Naples National Archeological MuseumĪthletes in Ancient Greece were welcomed home as heroes, had songs and poems written in their honor, and received free food and gifts from those seeking celebrity endorsement. Ĭhoregos and theater actors, from the House of the Tragic Poet, Pompeii, Italy. In his 2020 book Dead Famous: an unexpected history of celebrity, British historian Greg Jenner uses the definition:Ĭelebrity (noun): A unique persona made widely known to the public via media coverage, and whose life is publicly consumed as dramatic entertainment, and whose commercial brand is made profitable for those who exploit their popularity, and perhaps also for themselves Īlthough his book is subtitled "from Bronze Age to Silver Screen", and despite the fact that "Until very recently, sociologists argued that celebrity was invented just over 100 years ago, in the flickering glimmer of early Hollywood" and the suggestion that some medieval saints might qualify, Jenner asserts that the earliest celebrities lived in the early 1700s, his first example being Henry Sacheverell. 'Celebrity' usually implies a favorable public image, as opposed to the neutrals 'famous' or 'notable', or the negatives 'infamous' and 'notorious'. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports or the entertainment industry, their position as a political figure, or even from their connection to another celebrity. "The Wall of Fame" at Legoland Windsor ResortĬelebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media.
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