tech
The Celebrity Clock Is Getting Rewired
This is an edition of Time-Travel Thursdays, a journey through The Atlantic’s archives to contextualize the present. Sign up here.
TL;DR
- Celebrities were once described as "transient royalty" whose power and privileges were limited to their peak fame.
- The fear of fading into obscurity leads some celebrities to accept various opportunities to prolong their spotlight.
- Modern media allows celebrities to extend their fame through podcasts, new music, or re-emergent popularity of older shows via streaming.
- Technology like CGI and AI enables deceased celebrities to continue appearing in films and advertisements.
- Innovations from the electric microphone to social media have historically augmented star power and reach.
- The concept of the "celebrity clock" is being redefined as individuals can repeatedly reinvent themselves across different platforms.
- Ultimately, fame is dependent on public willingness to engage with a personality, and it is both earned and invented.