Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with fame

Hates job but does it damn well anyway.

SouthCNorthNY — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 07:31:40 -0800

Famous people who disliked or even hated a big part or all aspects of their job? It's generally understood that to achieve something great, you have to love your work. But are there examples where this wasn't the case? Off the top of my head I can think of Richard Nixon achieving the highest level of a political career, yet he hated people. Any other examples where a desire for success (fame, power, money) overwrote their dislike for their job? I don't care what field or how famous the person was, I'm just trying to see how many examples of this there are out there.

How much money does the gossip magazine / gossip blog / tabloid industry make?

Elle Vator — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:23:45 -0800

So, celebrity gossip is everywhere and lots of $$$ is forked out for images of famous babies, etcetera... BUT how much money does the gossip industry MAKE? I can't find any online statistics about Gossip Industry Revenues. It's actually very odd and mysterious.

I'm looking for numbers on gossip magazines, gossip blogs and/or the tabloid industry, with the goal of comparing the Gossip numbers to the Porn Industry and the Television Industry respectively. I could use global numbers, US or North American numbers.

It would be useful to find a webpage as comprehensive as this: http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/internet-pornography-statistics.html

...but I would take a single, high impact sentence about the tabloids and gossip rags (such as this gem: "US Porn Revenues are greater than the combined revenues of ABC, CBS and NBC"), which was properly cited and verifiable.

Anyone got anything?

How to get famous in 30 days?

GIMG — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:25:22 -0800

How could one acquire some degree of fame in 30 days? For a project of his, a documentarian has challenged me to become famous in 1 month - and as foolish as I am, I accepted. What are some ways someone foolish enough to take on this challenge could acquire some degree of fame within 30 days (local/cult fame accepted)? Part of the challenge is the lack of no discernible talents or resources, and fame is measured by the degree of mentions in local media, blogs, etc. (It would be preferable to be not despised, as well.)

I'm Famous on the Internets

divabat — Sat, 30 May 2009 08:31:07 -0800

People like scene queens or lady bloggers who seem to be more famous for their personality and style than anything they do specifically: how did they get famous in the first place? Is there a term for that, aside from "famous for being famous"? There's been a growing group of people online who I notice are famous for being themselves. They're not the only people being "themselves" online by a long shot, not even when you consider their rather alternative style, but some of these people have garnered considerable fame - being asked to model for known brands, speaking in conferences, being featured in magazines. They get called "icons" and "visionaries", but (aside from a few exceptions) there doesn't seem to be anything that they do exactly, aside from taking pretty photos and writing about their travel adventures.

Some of the people I mean include Gala Darling, Audrey Kitching, Jeffree Star, Raquel Reed, Zui Suicide, and anyone who tends to associate with them. Most of them have some sort of modelling-based job, or do something related to fashion or music, but that came after they were already Internet famous.

How did they get famous in the first place? Where was the tipping point between starting their blog/Buzznet profile/MySpace account and getting enough of a fanbase to be asked to present at SXSW? How do they make a living? (I especially still don't understand how Gala Darling makes enough to travel across 2-3 continents every few moths. She says she mainly sells site advertising, but how does she make enough to live off?) At least with people like Britney Spears there's the music angle, but it doesn't seem to even apply here.

Is there a term for the sort of marketing they're successfully using? I was thinking "personality branding", but Googling that isn't getting me anything more specific than the usual personal-branding-for-blogs stuff.

Will a publicist help me reach for the stars?

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 11:13:54 -0800

Would hiring a publicist help me to transform my podcasting and entertainment work into a full time gig? If so, how would I find one? (I realize it's ironic for an anonymous person to be asking about publicists but if the answer is a resounding negative I don't want to be ridiculed by my peers for floating the idea).

I am a producer and host of several podcasts with downloads that average around 200,000 per month cumulative and have for well over a year now. I started several years back and my podcasts have been spotlighted by a popular cable network show. I travel literally coast to coast regularly for the podcasts every year. I have a staff of 9 people, counting myself, working on these shows in various capacities from hosting talent to web design.

