: The Division Between The Celebrity and The Fan). Alright, alright. I admit I have a love/hate relationship with Kim Kardashian.

I do, however, get exceptionally mad when famous people condone wannabe celebrities like Kim Kardashian. Last year, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were featured on the cover of Vogue. And for those of you who don’t follow the fashion industry, Vogue is the fashion world’s bible. There was a huge uproar because people did not think that the infamous couple belonged on the cover of such a prestigious magazine. Unfortunately, someone truly famous came to their rescue. As an ABC News article reported, “Twitter immediately erupted with comments regarding the engaged couple landing the coveted cover, but Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue, already knew that would happen. To combat any rumors about the collaboration, Wintour wrote her editor’s letter in the issue all about the idea to put the celeb duo on the front of the magazine” (Ellenbogen). You see, celebrities and famous people have more of an impact on our society than we realize.

These celebrities, as opposed to people who, rightly, are famous for their actual contributions to society, don’t just provide us with entertainment. Celebrities practically run certain industries. And who we let become a celebrity can easily reflect on who we are as a society. It’s okay that we condone them as a source of entertainment. Life can get boring sometimes and mindless entertainment can be satisfying, if not actually necessary. But there has to be a line somewhere. The question is where is it? Are we past it? Can we ever go back? Who knows. Hopefully, we have enough famous people who are also celebrities and who truly do contribute to our society in a positive way, in order to balance out the celebrities that don’t.

Work Cited

Gabler, Neal. “Toward A "New" Definition of Celebrity." The Normal Lear Center. Entertainment: Exploring Implications of the Convergence of Entertainment, Commerce, and Society (2001): n. pag. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.

"Social Media and Celebrity Culture." Web log post. Wordpress, 15 Nov. 2012. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.

Pappas, Stephanie. "Oscar Psychology: Why Celebrities Fascinate Us." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 24 Feb. 2012. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.

Ellenbogen, Rachael. "Anna Wintour Says Kardashian-West Cover Was 'Entirely Our Idea,'" ABCNews.com 21 March 2014. Web.

Hide Yo’ Kids: How Celebrities are Fighting to Protect their Kids from Paparazzi

Brittany Joyal

“Paparazzi”: the word itself dates back to the 1960s film La Dolce Vita which features a photographer by the name of Paparazzo. Derived from an Italian word describing a “buzzing, hovering, darting, and stinging insect” (Gloudeman), the name of this character denotes a deeper, more suggestive meaning behind the tendencies of celebrity photographers.

Paparazzi are notorious for going to any length to capture the “money shot”. Many may imply that with fame comes sacrifice and therefore dealing with the intrusiveness of paparazzi is simply a part of the package deal for celebs. However, when it comes to celebrities’ children, who arguably didn’t choose the life of fame, does the same notion apply? Stars like Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell, and others have taken a stand to fight against paparazzi harassment of their children, and several publications are jumping on the bandwagon in support.

An article in the Los Angeles Times addresses the mentality of consumers when it comes to celebrity culture by stating, “Too many consumers display a twisted sense of entitlement when it comes to gawking at celebrities’ lives. From celebrity breakups to makeups, manicures to miscarriages, we demand unfettered access to the private lives of our celebrities. The paparazzi are the embodiment of that public demand” (Rohwer). After having enough of paparazzi pursuits of their children Shepard and Bell took to Twitter and launched an anti-harassment campaign using the hashtags #pedorazzi and #NoKidsPolicy. A few months prior Jennifer Garner and Halle Berry also spoke out during a hearing in support of a bill aimed to protect celebrity children from paparazzi harassment.

The stars spoke and the publications listened. In an Editor’s Letter released by People Magazine,

editorial director Jess Cagle stated, “The editors at PEOPLE have always been careful when dealing

with photos of kids, but in the past few months our sensitivity has been significantly heightened, and

our editorial practices have changed accordingly” (Cagle). People Magazine is not the only

publication putting a stop to the publishing of unauthorized photos of celebritys’ kids. Adweek

acknowledges Entertainment Tonight, Just Jared, and Perez Hilton as others joining the movement

and states, “The bans are, in part, a response to a campaign started last month by actors Kristen Bell

and Dax Shepard” (Bazilian).

