A celebrity is a person who is widely recognized in a society. Fame is one prerequisite for celebrity status, but not always sufficient. For example, as "infamy" has passed out of common English usage, high-profile criminals may be considered to be famous, but they are not always celebrities. Traditionally, politicians are rarely described as celebrities, but in the era of television, some have had to become de facto celebrities. Today's celebrities are largely figures from television and movies. This article is in need of attention. ... Common stereotype of a criminal A crime in a broad sense is an act that violates a political or moral law. ... For other uses see film (disambiguation) Film refers to the celluliod media on which movies are printed Film — also called movies, the cinema, the silver screen, moving pictures, photoplays, picture shows, flicks, or motion pictures, — is a field that encompasses motion pictures as an art form or as part of...

Defining celebrity

Defining the concept of "celebrity" is difficult. Fame, usually connected to an accomplishment or wealth, is generally considered to be a prerequisite. The Roman definition, as Bossuet remarked to the Academie Francaise in 1671, consisted in doing actions worthy of being written, or of writing worthy of being read [1] (http://wikisource.org/wiki/Discours_%C3%A0_l%27Acad%C3%A9mie_fran%C3%A7aise). Sociologically, celebrity is synonymous with "highly visible upper class", though an upper-level income is not strictly necessary for celebrity. Jacques_Benigne Bossuet (September 27, 1627 - April 12, 1704) was a French bishop, theologian, and court preacher. ... The Acad mie fran aise (French Academy) is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language. ... Aristocracy is a form of government in which rulership is in the hands of an upper class known as aristocrats. ...

Celebrity is not unique to modern societies; royal families, the nobility, popular preachers, and other religious leaders were the celebrities of pre-industrial societies. Additionally, mythical or literary figures such as Perseus, Roland, and Hamlet played the roles of the celebrity. A royal family is the extended family of a monarch. ... The Lords and Barons prove their Nobility by hanging their Banners and exposing their Coats-of-arms at the Windows of the Lodge of the Heralds. ... For the computer game, see Myth (computer game). ... Literature is literally an acquaintance with letters as in the first sense given in the Oxford English Dictionary (from the Latin littera meaning an individual written character (letter)). The term has generally come to identify a collection of texts. ... Perseus with the Head of Medusa Perseus, Greek Περσεύς, was the son of Danae, the only child of Acrisius king of Argos. ... This article is about historical/legendary figure, for other uses, see Roland (disambiguation). ... The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a tragedy by William Shakespeare and one of his most well-known and oft-quoted plays. ...

More people who previously would not have become celebrities are now having the chance for celebrity through reality TV.

Rise of celebrity culture

The modern mass media has increased the exposure and power of celebrity. Often, celebrity carries with it immense social capital that is highly sought-after by some individuals. High-paying jobs and other social perks unavailable to most people are readily available to celebrities, even for work not connected to the talents or accomplishments that made them famous. For example, a retired athlete might receive high "speaking fees", or compensation for public appearances, despite his talent having been sports, not oratory. Mass media is the term used to denote, as a class, that section of the media specifically conceived and designed to reach a very large audience (typically at least as large as the whole population of a nation state). ... Social capital refers to the collective value of all social networks and the inclinations that arise from these networks to do things for each other, according to Robert Putnam, author of Bowling Alone and the concepts leading exponent (though not its originator). ... A speaking fee is payment awarded to an individual for speaking at a public event. ...

While some envy celebrities, and many aspire to celebrity, some who have attained it are ambivalent about their status. Often, celebrities cannot escape the public eye, and risk being followed by fans or paparazzi. As well, child celebrities are notorious for having poor emotional health in adulthood, and often turn to drug and alcohol abuse when their celebrity (as it usually does) fades. Envy is an emotion experienced by one who intensely desires something possessed by another. ... For the article on the 2004 film, see Paparazzi (movie) Paparazzi is a term for photographers who take candid photographs of celebrities, usually by relentlessly shadowing them in public and private activities. ... In psychology and common use, emotion is the language of a persons mental state of being, normally based in or tied to their internal (physical) and external (social) sensory feeling. ...

Some participants in reality television shows have admitted that they appeared on these programs with the goal in mind of attaining celebrity. Most often, they achieve only "fleeting celebrity" with no social or economic value. Reality television is a genre of television programming which generally is unscripted, documenting actual events over fiction. ...

Celebrity culture, once restricted to royalty and mythical figures, has pervaded many sectors of society including business, publishing, and even academia (the scilebrities). Royalty may refer to either: the royal family of a country with a monarchy royalties the payment made to the owner of a copyright, patent, or trademark, for the use thereof This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... A scientific celebrity is a person who gains celebrity status in the media by representing their own scientific interests. ...

Only a small proportion of individuals in any profession can achieve celebrity. For those who do, the benefits can be substantial-- in the form of speaking fees, book advances, and high-paying "consulting" jobs from firms seeking access. There are disdavantages as well, however, academics and business leaders who become well known often lose credibility with their colleagues.

In many fields, such as the arts and publishing, a moderate measure of celebrity (being "established") is necessary before individuals are able to "get respect". Most non-famous individuals in these sectors are poorly-compensated, though they may be as talented or more so than well-compensated, famous people in the same field.

Celebrity structure

Each nation has its own independent celebrity system, and individuals who are extremely well known in India, might be unknown in Britain, for instance. Some subnational entities also have their own celebrity system, such as Quebec and Puerto Rico. In other cases, particularly in the United States, celebrity may be confined to only one state: Lin Sue Cooney, for example, is a well known television reporter in Arizona, but she is not that well known in other areas. ... State nickname: The Grand Canyon State, The Copper State Other U.S. States Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Governor Janet Napolitano Official languages English Only State Area 295,254 km² (6th)  - Land 294,312 km²  - Water 942 km² (0. ...

