Celebrity Concept Analyzed Essay Example

translational fame associated with sports individual is not a creation of their own but rather it is a creation of media and the public. As such, in order to come up with a wholesome picture pertained to celebrity life, analyzing specific aspects related to their peculiar obsession with media, stylish living, seeking social fame, fancying narcissistic behavior, product endorsement and public shaming are paramount.

The popular understanding holds the general view that celebrity life is characterized by excessive obsession with the media. It is undoubtedly true to assert that the majority of the shows which are aired live on TVs feature celebrities. Statistics indicates that 30% of the TV programs in the US have turned out to become platforms used by celebrities. Out of this percentage, nearly half of the programs are hosted by the celebrities personally. Some of the notable celebrities who host shows include Oprah Winfrey and Steve Harvey. These shows have turned out to be the most popular venues that host several celebrities. Generally, such reality shows are very popular in the sense that it is loved by a significant number of TV viewers. A 2011 report that was published in Los Angeles Times indicates that Oprah’s show is the most viewed reality-TV show in the entire world. In the US alone, close to 40 million Americans view the show on weekly basis. Moreover the same report indicates that Oprah’s show is popular in 150 countries. Therefore, the polarity of Winfrey’s show has earned her significant fame and she is regarded as a global figure. Additionally, the popularity of her show has attracted the attention of the several celebrities. The Oprah Winfrey show,

before it was officially terminated in the year 2011 by Oprah herself, had hosted over 500 celebrities. For instance, Tyler Perry, in the year 2010, featured on Oprah’s show where he tearfully admitted suffering a major sexual abuse while he was a child. In the year 1996, John F Kennedy JR was hosted by Winfrey just a fortnight prior to the ugly plane crash that claimed his (John) life later on ("Top 15 Most Frequent Celebrity Guests").

There are several reasons that compel celebrities to develop profound love for the media. One attribute associated with certain faction celebrities are that of narcissist feelings. Out of narcissism, a celebrity might deliberately use a newspaper or a certain TV shows to display his/ her wealth or fortune ("Celebrities And The Media"). Such situations are normally accompanied by excessive bragging. Hip-hop stars, in particular have a narcissistic attitude and whenever they are invited to a TV show, they appear so stylish. By doing so, the celebrities are actually demanding for attention from their fans and this can be achieved very well through the media. When individuals speak about the media and celebrities, most tend to perceive the media versus celebrity concept from the perspective that seek to exemplify TV shows and magazines as the only platform grazed by the celebrities mostly (Van den Bulck, Claessens and Bels 514-517). In fact, out of their narcissism, nearly all celebrities have resorted into the use of social sites such as the Facebook as a good platform that can be used for showcasing purposes. More often, different celebrities have perfected the art of taking pictures and video and posting them online. Generally, because

they (celebs) have fans globally, such videos normally go viral within the shortest period that one can ever imagine. For instance, Maja, just at the age of 17 had posted more that 500 selfies via Instagram ("Celebrities And The Media"). This is a clear narcissistic feeling whereby celebrities have clearly demonstrated how they value oneself.

In the process of acting out narcissistically, some celebrities have gone too far to the point that they have openly contradicted or rather compromised their integrity. For instance, Justine Bieber has been sported on several occasions performing without a shirt or at least any top cloth. Such acts are justifiable when a celebrity is performing on live-basis or during video shooting. However, in the event that they choose to go naked almost every time they are in public, they do so because they have developed a lot of narcissistic feeling. In relation to this case, Bieber has been sported shirtless on public places such as at the airport. In ordinary circumstance, it is totally outrageous to walk half naked in the public. However in the world of celebrities, such acts normally occur. Another celebrity who has developed a lot of narcissistic behavior is Kim Kardashian. She publicly announced that she has dedicated a whole 352-page album to Kanye West as a wedding gift ("Celebrities And The Media"). The majority of the pictures show the celebrity taking selfies of her rear in front of the mirror. This is purely a narcissistic feeling and the celebrities are doing it to attract the public attention. It seems that celebrities have perfected the art of creating a significant controversy and capitalize on the translational public

curiosity to gain more fame for themselves. What an infamous yet a tricky way of gaining public attention!

