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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photo courtesy of Platon; slightly altered

Here’s a conversation I imagine has been taking place in your hipper editorial conference rooms lately:

EDITOR: Guys, we need a story that’ll show readers we’re “with it,” and also one that will get people to buy the magazine.

REPORTER 1: I’d like to meet an attractive woman!

REPORTER 2: I’d prefer to work from the office if I could.

E: Hold on, my 9-year-old just emailed . . . oh, weird. Here’s some guy dressed in–is that from Tron? Wow, think of how long that must have taken.

R1: Oh yeah, I love Tron guy.

R2: Me too.

(pregnant silence)

E, R1, R2: Let’s do a story about internet fame, as if it’s some new phenomenon, and totally differentiable from fame generally.

E: Also try to format it like a list, like a how-to. Readers love that.

A volley of stories on Internet Fame have appeared recently.

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