All aspects of media are increasingly dependent on created rather than established celebrities. Networks like Bravo, E! and MTV wouldn't exist without their 'Real Housewives', Kardashians or 'Jersey Shore' stars respectively.
It really does seem that the popularity of the created celebrity is at new heights, and I don't anticipate it stopping anytime soon. These new stars lack the talents that traditionally lead to super-stardom, but their fame is undeniable. The Kardashians, for instance have created an entire empire for themselves. Their mom and manager, Kris Jenner, refers to their achieved fame as, "their brand". Bravo's network, in particular, can't get enough of the 'created celebrity'. Their newest addition to the network, Rosie Pope, is a woman who created celebrity for herself when she dubbed herself maternity concierge. Talk about a nontraditional way of achieving celebrity; Rosie caters to the rich, pregnant divas of NYC and has become a celebrity for it. (And yes, I'll admit -- I watch her show)
Being that I'm so interested in both media and celebrity, I've spent a lot of time considering why I believe people are so fascinated with the 'created celebrity'. I've come up with several hypotheses, but the one that seems to be most plausible welcomes the fact that created celebrity gives 'regular' people, such as ourselves, the notion that we, too can achieve celebrity.
Strangely enough, it seems there is a desirable quality associated with achieving superstardom for things that don't necessarily make an individual worthy of super-stardom.
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