Celebrity culture is a modern day phenomenon which has emerged amid 20^th century trends such as consumer culture development and urbanization. American celebrity culture was shaped profoundly by the advancements in new available technologies which make the reproduction of images easy for media outlets such as cinema, radio, television, and the internet.

Celebrity culture is a business relationship in which performers gain honors, wealth, and social power in exchange for selling intimacy to their targeted fans and audiences. Large salaries are also commonplace with celebrity culture. These salaries are generally in the millions of dollars. Celebrities also tend to be seen at the public media events as they receive awards and honors which range from Oscars, music awards and sports awards.

For fans, the thrill of celebrity culture can reproduce strong emotions and intensity at athletic arenas, rock concerts, movie premieres and more of their fantasy object. This fantasy can lead to a role reversal where a fan can start feeling possessive of the honors, wealth, and the power of the celebrity resulting in criminal acts against the celebrity.

For example: John Lennon was murdered by Mark David Chapman in 1980 as he thought that he was the real Beatle and that John Lennon was in right an imposter.

Another example is when John Hinckley Jr was interviewed by the Secret Service in 1981 after he shot President Ronald Reagan. Hinckley Jr said that he did it to impress his favourite actress Jodie Foster. He had asked “Is it on TV?”

The cult of celebrity status is in terms just that. You have to remember that celebrities are normal people that are just well known throughout the world and nothing more. While you may be judged by your small group of friends, you have to remember that celebrities are constantly being watched through lenses and are generally on guard against exposure of their most embarrassing moments. The tragedy of celebrity culture is when we see a celebrity at their highest point fall into a dark deterioration that they can’t come out of.