living someone else’s dream, one flash bulb at a time.

It seems the gossip pages these days are slimmer than a Wall Street broker’s wallet, and the usual go-to sites for the scoop on NYC celebrity finally had to address the gossip column content crisis of 2009. Gawker outlined a pretty detailed list of reasons there has been a scant amount of attention paid to celebs or their scandal. One proposal made is that because no one has any money, no one wants to read about or watch the fabulous lives of celebs and socialites since there isn’t a hope in hell anyone could ever afford to party or shop like their favourite E! characters. Ummm…..I didn’t have two nickels to rub together last year just like this year, but you bet your ass I was watching Britney assault SUV’s with an umbrella, and I loved every minute of it.  Furthermore, if I did have even a fraction of the money it took to live the life of a beloved and famous Housewife, I’d be too busy swiping my black card at Barney’s to read Page Six (may it rest in peace).

Celebrity obsession has and always will be about escapism.  Sure people have problems right now. The majority of Americans had problems last year and two years before that and ten years before that. We read about the disasters of the rich and famous because we want to forget about the fact there isn’t enough money in the bank to cover this month’s rent or that there is another round of lay offs going down at the office next week.  We laugh at the blunders of our favourite blonde socialite to keep from crying at the pathetic state of affairs we find ourselves living in.

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around and around we go

The popular network and home of The Real Housewives of New York City, Bravo, is set to start filming a documentary-style reality show based on the lives of Manhattan’s private school teens.  Bravo has seen the success of shows like Gossip Girl and The Hills and has found their own way of capitalizing on this nerve-grating rich kid obsession.  Little detail has been released on who the stars of the show will be and the names of the schools will remain anonymous:

Speculations from….. Internet speculators reflect concerns about how realistic this show could possibly be, and how wealthy the stars of the show will actually be. Obviously as shallow as the premise of this show is, they can’t exactly show these teens blowing lines in clubs they aren’t even close to being of age to enter, and I doubt cameras will be granted access to their friends homes when they go to raid their parent’s medicine cabinets of all the Valium, painkillers, and Xanax they can get their hands on. Without that kind of controversial material, all you’re left with is a glorified, serial version of My Super Sweet 16, and I doubt even Hills fans could stomach that. (more…)

little fame ballers, just itching to get photographed!

This week was a bit more sedate than usual here in New York. Everyone’s been so obsessed with Super Bowl ads or Michael Phelp’s extracurricular activities to write about something interesting. Fortunately, Page Six Magazine identified a disturbing new “trend” among New York’s elite power mommies – multiples, and no, I’m not talking about the kind of multiples that elude just about every woman I know. Close though.

According to the piece, New Yorkers have taken a hint from Angelina Jolie and realized birthing kids the old fashioned way (one at a time) isn’t enough anymore:

“But the multiples explosion isn’t just a result of an uptick of in vitro fertilization—it’s also a symptom of New York do-it-all power mommies looking to multitask and keep up with the Joneses (or, at least, Brangelina).”

Let’s face it – babies are a status symbol, but who has the time for all those long, drawn out pregnancies?  And not to mention the time it takes to work off all that excess baby weight.  Instead, these multi-tasking mommas are begging their fertility docs (sex, apparently, is passé too) to try to make two or more of those little eggies stick.

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Where Fame Comes From?

Most systems have some sort of currency. Market economies have money. Cells have ATP. The fame game has attention. The currencies are often taken for granted; I don’t think why I can exchange a sweaty handful of bills for a sweaty handful of Bud Light–I just do it, and all is well.

In fact, it’s sort of unseemly to talk openly about currency in itself.  Talking about jobs among friends, we pass off money as a tangential factor: “The money’s better, sure, but I’m really excited about . . .”

So it is with attention.  We don’t say, “Gosh I enjoy staring at hot babes (dudes, cars, gadgets, whatever)”–in fact, in those cases, we don’t even say anything.  The reaction is internal and, often, unnoticed.

