A celebrity (sometimes referred to as a celeb in popular culture) is a person who is easily recognized in a society or culture.
Generally speaking, a celebrity is someone who gets media attention and in certain circumstances show an extroverted personality. There is a wide range of ways by which people may become celebrities: from their profession, appearances in the mass media, or even by complete accident or infamy. Instant celebrity is the term that is used when someone becomes a celebrity in a very short period of time. In some places, someone that somehow achieves a small amount of fame, through hype or mass media, is stereotyped as a B-grade celebrity. Often the stereotype extends to someone that falls short of mainstream or persistent fame but seeks to extend or exploit it. In the 21st century, the insatiable public fascination for celebrities and demand for celebrity gossip has seen the rise of the gossip columnist, tabloid, paparazzi and celebrity blogging.
The rise of international celebrities in acting and popular music is due in large part to the massive scope and scale of the media industries, enabling celebrities to be viewed more often and in more places.
Each culture and region has its own independent celebrity-system, with a hierarchy of popular film, television, and sports stars. Celebrities might be largely unknown abroad. Some nationwide celebrities might command some attention outside that nation; for example, the singer Lara Fabian is widely known in the French-speaking world, but only had a couple of Billboard hits in the U.S., whereas the francophone Canadian singer Celine Dion is well-known in both the French-speaking world and in the U.S.
Subnational entities or regions, or cultural communities (linguistic, ethnic, religious) also have their own celebrity systems, especially in linguistically or culturally distinct regions such as Quebec or Wales. Regional radio personalities, newscasters, politicians or community leaders may be local or regional celebrities.
A local celebrity is a person well known near where they live but are little known elsewhere.
Another example of celebrity can be merely cultural (such as Santa Claus) or unique to a particular diaspora.
English-speaking media commentators and journalists will sometimes refer to celebrities as A-List, B-List, C-List, D-List or Z-List. These informal rankings indicate a placing within a hierarchy. However, due to differing levels of celebrity in different regions, it is difficult to place people within one bracket. A Nicaraguan actor might be a B-list action film actor in the US, but an A-list star in the Czech Republic. An objective method of placing celebrities from any country into categories from A-List to H-List based on their number of Google hits has been proposed, Businessman-celebrity has given less advantage.
Bob Greene argues for "most of man's history...people of talent would work to create something--something written, something painted, something sculpted, something acted out--and it would be passed on to audiences." With the rise of reality TV shows, Greene points out audiences have been turned into the creators. He argues the "alleged stars of the reality shows Survivor and Big Brother, have become famous not for doing, but merely for being."
Greene says "You simply have to be present, in the right place at the right time." Whereas publicly famous people "were once defined as such based upon the fact their remarkable skills had brought them to the attention of the public." Greene states with reality TV, "one can become a public person just by being a person, in public."
"Celebrities often have fame comparable to royalty," claimed author Micha Frydman. As a result, there is a strong public curiosity about their private affairs. Celebrities may be resented for their accolades, and the public may have a love/hate relationship with celebrities. Due to the high visibility of celebrities' private lives, their successes and shortcomings are often made very public. Celebrities are alternately portrayed as glowing examples of perfection, when they garner awards, or as decadent or immoral if they become associated with a scandal. When seen in a positive light, celebrities are frequently portrayed as possessing skills and abilities beyond average people; for example, celebrity actors are routinely celebrated for acquiring new skills necessary for filming a role within a very brief time, and to a level that amazes the professionals who train them. Similarly, celebrities with very little formal education can be portrayed as experts on complicated issues.
Tabloid magazines and talk TV shows bestow a great deal of attention on celebrities. To stay in the public eye and make money, more celebrities are participating in business ventures such as celebrity-branded items including books, clothing lines, perfume, and household items.
Chapter 1 of Chris Hedges' Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle (2009) is an extensive critique of what he calls "celebrity culture." Citing authors like Daniel Boorstin, Neil Gabler, James Bradley, and C. Wright Mills, Hegdes argues that celebrity culture is a exemplified in media exaltations of superficiality, cosmetic surgery, New Age spirituality mysticism, pop psychology, motivational speakers, success gospel evangelism, and TV shows like American Idol and The Swan. Hedges criticizes the "moral nihilism" inherent in celebrity culture, in which human beings become commodities while those who possess true power — corporations and the oligarchic elite — are veiled and rendered invisible. A family in the Rochesterian area, the Cegelskis, are known all around town because of their large family. They could be considered "celebritys" in their area because of their popularity.
Warhol also hinted that these people would be famous for "15 minutes", or in other words "a really short time until the fad or trend has died out." This also explains why certain people can be world famous in a certain century, decade, year,... but already obscure soon after. Lorenzo de' Medici was a famous Florentine statesman during the 15th century, but today only people who are familiar with history might know his name. Film actors like Harold Lloyd and Louise Brooks, who were world famous in the 1920s are not as well known by the general public nowadays as they were back then. MC Hammer is famous to people who were young in 1990, but later generations are less familiar with his name or music.
