Society’s infatuation with celebrities is not a recent phenomenon, it started over 150 years ago when French stage actress Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923) led a life and professional acting career that caught the attention of the public. She is considered as being the first celebrity and the founder of the celebrity culture that enthralls fans in our modern day culture.She had an unsuccessful stint with Comédie-Française and then she moved to another theatre company resulting in another scandalous experience.
She decided to travel and rubbed shoulders with the upper class which resulted in her becoming pregnant from a young Belgian aristocrat. She kept the child and decided to return to the stage so that she could support her child financially. Her dedication to stage life paid off and she became famous in America and across Europe for her successful career as an actress.
Her risqué lifestyle was publicised in newspapers which helped to raise her profile and made her even more famous. Like modern day celebrities, she was also dedicated to social causes and by the 1870s she had acquired enough wealth to create a centre where injured soldiers of the Franco Prussian war could convalesce. Her career lasted for sixty-one years and she made the transition from the stage to the screen and kept working right up to her death in 1923.
Brands also engaged with film production companies to use discrete product placements within the narrative which was a subliminal type of advertising that would associate the product with a particular setting or emotion. Celebrities signed licensing deals with brands which was the beginning of modern day celebrity endorsements.
Social Media Has Become The New Celebrity Microphone
Digital technology has drastically changed how brands connect with audiences and social media has drastically changed how fans interact with celebrities. Social media platforms have increased the influence and visibility of celebrities resulting in a more profound impact on people’s lives. Celebrities can now promote themselves and maintain high visibility to their millions of fans who are inspired by their lifestyle choices, look to them for guidance, and even validation.
This high profile on social media means that there is an increased demand by consumers who admire the lifestyle that they live as well as the products, services, and causes that famous personalities believe in. Celebrities have become accessible and transparent and there is a greater desire to emulate the lavish celebrity lifestyle choices that they embody.
Psychological Impact of Celebrity-Driven Lifestyles on Youth
Gen Z and Generation Alpha have always been part of a digitally connected ecosystem. They spend a vast amount of time on social media following their favourite influencers and celebrities. The easy accessibility of celebrities has meant the fashion and beauty choices that celebrities are in the spotlight which can lead to self esteem issues among adolescents who feel that they must give into social pressures to fit in. Adolescents develop self esteem through several different elements such as connections with their families, friends, peers, their academic success, their level of physical attractiveness, social, cultural, and economic status.
This age group is impacted by celebrity culture through the exposure to ideas and images of celebrities which can have a positive or detrimental effect on a youngsters self esteem depending on how they compare themselves to unrealistic beauty standards which creates high levels of pressure and can lead to dire consequences such as a negative perception of their body which can lead to eating disorders, and low self-esteem. It is therefore crucial that parents and educators help youngsters to understand the reality of celebrity culture, understand their own strengths and not compare themselves to their favourite celebrity.
The Social and Lifestyle Influence of Celebrity Trends
Online gaming is one sector that has clearly demonstrated celebrity culture’s impact on our daily lives. Online casinos have realised that paying celebrities to endorse their gaming platforms has caused an exponential rise in the popularity of online casino gaming in India.
The choices that fans make in their daily lives are greatly impacted by the actions of their favourite celebrities and they will imitate the choices of these individuals when deciding what social causes to follow, clothing, films, gaming, as well as other important choices that must be made every day. Therefore celebrities are trendsetters and brands have realised the importance of leveraging these individuals to attract a larger audience.
Influence of Celebrity Endorsements Historically vs.Today
Product endorsements by famous individuals is not a new concept, it has been around since ancient civilisation where famous rulers (including Alexander the Great), poets (Homer), warriors, and artists used their elevated status to promote their ideas, services, or products.
Sarah Bernhardt endorsed many products that ranged from perfumes to bicycles; the endorsement of Pear’s Soap gained an iconic status. Other celebrities such as Oscar Wilde who endorsed Cadbury’s chocolate or Thomas Edison who endorsed Edison Phonographs set the stage for modern day celebrity endorsements.
The arrival of modern day celebrity endorsements was born with the arrival of Hollywood as the centre of the entertainment industry. The film industry went mainstream and so did the icons of the silver screens. Famous actors and actresses such as Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly,and Humphrey Bogart thrilled fans with their glamorous lifestyles. Leading brands realised the potential that endorsements from these celebrities would have and stars promoted products that they genuinely believed gave products and authenticity and fans trusted these celebrities that had become household names which resulted in an increase in sales.
Indian Audiences and Bollywood’s Cultural Dominance
The Bollywood phenomenon was created in Mumbai in the 1930s and commonly creates films that mirror different important aspects of Indian life that makes it resonate with viewers by showing both the pleasant and unpleasant aspects of modern life. Bollywood also depicts a glamorous society and has fostered a celebrity culture that has a massive influence on fashion and lifestyle choices.
Bollywood continues to dominate Indian culture and the endorsement of products by Bollywood stars has existed for decades. Indians are not immune to celebrity culture and the recent economic boom has helped to foster an increase in the celebrity culture and though it is not as mainstream as other parts of the world such as Hollywood, it is on the increase and companies are connecting with Indian society through advertising and content that highlight the excitement of the glamour and glitter that surrounds famous personalities.
The Future: How Micro-Celebrities and Influencers Are Redefining Fame
The definition of fame has been redefined and is no longer exclusive to rock stars or movie stars. Our digital universe means that anyone that has a creative mind and a smartphone can create a fanbase. Interactive social platforms such as TikTok, Instragram, Facebook, and YouTube made it possible for anyone to become famous.
Micro celebrities engage followers by offering niche ideas and create communities where people can engage and connect with them. Micro celebrity fame is different from that of traditional celebrities, modern day fans seek connections that offer more than just admiring a famous person, fans of micro celebrities need to forge an authentic connection with them that is beneficial to their career and personal aspirations.
The future of how celebrities impact the lives of fans has drastically changed and what was once a passive experience where fans adored their favourite celebrity from afar has transformed into an interactive experience where fans want to interact with the micro-celebrity of their choice. Micro celebrities build communities where they are accessible to everyone and this represents a big change in culture, as it is now the fans who dictate who is famous and who is not in the digital universe.
Traditional celebrities became famous for their particular talent such as being an excellent musician, actor, or actress, or sports personality. Today fans create the fame for celebrities and the digital revolution has made it possible for anyone who can make connections, build communities, and grow a following to become famous through likes, views, and even buying followers.
