How would you measure celebrity?
Asked by
6rant6 (
13705
)
February 5th, 2010
I’m thinking about what constitutes “celebrity” and in particular how you could measure it.
For example, you could see how popular a person’s movies are by looking at ticket sales. Or you could see how many references EOnLine.com has for them. Or you could see how many web pages contain the name.
I’m looking for things that are objective to be a proxy for something that’s obviously subjective.
What would you look at to measure celebrity and why?
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34 Answers
The first word of your question contains a homonym of the acronym that I would use: the HAU.
That is, the Hollywood Astronomical Unit.
What, exactly, it would measure and on what basis I will leave to the scientists in the fluther. I’m just a words and acronyms and quips guy.
The Mayor of a small town could be considered a celebrity.
Anyone with above average notoriety is considered having celebrity status.
By exposure and more times than not attractiveness, although there are some unattractive celebs.
I’d measure the degree of celebrity by the amount of air time that their vapid thoughts are given
You could look for their mentions in print media and count those.
@Dibley – Yes I do!
Even if only to myself. Does anything more really matter?
I don’t need help defining celebrity. I’ve got that. I’m interested in measuring it. I know it will never be perfect or make everyone happy, but I’d like a unit that says person A has more celebrity than person B. That means converting things to numbers, I believe. It’s the way things are done – you convert a bunch of factors to some common unit.
@marinelife could look for their mentions in print media and count those.
Well, that’s getting at the idea, anyway. Where would you go? What source would you think is the best measure of celebrity and why? And why print media over internet? Print media does tend to lag behind, doesn’t it?
@ChazMaz Yeah, the mayor of a small town might be considered a celebrity but Beyonce and Tiger Woods are bigger celebrities. The difficult question is which of those two is the bigger celebrity. How would you measure that? (As opposed to who do you the is a bigger celebrity.)
If some new pop icon appears tomorrow, I want to be able to measure them against the pop icons at the top of the list today.
“but Beyonce and Tiger Woods are bigger celebrities.”
For some. Not me. I could give a rats ass for either one.
@ChazMaz Celebrity doesn’t mean “we like them” Celebrity means “Famous, or well known”. If you offered the name of your mayor and the two legitimate celebrities I mentioned, I’m sure the majority of Flutherites would recognize my two and not your one.
I really didn’t think I need to define it. My mistake.
I don’t know. There’s probably some unspoken formula to calculate what makes a person A-, B- or Z-list.
Zoe Saldana, who’s been in the 2 of the biggest money-making movies in the last 12 months, Star Trek as Uhura and Avatar as Neytiri, is probably not considered A-list. If I asked any of you if you knew who she was without referring to the roles I just mentioned, you wouldn’t know who I was talking about.
I think the levels of celebrity are a collusion between the famous person in question, media, studios, publicists and other parties with a vested financial interest in making and keeping someone famous.
“Celebrity means “Famous, or well known””
That is just personal semantics.
I can introduce you to people that do not know who they are.
@ChazMaz very insightful. So what meds are you on, anyway?
“I’m sure the majority of Flutherites would recognize my two and not your one.”
And if I mentioned Beyonce or Tiger Woods to some tribesmen in South America. Including the name of their chief. They would know who their Chief was.
@zoe yes, yes, yes! Exactly what I’m trying to get at. So the question remains, HOW?
@ChazMaz You’re just not getting this are you? I’m sure you know who your mother is and have a guess who our dad is, but are you saying that makes them celebrities???
@6rant6 – The ones that keep me footed on reality and with self dignity. :-)
“You’re just not getting this are you?”
I have lived and worked in Hollywood, along side your idea of “celebrity”.
I get it more then you will ever get it. :-)
Not trying to pee in your punch. Worship who you wish. That nonsense just does nothing for me.
“Celebrity” has a meaning all it’s own. You might check a dictionary. I did. If you need help doing that post a question.
We can’t have an in intelligent discussion about ANYTHING if you make up definitions to the words that have nothing to do with what they mean to other people. But maybe I’m asking too much.
@ChazMaz Why don’t you pick a word that embodies what it is you’re talking about – coolness, or star qaulity, or Chazholiness. Then you can write a question about that.
“You might check a dictionary.”
TY for your insight.
When I cross paths with someone that embodiesis (?) that word I will let you know. Otherwise it is a pretty word used to describe ass kissing.
“Chazholiness”, now I think you have something there. ;-)
@ChazMaz ”“Chazholiness”, now I think you have something there. ;-)”
And you are definitely number one with a bullet!
I am glad that we finally agree. :-)
What, the length of rope to hang some of them with?
The more you think they are a ‘DICK’, the higher the celebrity status….......
@Pazza Good point. It’s not what we think of them, it’s how often and how strongly.
“It’s not what we think of them, it’s how often and how strongly.”
Then Pizza has Celebrity status to me.
@ChazMaz My boyfriend has celebrity status to me then. Although he would agree with the pizza status (is this not the kind of celebrity we are supposed to be talking about)?
@6rant6 – Agreed, also without the media, we would have a lot less of these poinless shirkers knocking about, they’d have to get some real work.
Photo shoots an cappuchino’s MY-ARSE!
There are two forms and they are measured
- by the level of insane idolization (often triggered by media hypes)
- by well-deserved admiration based on valuable accomplishments
False celebrities are often jerks or bimbos appearing on a trashy reality show. Or super-rich kids whose skills are mostly limited to selecting clothes from a fashion store or enduring painful rehab. Or singers who look cool but have never written melodies or lyrics or worked hard to learn a musical instrument.
True celebrities are great scientists or ingenious artists or hard-working accomplished actors.
@mattbrowne false celebrity?
Just because you don’t celebrate them doesn’t mean they
aren’t celebrated, ya know.
Here’s a group of celebrities that may become famous overnight. You may adore them or hate them. I’m thinking about people going on trial – some of them are completely innocent, some have acted out of principle and are ready to become martyrs for their cause. Some are just bad guys. Whether you like them or not, they are celebrities. They have our attention, they invade our conversations, we are eager to express our opinion about them, and (depending on availability) then will show up in places celebrities frequent – talk shows, newspapers, along side Donald Trump.
@mattbrowne From the title, I’m guessing you’re recommending people not waste time. Done
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