The Celebrity Age and Reality Television
The word celebrity used to hold different meaning to the connotations affiliated to it now. Before the advent of reality television, celebrity was a consequence of public achievement, and represented a status that was earned through endeavours in film, television or literature. Actors who had starred in numerous feature films were defined by their career achievement, and celebrity was a following corollary of their deeds.
In today’s age, this has changed. Rather than celebrity being an effect of a person’s ability or career, it has become a direct aspiration to an entire generation. Youngsters growing up throughout the world no longer desire to be famous actors, writers or sportsmen, but instead yearn for fame and the perceived ideals of a celebrity status. People are now able to leap from anonymity to celebrity without anything tangible to bridge the cavernous chasm.