The Intersectionality of Social Media and the Celebrity

Why did I choose to blog about this topic, you may ask? Well, I am currently going into my senior year here at USC, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and a minor in Culture, Media and Entertainment. Be that as it may, I have had my fair share of Communication classes that heavily focus on the digital realm in which we live today, and how this has an impact on our culture…especially the culture of celebrity. Perhaps one of the sole reasons I chose to enroll in the school of Annenberg was because of my growing fascination with celebrities and popular culture — and these days, one cannot have celebrity without the marriage of social media.

I am a millennial. Now, I know that some slight semantic satiation has developed due to the overuse of this word, especially from the Gen X folks, but when I say that I am a millennial, I mean that I embody every characteristic one such millennial has from A to Z. MY LIFE LITERALLY REVOLVES AROUND TECHNOLOGY. I am a social media addict. There. I said it. I cannot start my day without checking my social media first thing in the morning; I cannot go to bed without checking my social media at night; and I most certainly cannot go an entire day without verbally or technologically sharing something that I stumbled upon via social media. And in my case, most of the things I share with people has to do with celebrities because they are figuratively plastered all over my social media accounts. I follow models, actors, comedians, designers, and artists, to name a few.

The culture of celebrity is constantly changing and seems to — as of lately — be heavily revolving around social media. How has the evolution of social media and its role in our society shaped the way we view celebrity? What does it even mean to be a “celebrity” these days, and how does one go about achieving such a celebrated status? Where did the idea that one’s fame is measured by how popular one is in the media originate from? These are only a few questions I would like to discuss in my blog, but I would also like to prove and support the statement/assumption that anyone can be a celebrity. I am hoping to find extensive research that was constructed on how one can achieve and maintain fame in the 21st century. I would like to look at how some of today’s top influencers use social media to boost their status in the Hollywood hierarchy, and gain even more fandom. These influencers include, but are not limited to: Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and even political figures such as President Obama and…dare I say it…Donald Trump.

I would also like to discuss celebrities who actually emerged from social media, not just celebrities who have used it to their advantage, but famous YouTube stars and “Instafamous” celebrities who actually became famous because of what they post to social media. Perhaps it would also be interesting to dissect each social media platform (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, etc.) and look at the different ways — or marketing strategies, if you will — that celebrities fabricate their content to draw in the attention of the public, and in some cases, to sell a product. For instance, Kim Kardashian posted a nude selfie to Instagram a few months back. Why did she choose to post on this platform rather than, say, Twitter? Another interesting aspect would be to delve deeper and to really analyze how celebrities in social media affect our everyday lives. Not only has social media changed the meaning of “celebrity”, but it has also changed the way we think and act on a day to day basis. Would we be so strongly influenced by today’s “celebrities” if social media didn’t exist? I don’t think so…