The name for a big pile of money is wealth; a big pile of attention is fame.  The difference is that people have spent a lot of time studying how money works.  One can, for example, get a PhD in economics.  When it comes to attention and fame, though, we act as if there’s some sort of alchemy that happens.

Really, though, fame comes from attention, and attention comes from individual people–from you and from me.  It’s time we start analyzing how people accumulate our valuable attention.

jamie lynn spears and penis enlargement pills are very similar

Celebrities are wealthy, generally speaking.  I got to thinking, though: how do they get that way?  The answer is obvious for certain classes, for example, socialites.  They inherit money.

Some other celebrities are well-paid for their work: think movie stars and Damien Hirst and certain other well-compensated artists.  This makes sense.  If Will Smith is an actor that America wants to pay to see, then the studios will pay him well.

Then there are the celebrities that initially stumped me, namely, recording artists.  The music industry is famed for taking a huge bite out of record sales, so it seems unlikely that someone like Ashlee Simpson could accumulate wealth through that route alone.  In fact, it seems clear that in many cases it is endorsements, magazine cover deals, and things like that that generate income.  In other words, for certain celebrities their marketable skill is getting attention. (see image)

My provocative theory on this is that these people, whether through attractiveness, salacious appeal, or representation of a potent cultural myth, operate on people like attention grabbing headlines or spam email subjects–they turn heads.

celebrating, artfully

The act of celebration has been permeating the American streets since the election was called a little before midnight Tuesday night. In New York, Barack Obama supporters congregated to celebrate victory in a rare moment of patriotism and even bonding with strangers. It was a night of fireworks, high-fives, hugs, song, oh and booze…

No celebration is complete without an iconic bottle of bubbly or another festive beverage of choice. Or so we have been told. This is an idea alcohol marketers have been clinging to since marketing and advertising were first introduced. The task (beyond making your campaign interesting) has become finding a way to distinguish your brand from all those other celebratory spirits. Who is having the most fun at their party? And what makes that party so special?

A good starting point, from the marketers prospective, is to find that person with whom you want to be celebrating or want to feel like while celebrating. Identifying is key. It provides both a context and implies a certain ideal. And done tastefully, celebration itself can be an art form.

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even your living room has a red carpet

The New York Post’s Page Six Magazine reports on a recent development that brings up a few questions for anyone interested in celebrities. It is now possible to hire people to create celebrity-style spectacles for “regular” folks:

Whispers of “Who was that?” can be heard. Ashley Tisdale? Miley Cyrus? One of the photographers has the answer: “Ariel. Don’t you know who she is?” Probably not. In fact, Ariel Jacobs is just a regular teen from Island Park, Long Island, celebrating her sweet 16. The shutterbugs? Hired by her parents from Celeb 4 A Day, a company that provides A-list experiences . . .

One of the first things that jumps out is the phrase “just a regular teen.”  Ariel, in other words, is not an authentic celebrity–is not, that is, someone whom paparazzi would photograph for free.  But what is it that makes paparazzi follow someone?  It’s money.  In the celebrity gossip mag world the money comes from customers desperate to gawk at familiar faces.  I would perhaps not blow too many minds by pointing out that many of the most photographed celebrities possess no visible qualities beyond those they share with Ariel: teen-aged, cute.

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congress enacted a new law requiring all obamaniacs to stand behind glass

What is an endorsement? Quite literally, endorsement means approval or sanction. So, in a political context, it means, basically, giving a particular candidate your blessing. But of course, then there is this year when each candidate represents something much greater than the policies he stands for. Through endorsement you are really subscribing to a brand, which then brands your brand for as long as other people remember you’ve formed that association. So, you best choose wisely.

The news cycle is a reality and a faux pas can only be front page news for so long, but this election will go down in history as one of dwelling, rumination, and might we even say obsession. Meaning, a bad decision on behalf of your own brand has the potential to raise its ugly head later defying any sort of news cycle “rules.” Now on this decision, from a branding perspective is it even really a choice unless you are, oh I don’t know, selling shotguns?