How is this going to change celebrity gossip? Anne Hellen Petersen of Pacific Standard forecasts a reversion to Classic Hollywood; in other words “heavily edited publicity when the studios and the gossip press collaborated to produce squeaky clean, highly palatable images for every star” (Petersen). This is a stark difference to the celebrity publicity we are accustom to today; society thrives off the drama of celebrity life and if publications begin to team up with celebrities to regulate images we will loose the escapism aspect of celebrity culture altogether. Petersen also states:

The boycott suggests just how dependent many of these outlets have become on celebrity cooperation: ET, People, Just Jared, and E! may have had some measure of altruistic intentions, but the real fear is losing access to not only Bell and Shepherd, but the phalanx of celebrities, with and without children, who support them.To these outlets, celebrities aren’t people, per se, but content sources—and without them, they lose the thing that distinguishes them not only from TMZ and Us Weekly, but the ever-proliferating number of (free) options for celebrity content online (Petersen).

If celebrities’ demands regarding this situation are being met now, who’s to say they won’t up the ante a few years down the road and boycott all paparazzi photographs? Do you think the no-kids paparazzi policy could change the nature of celebrity gossip?

Celebrities may now also have something much bigger (or to be proportionally correct, smaller) to worry about: drones. Drones, “small, unmanned, radio-controlled aircraft flying long-lens cameras and video recorders” (Sheridan) have infiltrated the lives of celebrities and their children quickly and easily oftentimes making appearances in backyards of private estates.

Originally these small fixed-winged machines were previously most well known for their role in warfare. More recently however, large corporations like Google have tested them as a delivery device for Amazon, and divorce lawyers are looking to use them to keep tabs on cheating spouses. In the lives of celebrities, we can thank drones for pictures of Tina Turner’s wedding, Anne Hathaway’s wedding reception, and Miley Cyrus’ backyard garden.

According to an article in the Daily Mail these gatecrashers are “readily available high street stores and online, thousands have been sold in Britain alone, with sophisticated ‘spy camera’ machines available for less than £300” (Sheridan). So what exactly can be done to remedy this issue? According to the International Business Times, “California lawmakers have passed a new privacy law that will make it illegal for members of the paparazzi to use drones to take celebrity photographs” (Stone).

As Rohwer states in her article entitled "Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard's Scheme to Sideline Aggressive Paparazzi", “Celebrity gossip is big business, and media companies have a financial interest in getting page views or selling magazines, regardless of how unsavory their practices. Our obsession with celebrity gossip has made companies…very rich” (Rohwer). Whose responsibility is it to protect celebrity children from paparazzi: the celebrity parent, or law enforcement? Do you think publications in support of the no-kids paparazzi policy (i.e. People Magazine) will lose audiences?

Works Cited

Bazilian, Emma. "People Magazine Is Joining Entertainment Tonight in Banning Paparazzi Photos of Celeb Kids." AdWeek. AdWeek, 25 Feb. 2014. Web.

Cagle, Jess. "Why PEOPLE Does Not Support Paparazzi Who Target Celebs' Kids." PEOPLE.com. PEOPLE, 2014. Web.

Rohwer, Susan. "Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard's Scheme to Sideline Aggressive Paparazzi." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2014. Web.

Celeb's Kids Mobbed by Paparazzi. YouTube-Celeb's Kids Mobbed by Paparazzi. CNN, n.d. Web. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpg4nKd3JJA>.

Gloudeman, Nikki. "Point, Click, Flash: A Quick and Dirty History of the Paparazzi." Ravishly. N.p., 26 May 2104. Web.

Petersen, Anne H. "How the No-Kids Paparazzi Policy Could Change Celebrity Gossip." Pacific Standard. Pacific Standard Magazine, 2 Apr. 2014. Web.

Sheridan, Peter. "Attack of the Drones: Hollywood Celebrities Are Besieged by Paparazzi Spies in the Sky. Worried? You Should Be... Because They'll Soon Be a Regular Fixture over YOUR Home." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 08 Sept. 2014. Web. 02 Mar. 2015.

Stone, Jeff. "California Passes New Paparazzi Drone Law To Protect Celebrity Children." International Business Times. N.p., n.d. Web.

From Tea Parties to Twerking; Miley Cyrus' Successful Rebranding Campaign

What do Walt Disney, spandex, and a twerking unicorn all have in common?

Any guesses?

Any at all?

The answer: Miley Rae Cyrus.