However while very time consuming my podcasts are still very much a hobby. The monitization is not there at the moment with the economy. I did do consulting for a company, producing their official podcast for one year and they were very happy with my work. Though the company is no longer in business I am still in close contact with many of those who hired me.

With the consulting gone and the economy of web based advertising minimal, I am looking to take the experience I have podcasting to the next level, be it working again on professional podcasts, producing some other type of shows (radio, etc.), or even using the reporting experience I've gained with five years of doing this to somehow work for another company.

During these five years podcasting I have made some connections in Entertainment, though the closest connections are people in the low to medium range of Hollywood and Entertainment power, not really able to directly secure me a position.

So I am stuck trying to figure out how to "take it to the next level" and make it so I can truly make the type of work I have a passion for my career.

I had a thought recently that perhaps it might behoove me to hire a publicist to help increase the visibility of me and my work. My thinking is the more "notable" my online work becomes, perhaps the more it may translate to other gigs like those mentioned above. I have tried doing my own PR, sending press releases to outlets for major events happening on my shows, etc. but I thought a professional publicist might have more connections and more experience about how to position and promote these shows.

Again, I want to stress, the focus of the promotion is not necessarily to increase the downloads of those shows, the end goal is to somehow transition to being hired to do what I do versus doing it for free for myself.

Is this the type of thing a publicist would do? Would a publicist take on a client of my moderate notice, or do they limit themselves to higher-wattage clients?

All advice appreciated.

Job Title: Charmed Bridge

divabat — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 22:36:14 -0800

I connect very different groups together, and I also tend to make people famous. Where in the world could I make a living out of this? I've noticed two strong patterns in my life lately:

a) I really enjoy finding connections between two or more things/people/groups that don't necessarily have anything in common. For example, my boyfriend and I are working on a web app where people are presented with two different fields of study (say Biology and Architecture) and they provide an idea for how both fields can be combined (creating buildings structurally based on human beings). I tend to do this as a mental hobby, though I've also used this skill a LOT in idea generating - thinking up different sponsorship avenues, connecting contacts with each other, etc.

b) I've somehow managed to inadvertently make friends famous/well-known/happy thanks to a tip or referral. I got one of my close friends on to Twitter and now she's become a very prominent member of the local Twitter group, even to the point of organising events for them (she's an events geek so this is right up her alley). Other friends have heard about conferences from me and got in (I applied and I didn't get in!!), or earned auditions I referred them for, or developed very close friendships/relationships with other people I've introduced them to. The luck doesn't necessarily extend to me personally, but somehow I've got a knack of making others charmed.

I'd like to do more of the above as a current career path. Where would those skills and abilities be useful?

I love research and I like to meet people (though I can be a bit socially awkward). I thrive in conferences and volunteer excursions; not so much in parties. The only thing I can think of is "talent agent" or "networker", but I'm sure there's more that I'm missing.

"A famous Joe? Joe Mamma" is not a good answer.

rileyray3000 — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:46:50 -0800

Who are some famous LIVING people, in America, who are named Joe, who are not fictional and, very important, who are NOT plumbers? A friend who is republican sent me some poll that said Joe the plumber is currently the most famous Joe in America. I find that very hard to believe. However, right now, my head is stuck on Stalin, who is neither American or alive, and GI Joe, who is not real (and knowing that is half the battle).

So I'm blanking on famous guys named Joe. Please help me out with your many Joes of reknown.