In the corporate sector, marketing department hire the services of various celebrities for product endorsement purposes. A 2000 business report indicated that nearly 25% of all corporate sectors in the US hire use celebrity endorsement as a popular market penetration technique (Gamson 1061-1062). Several firms believe that celebrities are better positioned to influence consumer attitude. Celebrity endorsement will definitely amplify revenue for firms. Marketing experts argue that the growing popularity for celebrity endorsement is not driven by anticipated revenue amplification but rather due to the fact that celebrity endorsement facilitates can add value on products and the firm’s brands. In most cases, when a celebrity endorses certain product, then there is a resulting increase in demand for that particular product (Gamson 1068-1069). Consumers perceive that a certain line of product is priceless simply because a celebrity has endorsed it. Because some of the fans regard celebrities as role models, they slowly develop an unprecedented obsession which will ultimately compel them to buy the product no matter the price. By using celebrities, firms seek to create such a situation and take advantage of the prevailing demand to technically increase prices. When David Beckham was hired to advertise Adidas shoes, the firm recorded the highest sales the following year. A good number of sports personalities engage in product advertisement.

For instance, Kobe Bryant and the argentine footballer Lionel Messi were hired by the Turkish airline to promote the Europe’s growing air industry. The 2013 video advert recorded a total of 7.7 million viewing hours and according to You Tube, this translated

to 857 years. As such, this is a clear indication of how celebrity endorsement is successful.

Celebrities also like shaming one another. In most cases we witness celebrities shaming other personalities of fellow celebrities in public. Although it is not clear why the celebrities prefer shaming one another, speculation has it that public shaming is very popular among celebrities simply because celebrities are associated with significant narcissistic behavior. This depicts celebrities as the type of a person who values their ego to the point that they cannot tolerate individuals who have personal differences with them. Kanye West has been a centre of controversy for the past few years. On several occasions, he has been seen physically assaulting paparazzi. He even goes ahead and assault fellow celebrities (Gamson 1065-1066). Public shaming take several form, for instance, a musician can sing just to insult those who are opposed to them. Critically analyzing why celebrities abuse others clearly indicates that they do so just to prove a point to the fans and command the same respects they held initially.

In conclusion, the term celebrity has been in existence for a very long time. In the current century, media revolution has improved our sociological understanding of celebrity concept and their peculiar obsession with the media. There is a controversy as whom and when can one bee described as a celebrity. In most cases, we regard musicians and movie stars as celebrities. However, recent development indicates that sportsmen are also celebrities. However, in order to come up with a proper understanding regarding the celebrity concept, there are certain factors or characteristics that are worth noting. For instance, celebrities are deeply obsessed with

the media. Their popularity has attracted the attention of firms’ marketing department who hire them for advertisement purposes. Sociologists express their concern that some celebrities harbor significant narcissistic feelings. Moreover, we have witnessed several celebrities shaming one another in public. Celebrities are associated with both positive and negative things. For instance, they can be hired for promotional proposes by firms. Moreover, celebrities such as Oprah are known for their charitable acts. However, on the negative side, some celebrities engage in public shaming to the point that some of them become violent in the process. Additionally, from the negative perspective, certain celebrity has been presented as drug barons.

Works Сited

1. "Top 15 Most Frequent Celebrity Guests". Oprah.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 13 May 2016.
2. Gamson, Joshua. "The Unwatched Life Is Not Worth Living: The Elevation Of The Ordinary In Celebrity Culture". PMLA 126.4 (2011): 1061-1069. Web.
3. Marshall, P. David. "The Promotion And Presentation Of The Self: Celebrity As Marker Of Presentational Media". Celebrity Studies 1.1 (2010): 35-48. Web.
4. Van den Bulck, Hilde, Nathalie Claessens, and Annebeth Bels. "‘By Working She Means Tweeting’: Online Celebrity Gossip Media And Audience Readings Of Celebrity Twitter Behaviour". Celebrity Studies 5.4 (2014): 514-517. Web.