There is also a class of global celebrities, most often drawn from Hollywood, sports, and pop music. For other uses, see Hollywood (disambiguation) Greetings from Hollywood Hollywood is a district of the City of Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., that runs from about Vermont Avenue on the east to just beyond Laurel Canyon Boulevard above Sunset and Crescent Heights Boulevards on the west; the north to... Depending on context, pop music is either an abbreviation of popular music or, more recently, a term for a sub-genre of it. ...

Celebrity resentment

Because celebrities have fame comparable to that of royalty or gods in the past, some people exhibit curiosity about their private affairs. Due to the high visibility of celebrities' personal lives, their failures are often made public. Therefore, "celebrities" are usually viewed as exhibiting worse personal behavior and having worse moral values than most people. Whether this is true or not is questionable, because the exact meaning of the word "celebrity" is difficult to define, not all celebrities exhibit bad behaviour, and, sometimes, the acts that a celebrity does reflect social trends that non-celebrities might also do. Royalty may refer to either: the royal family of a country with a monarchy royalties the payment made to the owner of a copyright, patent, or trademark, for the use thereof This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... This article is about deities or gods from a non-monotheistic perspective. ...

Some have argued that the notion of celebrity is self-reinforcing and ultimately vacuous: some celebrities are not famous for their accomplishments, but merely famous for their fame and presumed fortune. For example, Paris Hilton would not be a public figure without her wealth, but her family's prominence has created and reinforces her fame. Hilton is in some senses a special case; she is famous at least in part for being an example of the perceived negative or shallow aspects of celebrity life, and some believe she is going out of her way to fill that role and gather further attention. Paris Hilton with her dog Tinkerbell Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981 in New York, New York) is an American heiress of the Hilton Hotel fortune, a socialite, model and actress. ... Wealth usually refers to money and property. ...

Professions that can confer celebrity

Some professions, by the nature of being high-paid and difficult to get into, automatically confer celebrity. For example, movie stars and television actors are almost invariantly celebrities. High-ranking politicians, television reporters, television show hosts and major-league athletes are also celebrities. A movie star is a celebrity who is well known for his or her starring, or leading, roles in motion pictures. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... A politician is an individual involved in politics. ... List of television reporters: Argentina Guillermo Descalzi Enrique Gratas Cuba Mirka De Arellano (on USA television, but Cuban) Mexico Maria Antonieta Collins Rosana Franco Blanca Gómez Joaquin Lopez Doriga Raul Peimbert Jorge Ramos Maria Elena Salinas Puerto Rico Junior Abrahams Maria Celeste Arraras Rafael Bracero Elwood Cruz Enrique Cruz... An athlete is a person possessing above average physical skills (strength, agility, and endurance) and thus seen suitable for physical activities, in particular, contests. ...

Some film and theatre directors, producers, artists, musicians, authors, lawyers and journalists are celebrities, but the vast majority are not. Some people in these professions strive to avoid celebrity, while others seek it. Any person who is able to get his or her television show will usually become a celebrity: this includes chefs, gardeners, and interior decorators on shows like Trading Spaces and While You Were Out. The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... A theatre director oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a play by unifying various endeavors and aspects of production. ... In the entertainment industry, a producer is generally in charge of, or helps to coordinate, the financial, legal, administrative, technological, and artistic aspects of a production. ... An artist is someone who employs creative talent to produce works of art. ... A musician is a person who plays or composes music. ... The word author has several meanings: The author of a book, story, article or the like, is the person who has written it (or is writing it). ... A lawyer or attorney at law is a person licensed by the state to advise clients in legal matters and represent them in courts of law (and in other forms of dispute resolution). ... A journalist is a person engaged in the profession of journalism. ... A chef (also executive chef or chef de cuisine), from the French for chief or head person, is the executive in charge of a kitchen, responsible for recipe and menu creation, staff training, and overseeing all cooking. ... A gardener is any person involved in the growing and maintenance of plants, notably in a garden. ... Interior decoration is the art of decorating a room so it looks good, is easy to use, and functions well with the existing architecture. ... Trading Spaces is an hour-long television reality program on the cable channel The Learning Channel. ... While You Were Out is an hour-long American television reality program on the cable channel The Learning Channel. ...

Celebrity families

Individuals can achieve celebrity, but there are also many celebrity families, such as the Barrymore, Cassidy (David and Shaun Cassidy), the Osmonds, Osbournes, Quintanilla, Sheen/Estevez, Stiller, Jacksons and Baldwin families, as well as the Bushes, Clintons, and Kennedys and some sports families. David Cassidy, in a still from The Partridge Family. ... Shaun Paul Cassidy (born September 27, 1958 in Los Angeles, California) is an American singer and actor. ... The Osmonds are an American family pop group who achieved enormous worldwide success as teenybopper idols in the 1970s. ... The Osbournes is a reality television program broadcast by MTV in the U.S. and broadcast uncensored by CTV in Canada. ... Barbara Bush, Jeb Bush, George H.W. Bush, Laura Bush, and George W. Bush watch tee ball on the White House lawn. ... The Kennedy family is a prominent family in American politics and government descending from the marriage of Joseph P. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. ...

Literature

High Visibility, by Irving J. Rein, Philip Kotler, and Martin Stoller, studies the phenomenon of celebrity. To them, celebrity requires not only fame, but fame with an evident monetary value.

External links

• Celebrities Fans (http://www.celebritiesfans.com/) Huge Celebrity Database, including addresses, photographs, biographies, and merchandisings.
• Who's Alive and Who's Dead (http://www.whosaliveandwhosdead.com/) Comprehensive list of living and dead celebrities
• Celebs at Piccas (http://www.piccas.com/) Get Famous - Describe the famous