Personality-Based Design/Arts/Fashion Blogging - new trend?

divabat — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:02:05 -0800

Is there a specific term/genre that defines bloggers such as Gala Darling, Nubby Twiglet, Queen Gilda, Doe Deere, This is Star, and Agent Lover? Has anyone tracked this? I've noticed a few of those sort of blogs recently, sharing similar things in terms of aesthetics and content:

* Young female, using a glamorous pen name
* A mix between personal life, recommendations of products/people, and how-tos based on everyday life (such as How To Be Fabulous)
* Plenty on design, fashion, style, culture, trends
* Blogger likely to be an artist or other creative person
* Promotes the blogger itself as a brand
* "Things I Love Tuesday" (possibly started by one of those bloggers)
* Similar layouts

A few of these blogs cross-link to each other, but other than that I don't see anything that suggests they're part of a collective or tight group of friends. Rather, it seems to be a growing sub-trend of blogging, and I was wondering if anyone else had noticed this and/or done some research on these blogs.

They're like camgirls in the sense that there's quite a bit of voyeurism into their personal lives, but it's not constant. They're seen as icons and inspiration, and have enough followers to even sell products with their branding (AFAIK Gala Darling lives on Adsense income). When I was a teen, random-content-heavy personal sites, often with vector illustrations, were the Big Thing; this seems like an outgrowth of that.

Is there a name for this? Does anyone else fit this aesthetic?

Shoot the Messenger? Cult of Personality?

divabat — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:11:26 -0800

Which causes or ideas have become more about the messenger than the message? I remember, for a while after "An Inconvenient Truth" came out, there was a lot of fuss given on Al Gore personally alongside (and sometimes more than) the attention on climate change. Now Al Gore's fame has quelled a little, but I was wondering if there have been any other social causes or new ideas that are now only remembered because of the presenter - or even if those ideas have fallen by the wayside in favour of the presenter's personality.

While Princess Diana brought landmines to greater public attention, it wasn't the cause of her fame, and the landmines cause hasn't diminished just because of her. Similarly, there isn't one clear person that can be credited for the gay rights movement or the feminist movement.

However, how many people would understand Albert Einstein's Theory or Relativity or how it's relevant to today's world? How about Stephen Hawking's work on astrophysics? Has their "celebrity" overshadowed understanding of their work on a mass level?

Also, has there been any studies or research done in this area? Is there a name for this phenomena?

Help Fred the baker raise the dough.

weapons-grade pandemonium — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 10:27:20 -0800

How would you transform YouTube fame into money? Fred and Sharon have almost a million hits on YouTube, but between answering emails and baking bread they have no time or expertise to plan a strategy to make money with this. Their window of opportunity may be very short. How can people with overnight fame but limited resources succeed financially in the longer term?

Look at me! Look at me!

barrakuda — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:57:36 -0800

What are your favorite celebrity gossip blogs?

What are the pillars of Hollywood Babylon?

Bookhouse — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 09:06:30 -0800

Please point me to resources on the sordid underbelly of Hollywood. I'm very interested in the inner workings of the Hollywood lifestyle -- the people and industries that prop up the stars and buffer them from scandal. I'm talking about the paparazzi, publicists, bodyguards, entourages, lawyers, club owners, assistants, gossip-mongers, dealers, drivers, thugs, rehabbers and fixers that rotate around celebrities. Are there any good books about the mechanics of the industrial-fame complex? Other resources about all the people that go into making a juicy blind item? (Websites, documentaries -- I hear that the star of Entourage is making a documentary on the paparazzi, which got me thinking about this in the first place).

I'm also a guilty fan of tell-alls of the Hollywood Babylon variety, and would welcome modern books of the same ilk, but I'm more interested in the people who prevent such books from being published until the stars are dead.

Have chance to become rich, successful, and famous, need publicist and other help!

Anonymous — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 06:01:33 -0800

Have chance to become rich, successful, and famous, need publicist and other help! I need help not blowing this exciting opportunity, please. i do not know how to amass the team of people I need to make the most of my fame potential. (yes, I know this sounds ridiculous).

An upcoming event in my life is going to be splashed across the news nation and perhaps world wide.

Basically, two years ago I was given over six figures to create something fabulously useful but extraordinarily controversial and I successfully did.

Now, everything is about to come to fruition and the media is going to latch onto it for a moment at least, and I am terrified that this opportunity is going to slip by without me taking full advantage of it.