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Gossip Girl in Real Life! Who knew?

Celebrity. What does it mean to you? Close your eyes and what do you see? A glossy tabloid? Red carpet B-roll? Making it in WWD before you graduate from high school? These, at least 2 for 3, are certainly traditional interpretations. But, maybe 3 months ago celebrity meant that guy you follow on Twitter or maybe even yourself. Perhaps a month after that it was Barack Obama and now it’s some Alaskan hockey mom who, be her pig or pit bull, is definitely wearing lip color of some kind. What’s with the spastic flip-flopping? We’re redefining celebrity so regularly, it is getting difficult guess who the next protagonist will be. They just seem to be getting less sexy and more relevant to every day life. Sensible superstars if you will.

With the Dow recording its biggest closing point drop in history, we suppose it’s just a matter of time before economists become limited edition Barbie dolls or better yet the models that save Eleanor Waldorf’s show under the tents at Bryant Park. Right, Gossip Girl references (and not just because everyone else is doing it)—there to prove that while the face of fame may be evolving, traditional celebrities still fuel the fire. Tinsley Mortimer still makes guest appearances. We still care. And there celebrity goes again serving its function as distraction from everyday woes (only the woes have gotten bigger).

Is there a point when, in relation to the state of the world, that distraction just becomes annoying? And isn’t that the most depressing thought ever? Too much mundane or worse yet, merit-based fame in this country, and it may just be time to pursue that foreign visa.

NSFW, if not safe for work means AWESOME!

Olivia Malone is a photographer living and working in New York City. More of her work can be seen at by clicking here or visiting her total portfolio here: www.oliviamalone.com. DISCLAIMER: this is a nude woman. Accordingly, Olivia’s work asks some interesting questions about nudity and attention. She’s playing, and well. She sat down with Seth to talk about her game.

FG: Could you talk about some of the central themes in your work?

OM: My photography in general is always very exploratory. I always like to be discovering new locations. I have a background in music videos, and when I was 16 I used to get hired by directors out in LA to go do location scouting and since then it has been my favorite thing to do. When I first moved to New York, I remember meeting up with a photographer friend of mine to go way out into the Bronx and just shoot. Its kind of an obsession of mine. A lot of my work deals with identity and landscape. I think being from LA, I am also really interested in how comfortable both men and women feel with their bodies being photographed. And the way photography or photos can someone’s self-possession or insecurities. A lot of what I end up doing are these sort of weird pictures where my subjects end up covering their face and exposing their bodies, highlighting this disconnect between the two.

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are you witty? do you make snide remarks about celebrity that you think the world should know about? omg, come play!

It seems that if you like The Hills, you love The Hills. It’s the most widespread guilty pleasure MTV has fostered in years. So, how do you build your audience base from there? The key to building here isn’t necessarily growing in numbers, but rather in engagement level. In lieu of simply seeking more viewers, MTV has shifted its focus to crop of super users who are prime candidates for the whole marketing to thing. Partnering with Backchannel, The Hills has created a new gaming experience for users to compete in moderated Twitter-esque comment banter for…points. Oh and the competition extends to tagging comments based on popularity premonitions for…points.

Perhaps not as arbitrary as it sounds when you consider that the function of these points is to elevate the users credibility, presence on the site, and, in effect, proximity to the ‘talent’  of the show itself. Does Lauren Conrad look at the site? It is about her after all (although, I suppose at this point she may just keep her media perusing high-level). But, perhaps she has favorite players. Or will. And what happens when that favorite player is you? If the Backchannel experiences catches on it will yield a sort of micro-fame for the best players and we all know where that can lead. Heidi, Spencer, Whitney, beware!

Wired Magazine, Time Out NY, and New York Magazine — respectively.

[update: the whole post, now!]