The opposite can be true as well. Painter Rembrandt van Rijn and composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who were successful during their lifetimes, both died almost forgotten. Their reputation grew only a few decades later. Vincent van Gogh was obscure during his lifetime and only sold one painting in his life. Only several years after his death was he regarded as an innovator and artistic genius and did his fame grow to international proportions. Blues singer Robert Johnson only recorded a handful of songs in the 1930s and then died, only becoming well known in the vicinity of the state where he used to live. He is now much more famous and respected as an artist, due to the legends surrounding his life.
Certain people are only remembered today because of a movie portrayal, certain story or urban legend surrounding their life and less for their accomplishments. Antonio Salieri was a famous and well known 18th century composer, who sank into obscurity the next two centuries. He was rediscovered thanks to the musical and film Amadeus, but his fictional portrayal as an antagonist has been more famous than his music since the end of the 20th century. Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle and O.J. Simpson are more notorious for the murder scandal in which they were involved than for their respective movie and sports careers. Ronald Reagan is more famous as a politician today than as a movie actor. Centuries after his death, Andrea Mantegna now better known as the mentor of Leonardo Da Vinci than for his own paintings.
Because California has such an extraordinary concentration of celebrities in and around Hollywood, the California Legislature has enacted a number of laws to deal with celebrities' legal problems, such as the California Celebrities Rights Act. Many U.S.-based celebrities choose to file for divorce in California courts (even when they were married elsewhere) as California judges are experienced in handling celebrity divorces.
This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
| Name | Chuck Norris |
|---|---|
| Imagesize | 220px |
| Caption | Norris signing a T-shirt for a Marine on a stop on his tour of Al Anbar Governorate (Iraq) and Kuwait. |
| Birth name | Carlos Ray Norris |
| Birth date | March 10, 1940 |
| Birth place | Ryan, Oklahoma, United States |
| Spouse | Gena O'Kelley (1998-present)Diane Holechek (1958-1988) |
| Website | http://www.chucknorris.com/ |
| Spouse | Dianne Holechek (1958-1988) Gena O'Kelly (1998-present) |
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do. As a result of his "tough guy" image, an Internet phenomenon began in 2005 known as Chuck Norris facts, ascribing various implausible or even impossible feats to Norris.
Norris appeared in a number of action films, such as Way of the Dragon in which he starred alongside Bruce Lee and was The Cannon Group's leading star in the 1980s.
Norris describes his childhood as downbeat. He was nonathletic, shy, and scholastically mediocre. In 1969, he won Karate's triple crown for the most tournament wins of the year, and the Fighter of the Year award by Black Belt Magazine.
Also, in 1969, Norris made his acting debut in the Dean Martin film The Wrecking Crew.
In June 1970, his younger brother Wieland, a private in the 101st Airborne Division was killed in Vietnam while on patrol in the defence of Firebase Ripcord.
Norris also established the United Fighting Arts Federation and KickStart in 1990. As a significant part of his philanthropic contributions, the organization was formed to develop self-esteem and focus in at-risk children as a tactic to keep them away from drug-related pressure by training them in martial arts. Norris hopes that by shifting middle school and high school children's focus towards this positive and strengthening endeavour, these children will have the opportunity to build a better future for themselves.
Additionally, Norris supports the Vijay Amritraj Foundation, which aims at bringing hope, help and healing to the defenceless and innocent victims of disease, tragedy and circumstance in India. Through his donations, he has helped the foundation support Paediatric HIV/AIDS homes in Delhi, a blind school in Karnataka, and a mission that cares for HIV/AIDS infected adults, as well as mentally ill patients in Cochin.
In 2010, Norris appeared in adverts for communications company T-Mobile in the Czech Republic.
In November 1998, he married former model Gena O'Kelley, born in 1963 and 23 years Norris' junior. O'Kelley had two children from a previous marriage. She delivered twins in 2001: Dakota Alan Norris, a boy, and Danilee Kelly Norris, a girl.
On September 22, 2004, Norris told Entertainment Tonight's Mary Hart that his daughter Dina was the result of an extramarital affair. He did not meet her until she was 26, although she learned that he was her father when she was 16. She sent a letter to his home informing him of their relationship. After meeting her, Norris said he knew she was his upon seeing her. in 2001.]]
Now an outspoken Christian, Norris is the author of several Christian-themed books, such as The Justice Riders. He has also been in a few TV commercials promoting Bible study and prayer in public schools, in addition to efforts to reduce drug use. In his WorldNetDaily columns, he has expressed his belief in Biblical creationism, that those who are troubled should turn to Jesus, and is quoted as saying "true patriots" do not stay clear of discussing religion and politics.
Norris serves on the board of directors of the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools, an organization promoting the use of the Bible in public schools, and also speaks on behalf of organizations advocating official prayers in public schools.
Norris has received a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from the Machado family.
In his 15 February 2010 WorldNetDaily column, Norris announced that, starting in the fall of 2010, he will begin a second weekly column for Creators Syndicate. This new column, "C-Force", will focus on personal fitness.