Twice before, the same thing happened: step 1) great thing happens or I do great thing; step 2) national media buzz for a week or two; step 3) i don't know what really to do and it all simmers down to nothing.

I would like step 3) to turn into a long-standing career and standing in the media nationwide. I recognize that I need a team (publicist, marketer, etc.) to do this. Have you brilliant askmefites any idea who or how to amass this?

Pluses - I have a few thousand to throw into this endeavor, and a great resume and wonderful, respected supporters both in business and as respected media individuals.

Minuses - twice before my spotlight has darkened, because I was too young, or too self-absorbed, or because I just didn't understand that my earning power in this field is fifteen times it is if I go back to my "normal" world.

Basically, I'm willing to put it all on the line to make this work. I doubt I'll get another chance like this. If it works, I can bank on making a bunch of money, being in the spotlight, doing what I love. If it doesn't, back to the grind for me!

Any help? Do you know specific companies, branding people, or publicists? Of course, I'm asking my cohorts and the people I work for/with, but I can't let them completely know that I'm the inner mediawhore that I really am, or I risk losing their support, you know?

Any help or ideas welcome - I'll check back here but you can privately message me at metafilterfan@gmail.com ! TIA!

A topic for a simple, observation-based research project on Chinese celebrities?

gttommy — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 03:07:09 -0800

A topic for a simple, observation-based research project on Chinese celebrities? I'm working on a small research project based on my observations of Chinese celebrities and fame.

The only thing I can come up is: "In Chinese media, there is an obsession with European physical appearances", which won't be too hard because visual information is easily observed - just have to look at commercials, billboards and magazines.

I have 3 questions, but you don't have to answer all of them but if you can... Great! :)

Question 1: what do you think of this as a topic?

Question 2: what sort of things should I keep in mind while I carry out my observations or where are good places to look?

Question 3: Any other simple observation topics you can suggest for me? Below are other things that interest me but unable to come up with a simple observational topic for any of them...

How celebrities are consumed, what type of physical features or personality are revered, what are the demands for new faces in movies, tv, music, politics, etc and the demographics driving it.

Thanks in advance for a speedy reply - time is running low!

Btw, I currently reside in Hangzhou, China.

"When Frank Zappa was a little ba-aby, sittin' on his daddy's knee...?" Songs about singers?

Ambrosia Voyeur — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 20:01:06 -0800

Songs about Singers, for folk hero singalong? Hero hype hypermedia!

I am looking for songs about singers that mention them by name. I want it this compilation to sound like US weekly meets "John Henry"- the folksong, not the TMBG Album. And yes, TMBG has some songs that could fit in, like The Day (Marvin Gaye and Phil Ochs got married), XTC vs. Adam Ant, We're the Replacements, maybe.

also:

Jessica Simpson (where has your love gone, it's not in your music, so where has it gone, then?) - Adam Green
Jennifer Love Hewitt - King Missile
Amy Grant - Young Fresh Fellows
Rufus is a Tit Man - Loudon Wainwright

Google revealed two somewhat generative other lists of songs about singers, but many on these lists seem to be about appreciation of the chosen artist's music/soul or merely name dropping them in another way.

When will these 15 minutes end?

umbú — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 19:38:15 -0800

Are there any substantive critical analyses of fame written from the inside? I am looking for recommendations of smart, acerbic accounts of the madness of fame. Ideally, this would be written by an actual celebrity, as opposed to some sort of observer. What I'm looking for is not merely a description of the inconvenience of being recognized, being followed by paparazzi, etc. Instead, I'm interested in reading someone who has a keen sense of the contradictions that result from a person becoming a product, in a way, with photographs, TV, and/or cinematic images of them proliferating everywhere. An insightful take on the surreality of the experience, I guess.

How famous was Booth before he killed Lincoln?

cramer — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 09:49:02 -0800

How famous was John Wilkes Booth before he shot Lincoln? I recognize the difficulty of historical comparative fame, but how well known was Booth before he assassinated Lincoln?