One can hardly rush down the steps of the subway station without tripping over a magazine promising to explain this strange phenomenon of internet celebrity while, as a special bonus, also giving away the secrets of becoming internet famous. New York Magazine, Wired, Time Out New York, Wired again — it seems readers are desperate for this sort of thing. Therefore, we present the Play Blog guide to achieving internet fame and all its attendant pleasures . . .

1. Be Attractive. This cannot be stressed enough.  The internet is a visual medium, and so is the real world.  Attention is the lifeblood of celebrity, and being attractive is a great way to get attention.  Think about it: most celebrities are good looking.  Not just actors and models, but crossovers from other arenas as well.  At least have a good body for pity’s sake.

2. Be Rich. Having a lot of money will allow you to circumvent a lot of the obstacles that litter the path of lesser humans trying to reach internet fame.  You will be able to retain a publicist, penetrate the most exclusive scenes, and undertake elaborate PR stunts.  Bonus: your wealth will fuel your celebrity as it enhances your ability to symbolize concepts that inspire passion in people, that is, people will be eager to discuss why someone should have so much wealth at all.

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a staff favorite

Jason Eppink is an artist, media jammer and a curator at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York. Seth sat down with him to ask about the larger goals of his work (also, what the hell he’s doing).

FG: In a number of your works you have re-purposed media technology for something other than its original intention. How does this choice of medium affect the final message and experience of your work?

JE: We’ve grown so accustomed to media technology that we forget the sheer magic of its operation.  Mass media production and distribution is merely a tool for the well-financed: a means to an end.  We see past the lights, colors, pixels, and airwaves - ignoring the “how” of the message - and take in only the “what”.

These messages are my tools, my “how”.  Multinational corporations spend tens of billions of dollars producing and honing and exacting these messages, and then they just toss them out into the public airwaves! And I love the fact that a few feet of PVC pipe or a couple sheets of foam core can completely hijack that message.

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andy is so happy

We hear there has been a little confusion, and so, we clarify:

Your online attention span is, well, short. We get that. Everyone’s is.

So, you land on a Fame Game page and what happens next? There are numbers, charts, images, names scrolling, links, and yes, probably an Andy Warhol graphic or two. Maybe you panic and you leave, but most likely, there’s a reason you are on the site and that reason, whether you realize it or not, links back to yourself.

Whether you are claiming/updating your profile, looking at someone else’s, checking-out a party or project page or just keeping tabs on Julia Allison, you are examining your relationship to others and beginning to piece together at least a small part of an intricately woven web created by the media.

Our hope is that you, users, take the time to explore—once you realize that you too are playing the game. Fame Game’s mission is complex and it cannot possibly be discerned from a single page grab. But read the About. Keep tabs on PLAY. See who’s Moving and Shaking. Consider how people are Connected. Check the Recent Parties. Open your eyes to the bigger picture here and use your social capital, big or small, for good.

You may be active on Fame Game. You may not be. But, bare minimum, if you are here, you are beginning to think about fame, the media, and your role in it, in a slightly different way. And though it might sound redundant, we’d like for you to play along with us — after all, we’re still figuring out the rules ourselves.

yes please

It’s nice to believe you are the sole player in your personal Fame Game, but reality is, you’re not. No matter how you position yourself there are always external factors beyond your control. Case and point: because of the recent economic success of the film industry as a result of global warming and the increasingly popular “stay-cation,” having your name or brand attached to a movie, now more than ever, does wonders for your notoriety. Circumstance has propelled the film industry into a summer of boom—effect being more exposure for film actors and more money for executives to make more films starring the same actors, further escalating their stardom.

In a summer where the average American cannot afford a vacation, the movies have provided a climate-controlled alternative. The Dark Knight is the biggest audience phenomenon since Titanic;. it will likely gross upwards of a half billion dollars. Iron Man and the latest Indiana Jones have joined the rarefied $300 million club. Few movies that were expected to do well disappointed. However, the market lacks a summer stalwart: the sleeper hit, that elusive, modestly-budgeted, out-of-the-blue smash that owes its success not to Burger King tie-ins, but to word of mouth.

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