Is it the fan or celebrity that makes them famous?

 

Celebrities have more signatures than just on paper, in what they wear, what they do, and how they carry themselves. But how do they all have something different to one another with so many celebrities on our screens nowadays?

Taylor Swift as a prime example, the company she keeps — often found with cats — the hairstyle, lip colour, choreography, the list goes on. For a seemingly ‘relatable’ celebrity, she’s got it all planned out. Many fans find comfort in her ‘wholesome’ appearance that matches her songwriting. But is it her songs that match the personality, or the personality that matches the songs? She’s a hard working woman, but also one of the major examples of celebrities who people confuse to be their friend, despite having never met her, due to the image we are given of her. To the point where if she were to do something that people disagree with personally, they would take offence and ‘act’ on it by unfollowing her…how tragic for her I’m sure.

Her hair is a most noticeable feature of hers that is still a subtle ‘signature’. I mean no one sees a block fringe or a romantic side swept bang and thinks Taylor, but pair it with a red lip? Taylor. 

As her brand has evolved, so has our ‘view’ into what her life is like, knowing more about her with every appearance, every album, every post. She’s a girl like the rest of us in many aspects, but she’s also a business woman. A very respectable one, who’s achieved so much in a difficult industry, consistently presenting an image that people appear to so closely relate to. 

Other signature things she’s adopted include the infamous 22 hat — recently on show in London’s V&A museum — her ‘cat mum’ persona, and even an everyday item: a cardigan. She’s worked around criticism, using it as further marketing, for example, embracing the ‘snake’ image in her reputation era after the famous West-Kardashian controversy, using it in her promotion of the album.

We see this happening with a lot of celebrities, those who are breaking into the world of Hollywood have something about them, something distinctive. Tate McRae has been on the music scene for a while now, but properly opened doors for herself after adopting the ‘Ice Hockey’ style, an unusual, but therefore unique look. 

The same applies to Sabrina Carpenter, who pushed her way to centre stage with her recent music, largely due to the image she’s given alongside it. Mini skirts, bombshell blonde hair, and her often ‘babydoll’ look is arguably the main reason she’s now in the spotlight.

Some celebrities however, openly change their style drastically whilst managing to stay in the spotlight, two major examples being Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande. Both are massive names in the music industry, but if you were to ask someone what was commonly associated with them, you’d probably be there a while. Some could argue it’s a marketing technique to stay relevant, while others simply say they’re ’exploring their styles’. This discussion in itself keeps them in the spotlight, a seemingly unintentional marketing technique. 

Just from consuming media, I’ve noticed that generally, it’s female celebrities that have to uphold these images they create for themselves. As part of the many things that they have to do to obtain as big a name as many of their male coworkers, an interesting double standard that is painfully present yet overlooked in Hollywood.

I think the slight danger in this though, is through celebrities ‘opening up’ to the public, whether authentic or not, gives many fans the wrong idea: that they know them as a person. In some cases this can become quite dangerous in extreme scenarios, as some take parasocial relationships too far, to the point where some celebrities have to restrict their interaction with fans. Chappell Roan has clearly expressed her wishes of this not being the case since her break out, stating that she’d be prepared to leave the music scene, if fans were to take it too far. 

I do however, find it more fun as an audience member to see these personas given to us by celebrities, so as much as I’m aware of the obvious marketing, I buy into it just the same. I think the search of something unique between artists pushes the search for something similar in normal peoples’ lives, as people search for their styles, encouraging creativity in fashion and lifestyles again.