Most accounts call Booth a "famous stage actor" and leave it at that. I'm curious to know how well known that would have made him. Famous among Shakespeare enthusiasts in the Chesapeake Bay, or known by the masses in the hinterlands? Would people hearing the news of Lincoln's death have recognized the name of his killer?

How did David Sedaris become famous?

c:\awesome — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 11:20:48 -0800

How did David Sedaris rise from obscurity to fame? His wikipedia page kind of glosses over the issue, saying that after he worked "a string of odd jobs ... , Sedaris achieved prominence with the radio essay The SantaLand Diaries."

How do you go from working a string of odd jobs to being featured on This American Life and NPR? Did he publish a book, and then get picked up for the radio bit? Does he better explain how he got discovered in an interview or essay somewhere that I haven't read?

I've always wondered this, and hopefully someone can chime in with an answer.

Women Born Rich, Made Good?

fourcheesemac — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 14:21:59 -0800

Can you think of women born into significant wealth and status who have gone on to public and powerful careers of their own, not on the basis (even in part) of having married someone famous, powerful, or rich? Anywhere, anytime . . .

Why do you like U2?

BorgLove — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 11:47:59 -0800

Why do you like U2? I believe I am the only person in the universe who hates U2. Since I was in my teens people have been going nuts for these guys, but I don't understand why. I find their music bland and derivative, most all of the early stuff sounds the same and the later stuff consists of derivations thereof to electronic beats. Bono's voice always seems whiney and pleading (on a tangent, he's even more annoying now that he's turned into this weirdly undefinable philanthropic evangelist for world peace) and the guitar playing of 'The Edge', a name I can't possibly take seriously, is all treble and no soul. This band is so popular they have their own iPod, but I find them entirely uninteresting to the point of annoyance and frustration. It's as if their music has no color, no depth and no creativity. It's boring 80s Irish folk rock, reinvented ad nauseum. Am I the only one who thinks their popularity is undeserved? Help me understand what's so great about these people?

You may stone me now.

Fame, puts you there where things are hollow

geoff. — Mon, 16 May 2005 07:31:15 -0800

The recent Chapelle breakdown has me wondering, is fame and fortune that big of a change? I don't see CEOs and VPs bemoaning their large bank accounts and the people around them. Is this a creative-type personality dilemna where they feel inadequate against expectations? I've always wondered what "people around you changing" really means. I was hoping for more details but the article on Chapelle was way too short and I'm having a hard time discovering what this phenomena entails. I guess I'm looking for any anecdotal experience or stories of what occurs here. I could see where free-riders would come into play ("My son's sick", "We need a new car to get to work"), but if I had a multi-million dollar deal I'd pay for my friend's drinks and not care.

Internet Fame

NickDouglas — Wed, 19 Jan 2005 11:21:35 -0800

I'm collecting notes on Internet fame with the half-hearted goal of writing "How to be famous for 15 minutes or two years." But mostly I'm just curious. What are the most long-lasting legends of the Internet -- real specimens such as Time Cube rather than quick jokes, one-liners, virals or urban legends. G*atse would barely pass because it's so prevalent, but "All Your B*se" wouldn't make it.

Contacting Celebrities

taumeson — Wed, 28 Jul 2004 10:08:12 -0800

OK, so a friend wants to contact a celebrity's publicist / representation. He wants to send some photos taken of him with the celebrity that he promised to send when he got them developed. How can somebody find out who represents a celeb? He'd probably be willing to call around, if he just knew what kinds of people to call...do you just ring up the Walter Morris Agency and ask who represents so-and-so?

"Regular Guy" on TV

taumeson — Fri, 09 Jul 2004 09:12:11 -0800

So one of my very good friends was on television last night (he did a bit on the Graham Norton Effect) and I was wondering...is that neat? I myself was on TV half my life ago, on the Dr. Fad show, and I thought it was pretty cool at the time (as a kid). But, obviously, it was a much different situation...I mean, have any of you been on television, or know others who are in tv and movies? How famous are we?