NewsWire: 9/26/2020
- Celebrities and the paparazzi have always had a contentious relationship—but for the rising generation of teen influencers, this is no longer true. Unlike traditional celebrities, they actually want to be photographed and asked questions, since they see it as a way to boost their personal brands. (The New York Times)
- NH: Charli and Dixie D’Amelio. Noah Beck. Addison Rae. Bryce Hall. If you don’t recognize any of these names, you’re probably not a teenager with a TikTok account…or a paparazzo living in Los Angeles. These are some of today’s most popular social media personalities, with tens of millions of followers. And thanks to the pandemic, they’ve morphed a lifeline for celebrity news and gossip.
- At first glance, this article just describes another unexpected side effect of the Covid-19 era: With most big-time celebrities holed up indoors, paparazzi began pursuing Millennial/Homelander social media influencers--many of whom are still going about their lives semi-normally--instead. But what’s happened since says something deeper about the changing nature of fame. The paparazzi have found that these teens are generally pleasant and receptive to their questions, and consider being interviewed a sign that they’ve “made it.”
- The combative relationship between celebs and the people who chase them has morphed into a mutually beneficial one. Fans see the paparazzi as a useful conduit to their favorite influencers, the fans’ questions give paparazzi an endless stream of content and traffic for their brands, and influencers get 15 free minutes of fame. Everybody’s happy. (See “Lifestyles of the Internet Famous.”)
- This may seem no different from, say, the behavior of the socialites and reality TV stars of the early aughts who seemed to consider any publicity good publicity. But as Spencer Pratt (a reality TV personality from that era) points out here, self-promotion used to get “fame-adjacent” celebrities labeled as desperate wannabes. For TikTok and YouTube influencers, it’s accepted and encouraged as a savvy way to build their personal brands.
- Why have attitudes changed? For one thing, these teens aren’t famous for being famous. They rose to fame because they were good at something--though of course, in the internet economy, this can mean something as small as “dancing to hip-hop music” or “telling jokes for 15 seconds.” (See “Social Media Influencers Are ‘Taking Over the World.’”) Whatever the skill, it’s been enough to win them millions of young fans. People like them and actually want to know more about them. But most influencers are also not widely known enough to secure traditional interviews or media profiles; the only public content about them is content they create themselves. The paparazzi fill that gap.
- Note that those who have managed to parlay internet celebrity into broader success in entertainment--now-actress and model Lele Pons, for instance, or now-talk show host Lilly Singh--aren’t the ones the paparazzi are following anymore. These teens are where new internet celebrities once were: in the strange position of having lots of fans while they’re still trying to establish their careers. Once regular life resumes, they’ll be competing with the big Hollywood stars again--but at least one outlet, The Hollywood Fix, plans to stay focused on influencers. Why not? They’re friendly, they appreciate the attention, and they actually want to talk.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Into Thin Hair. Toilet paper. Dry yeast. Video games. Here’s something new to add to the list of products that reflect life in the age of Covid-19: hair-loss treatments. According to Advertising Age, visits to sites for hair-loss products and search queries about hair loss surged to record highs in August, while product sales have jumped nearly 30% YoY. The biggest beneficiary has been the digital health company Roman, whose sales for their men’s hair-loss treatments are 300% higher now than they were last year. In part, the upsurge is a result of the virus itself; many Covid-19 patients have reported experiencing hair loss two or three months after coming down with the disease. But doctors are also reporting that they’re seeing more “shock hair loss” among the general population, which reflects increased psychological and emotional stress. (See “Americans Continue to Struggle With Their Mental Health.”) This type of hair loss is not permanent, but typically takes three to nine months to resolve.
