An Investigation into Different Perspectives on the Concept of Celebrity and Celebritized
Avin Hidayat Ahmed
College of Education / Garmian University
Aseel Muhammad Faiq
College of Languages/ Sulaimani University
DOI: https://doi.org/10.25130/jls.5.4.2.11
Keywords: celebrity, celebritization, fame, heroism, ideology, power, media, commodity
Abstract
Celebrity is the condition of being famous, known and recognized in each community due to the attention given by social media to specific (celebrated) figures. Different notions have been attached to the term like fame, heroism, star, ideology, media, power, and commodity to gain different meanings. A common definition identifies a celebrity with fame. A celebrity is well-known due to their well-knownness. This fame has been ascribed to celebrity figures due to specific positions or achievements (such as Prince William and Prince Harry of the British royal family, Paris Hilton, Miley Cyrus, and so on). The term has taken on new, contemporary definitions that outline a fresh viewpoint in which a celebrity builds their potential for fame not by holding notable positions or accomplishing lofty goals but by setting themselves apart from their rivals in the public eye. The current paper aims to unveil the different meanings of the celebrity concept focusing on the latest identification and highlighting some new terminologies that appeared recently, such as those of 'celebrification' (the process of being a celebrity due to specific achievements, achievement-based fame) and 'celebritization' (the process of being raised to the level of a celebrity due to the media and entertainment, media-driven renown). It is believed that the concept's meaning has been developed greatly throughout history due to mass media advances. Hence worth searching and tracing. The paper ends with the basic conclusion, which states that the meaning has been revised and gives a new definition to the concept of celebrity.
