Title:
Internet Personalities: The New Face of Celebrities?
Critical Question:
Should we consider our favorite internet content creators as celebrities; if so, what makes them celebrated and what influence do they carry in today’s society?
Thesis Statement:
In the internet age, internet personalities rightfully deserve celebrity status, since they, unlike their Hollywood counterpart, attract millions, if not billions, of views through uncensored, abundant, and relatable content; furthermore, denying celebrity status to internet personalities grossly underestimates the influence he or she has on their audience.
Brief Description:
Who are your favorite celebrities? Brad Pitt? Tom Hanks? Scarlett Johansson? If you google search, “list of celebrities,” an entire index of famous people, from Ringo Starr to Arnold Schwarzenegger, are found. Often when we think of a celebrity in the entertainment industry, we imagine a famous movie star who dominates Hollywood, or a rock star who sells millions of albums. Meanwhile, the internet personality, the dark horse of the entertainment industry, is basically pegged below celebrity status but above “commoner” status. This latter statement doesn’t make sense, because thousands of content creators attract millions, if not billions, of views. I discuss that the “Hollywood” celebrity is currently being substituted by the internet personality. Unlike Hollywood producers, internet personalities can create uncensored, cheap content. Furthermore, there is no façade between an internet personality and his or her audience, unlike an actor who’s always in the limelight. It is the combination of uncensored, cheap content and a relatable personality, among other things, that position internet personalities as the nouveau celebrity. Lastly, I will briefly discuss the reach internet personalities have on their audiences. Uncensored, cheap content is a double-edged sword. The subject of my research addresses the society and technology aspect of the STS field.
Tentative Outline:
My introduction will begin with a brief brainstorm of celebrities. Often Hollywood movie stars or rock stars are the celebrities, while internet personalities lie in a gray area of fame. I will argue that internet content creators are usurping those in the limelight through uncensored, cheap content and a relatable personality.
I will begin my body paragraphs by defining the term celebrity. What does it mean to be celebrated? Then, I might include examples of celebrities from recent history and the medium in which they reached their audience. I will then transition into our modern means of media, the internet. The internet, unlike any technology in history, allows for immediate communication between users. Furthermore, to create a video on the internet, on a website such as YouTube, does not require millions of dollars and hundreds of staff to produce. Internet personalities, compared to their Hollywood counterpart, can produce content cheaply and abundantly. It’s small wonder that memes and other content on the internet burn out quickly; despite this, the content from internet personalities provide a steady, frequent stream of entertainment to audiences. Not only is this content abundant, internet personalities are virtually uncensored. For example, the hosts of the popular reality TV series, Top Gear, were limited by the BBC’s policies for public broadcasting. Now, as the hosts transitioned to Amazon with their new series, The Grand Tour, there are less limitations. The sandbox nature of the internet allows content creators to satisfy any niche, while traditional TV is limited by what can be “advertisable.”
I will also discuss the relationship between an internet content provider and his or her audience. An actor or rock star must be extremely talented or lucky to reach the limelight. Moreover, the limelight creates a barrier between the celebrity and the audience. The audience cannot relate to a star in the limelight compared to an internet personality who creates vlogs about his or her life on a fifty dollar camera.
Lastly, I will discuss the influence of internet personalities today. Cheap, uncensored content is a double-edged sword. Internet personalities must be responsible for the content they post online. By incorporating recent examples of irresponsible content, such as Logan Paul’s suicide video, I will argue that internet personalities should be held to the same standard as today’s celebrities.
Bibliography:
Choi, Chong Ju, and Ron Berger. “Ethics of Celebrities and Their Increasing Influence in 21st Century Society.” Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 91, no. 3, 2010, pp. 313–318. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/27749800.
Juhasz, Alexandra. “Learning the Five Lessons of Youtube: After Trying to Teach There, I Don’t Believe the Hype.” Cinema Journal, vol. 48, no. 2, 2009, pp. 145–150. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20484456.
Keslassy, Elsa. “Cannes: Thierry Fremaux Explains Fest’s Thinking on Red Carpet Selfie Ban, Netflix Policy and #Metoo.” Variety, 24 Mar. 2018, http://variety.com/2018/film/news/cannes-film-festival-thierry-fremaux-red-carpet-selfies-1202735264/.
Maltby, John, et al. “Personality and Coping: A Context for Examining Celebrity Worship and Mental Health.” British Journal of Psychology, Wiley/Blackwell (10.1111), 24 Dec. 2010, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1348/0007126042369794.