Recent headlines have dubbed Cyrus as “a girl gone wild,” but in reality, the twenty-something pop star is simply in the midst of a very well marketed rebranding campaign.  You can think of it as a similar process to the transition from a caterpillar to a butterfly, if that butterfly were to be one who takes semi-nude selfies, makes frequent drug references, and enjoys spending leisure time in the company of Snoop Lion. Cyrus has made the transition from a Disney child star to a cutting edge performer, and the news media has taken us along for the ride.

"Then and Now Photos"

The maturation of a child star’s celebrity presence is a common occurrence throughout the industry.  It’s simple; children do not stay children forever.  Just as your favorite wide eyed puppy will not live out its entire life as a large paw’ed uncoordinated ball of fluff, Miley Cyrus could not continue to market herself as a child actor.  The transition was inevitable.  However, many were unprepared as to how drastic her transition, and in turn, her rebranding, would be.  In an article published in Billboard, one industry professional speaks of Cyrus’ rebranding, writing, “Teen stars experiencing growing pains as they-and their music-make the transition to adulthood are nothing new.  Yet there’s something different about Cyrus’ next chapter.  It’s less a transition than a complete makeover- a brand relaunch, if you will” (Diehl).  And quite the relaunch it was.  Between Cyrus’ edgy dance moves, revealing outfits, and unpredictable conduct, the star’s behavior had even her best friend Leslie questioning what her next move would be.

After several racy performances on stage and screen, Cyrus took to social media to further cement the rebranding of her image.  From videos of the pop star twerking in a unicorn onsie to topless photo-shoots revealing the star’s new edgy persona (among other things), Cyrus mounted a full fledged social media campaign that continued to market her new image.  As discussed by P. David Marshall in an article entitled The Promotion and Presentation of Self: Celebrity as Marker of Presentational Media, Cyrus’ social media strategy is not a rare occurrence in celebrity rebranding.  Marshall explains, writing, “Celebrities are engaging in often very sophisticated uses of on-line and social media to produce a different presence (Marshall 432).  Like many celebrities in the era of technology, Cyrus utilized the platforms of social media, Instagram in particular, to gain momentum in her rebranding campaign and solidify her image as an adult, no longer under the control of the Disney empire.

One article published on the iMedia Connection website even addresses Cyrus’ rebranding technique as a model for other professionals throughout the industry.   The author writes, “Whether or not you saw Miss Cyrus’ performance as the result of a troubled teen lashing out or a brilliant calculated wizard manipulating her audience doesn’t really matter.  Even if you didn’t see it or aren’t a crazed Miley fan, you heard about it.  In her bold move, she managed to redefine her brand in minutes” (Farber).  The article continues, discussing the three things that Cyrus did correctly in the brand bending performance at the 2014 MTV VMAs including knowing the message she wanted to convey, targeting a new demographic, and sticking to her guns after all was said and done (Farber). Cyrus’ rebranding strategy showed that though many try to take a slow, steady approach to celebrity image alteration, shock value works just as well.  Cyrus’ dramatic, media worthy image change generated press coverage that further advertised her new image and cemented it in the minds of media consumers.  If anything, her dramatic approach at rebranding may serve as a positive model for future child stars looking to transition into the world of adult stardom.

In the end, Cyrus’ rebranding story ends like any other Disney story would; a happy-go-lucky girl finds her place in this great big world (Give or take a few recreational drugs).  However, one thing is for sure.  In the wake of her successful rebranding campaign, Cyrus will continue to take the music industry by storm, one bedazzled ponytail at a time.

ABC News

Works Cited

ABC News. "Happy 21st Birthday Miley Cyrus: Her Biggest Vices."  ABC News Network, 23 Nov. 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2015. <http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/happy-21st-birthday-miley-cyrus-biggest-vices/story?id=20982011>.

Diehl, Matt. "Miley: Calling the Shots." Billboard, June 2013. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.

Farber, Betsy. "3 Rebranding Lessons from Miley Cyrus." IMedia Connection. N.p., 07 Aug. 2014. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.

"Miley Cyrus - Then and Now Photos." Then and Now Photos. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2015. <http://www.thenandnowphotos.com/miley-cyrus/>.


P. David Marshall, “The Promotion and Presentation of Self: Celebrity as Marker of Presentational Media,” in The Media Studies Reader, Laurie Ouelette, ed. (New York: Routledge, 2012), 427 - 438.