The process of fame in our world has only become more and more fascinating thanks to the arrival of the Internet. It has never been easier for the average human being to achieve their 15 minutes of fame than today, a development that is as horrifying for some as it is exciting for others.
As this YouTube user explains, "[On the Internet,] there is a wide fuzzy gradient between who is famous and who is not famous...People can be WordPress famous, Tumblr famous, Facebook famous...or they can find themselves famous without trying to be."
Of course, as the quantity and intensity of fame in our world has only become more pronounced, it has also led the outcry against famous people to become louder and more impassioned. This is something we see everyday in comment sections across all forms of social media. Kim Kardashian is as much loved as she is hated, along with her hubby, Kanye West.
But are these emotions misguided? In the case of hate, the video above explains that media and public opinion (both widely disseminated by the Internet) coalesce to form a distorted truth regarding the identity of a hated subject. Using indie game designer Phil Fish and mainstream 'hard' rock band Nickelback as primary examples, the critic explains how the target that the public creates for their vitriol often fails to accurately represent the actual person or group that they claim to despise. Essentially, it's a confusion of symbols and reality, and this blurring results in fame making people easy targets for both the public and the media (as well as oh-so-many page views).
If you're looking for an accessible philosophical and social discourse to spruce up your day, then look no further. This is a well-reasoned and thoughtful assessment of how we judge fame and famous people in our culture.
Oh, and as a sidenote: here's some news on Phil Fish that just popped up this afternoon. Unsurprisingly, the take is not flattering.
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[via Gizmodo]