On December 2, 2010, he (along with brother Aaron) was given the title honorary Texas Ranger by Texas Governor Rick Perry
In 2006, Norris began penning a column for the conservative news website WorldNetDaily, sharing his "musings about faith, family, freedom, country, loyalty – maybe even kickboxing."
On January 26, 2007, Norris filled in for Sean Hannity as a co-host on the Fox News Channel debate program Hannity & Colmes alongside Alan Colmes.
On October 22, 2007, Norris announced his endorsement of Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee for President. Norris said, "I believe the only one who has all of the characteristics to lead America forward into the future is ex-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee."
On May 10, 2008, Norris was the commencement speaker at Liberty University and addressing a graduating class of more than 4,000.
After the 2008 presidential election, Norris drafted a letter to President-elect Barack Obama, stating that he should "use and cite the Constitution ... protect American life ... learn from the mistakes of your Democratic predecessors ... [and] lead more from the center".
On November 18, 2008, Norris became one of the first members of show business to express support for the California Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage, and he heavily criticized the gay community for "interfering" with the democratic process and the double standard he perceived in criticizing the Mormon Church without criticizing African Americans, who had voted for the measure by a wide margin.
On November 29, 2007, Gotham Books, the adult division of Penguin USA, released a book entitled The Truth About Chuck Norris: 400 facts about the World's Greatest Human based on the Chuck Norris Facts. Norris filed suit in December against Penguin USA claiming "trademark infringement, unjust enrichment and privacy rights."
During Norris' endorsement of Mike Huckabee in the 2008 Presidential primaries, he participated in several commercials and campaign rallies. In some of these, references were made to the Chuck Norris Facts, and similar tongue-in-cheek politically-oriented "facts" were presented about Huckabee.
Category:1940 births Category:Actors from Oklahoma Category:American film actors Category:American karateka Category:American martial artists Category:American martial arts writers Category:American motivational writers Category:American people of Cherokee descent Category:American tang soo do practitioners Category:American taekwondo practitioners Category:American television actors Category:Baptists from the United States Category:California Republicans Category:Christian creationists Category:Honorary United States Marines Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American writers of Irish descent Category:Living people Category:Native American actors Category:People from Jefferson County, Oklahoma Category:People from Tarzana, Los Angeles Category:Texas Republicans Category:United States Air Force airmen Category:Martial arts school founders Category:Internet memes
This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
In his youth, Luciano served time in prison for manslaughter in the fatal stabbing of a Brooklyn teenager in the early 1960s. Following his release, he attended Queens College and became a member of the Original Last Poets (with Gylan Kain and David Nelson). He co-founded a New York-based Puerto Rican organization called the Young Lords (also called the Young Lords Party) in the 1960s, and served as its chair. The Young Lords was in some ways a gang, but its members also considered it to be a political movement.
He later became a radio, television, and print journalist and won several awards for his work in these fields. Since the late 20th century he has run for various local government positions.
In 1972 Luciano appeared on the LP "Live At Sing Sing" by Eddie Palmieri with Harlem River Drive. He read his poem "Jíbaro / My Pretty Nigger."
He is also the president and founder of Luciano Productions, Inc.
The Young Lords Organization evolved out of a Puerto Rican "gang" in Chicago led by Jose "Cha-Cha" Jimenez. The original Chicago Young Lords were led in their transformation in 1968 by Jimenez.Cha-Cha Jimenez later met Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton in 1969 and modeled the group after the Panthers. The New York Young Lords "Party" was organized in the summer of 1969 by student activists who were not exclusively of Puerto Rican background but various people of color. Felipe Luciano was the first chairman of the YLP and led extremely successful survival programs in "El Barrio," The Bronx, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Hartford, and Bridgeport. The Chicago YLO was equally successful in their community programs and that organization functioned well into the early 1980s. Luciano and Jimenez are still community activists and involved in youth organizations in the New York and Chicago areas.
Category:Living people Category:American people of Puerto Rican descent Category:Puerto Rican people of African descent Category:American poets Category:American journalists Category:American radio personalities Category:1940s births Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Spoken word poets
This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
| Name | Keith Olbermann |
|---|---|
| Caption | Keith Olbermann, 2009 |
| Birthname | Keith Theodore Olbermann He has feuded with rival Fox News Channel commentator, Bill O'Reilly; As a teenager, he often wrote about baseball card-collecting and appeared in many sports card-collecting periodicals of the mid-1970s. He is also referenced in Sports Collectors Bible, a 1979 book by Bert Sugar, which is considered one of the important early books for trading card collectors. At college, Olbermann served as sports director for WVBR, a student-run commercial radio station in Ithaca. |
| Name | Olbermann, Keith |
| Date of birth | 1959-01-27 |
| Place of birth | New York City, New York, US |
This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
| Name | Jeannie Mai |
|---|---|
| Caption | Jeannie Mai attending "Susan G. Komen's 8th Annual Fashion For The Cure" event - Hollywood, CA on Sept. 24, 2009 |
| Website | }} |
Jeannie Mai is an American makeup artist, fashion expert, actress, and TV personality. She is most known for her work as the host of Style Network's "How Do I Look?",
This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
