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Twitter killed the Video star: How social media changed celebrity news, communication, and what it means to be famous

Once upon a time, celebrities were untouchable entities that the general population could only hear on the radio or see onscreen. Now, not only can fans keep up with their favorite celebrities through their phone screens, but they can interact with them that way as well.

Social media has infected everyone’s lives and has revolutionized the way human beings communicate. This does not exclude celebrities. With platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, celebrities can personally write their own posts, publish their own pictures, and generate dialogue with their fans (or haters) throughout the globe.

The "Oscar Selfie" - most retweeted tweet

The “Oscar Selfie” – most retweeted tweet

Celebrities use social media to stay relevant and maintain their fame, and some people use it to find it, with Justin Bieber as a shining example of one of the most famous people discovered from YouTube. Our image of the celebrity has transformed from “they’re above us” to “they’re just like us”–and with everyone’s access to a smartphone and wi-fi connection, they very well could be any of us.

How it used to be

Before accounts with customizable settings and verification checkmarks, celebrity titles were concrete–writer, actress, politician, and any information released from them was done so through a wary publicist or staged and prepped interview. Tabloids made profits off of fabricated, dramatized stories when they couldn’t get legitimate ones. The public relied on news reports for any updates of celebrities, and news outlets relied on whatever filtered information publicists would give them. Celebrities were only seen dressed up and at events, their personal lives a mystery unless caught in scandal.

How it is now

Of course, tabloids and other celebrity news outlets still capitalize on shock and scandal, even celebrity deaths, and online sources like Perez Hilton only amplify the prevalence of these stories. Public relations still play massive roles in celebrity image and promotion, and some celebrities rely on social media specialists to run their handles. But within these past few years a new primary source for news has emerged: the celebrity social media account.

Now, celebrities allow the public into their lives, posting what they’re doing, where they’re doing it, and who they’re doing it with, much like how any of us use social media. They make announcements, release new music or material, even debunk rumors on their accounts much like any publicist would. They unprecedentedly expose their personality online in ways never before seen from such high profile figures.

Now, stars post selfies with or without makeup, complain about their days, comment on current events, and make jokes. They establish connections with their fans, replying to them, favoriting, retweeting, or following them back, and post about their relationships, family, and love for their fanbase–which are usually equipped with cutesy, inclusive nicknames like Katy Perry’s KatyCats or One Direction’s Directioners. With a click of a mouse, celebrities can reach out to millions of people and have the potential to garner huge international followings.

How being a celebrity has changed

Lives of the rich and the famous are no longer elusive or mysterious; they are out in the open for all to consume. Being famous today means consenting to losing your privacy. And celebrities hardly ever carry one title anymore- Disney stars become singers, actors become directors, artists delve into entrepreneurship, activism, writing, you name it. And to garner as many followers online as possible, celebrities must also be foodies, fashionistas, comedians, world travelers, have a ridiculous amount of just as successful friends, and post it all over the internet for all to see and obsess over.

But besides debuting their impressive lives, celebrities show us something else: they’re people just like us. They go to the gym, they look ugly without makeup, they have bad days and good ones. Being a celebrity today means being a human being.

How becoming a celebrity has changed

Social media has also allowed human beings to be celebrities. Like the aforementioned Justin Bieber, many users have found fame (some only temporary) through their online posts. YouTube vlogging is now a lucrative career, and many have found their six seconds of fame through the video app, Vine. Fashion bloggers, makeup artists, fitness trainers, even funny looking animals have all found loyal followings on social media. Have you heard of the Kardashians, who have managed to become mind-bogglingly famous for having no talent at all? They must be doing something right, as four of them currently stand in the top-10 most followed people on Instagram.

The days of celebrities being on a pedestal are over and have been replaced by us all being on a platform together. Social media have blurred the lines between public and private, famous and unknown, glamourous and basic. Hollywood has given up the notion that celebrities are unattainable and inhuman, and the internet has created outlets for the public to amass their own fame and following. Twitter killed the video star, and it is only a matter of time before technology kills the “star” for good.

The GRAMMY Awards: A Time for Talent, Not Entertainment

Deemed a “snooze-fest” to many who watched it, the 57th annual GRAMMY Awards hosted many a performance which decided to take slower, more emotional approaches rather than throwing a dance party in the Los Angeles Staples Center. There was something different about this year’s program as well- artists used their stage time to inspire political action.

Last Sunday’s GRAMMYs were met with disapproval. The lowest rated in years, with Twitter abuzz with complaints of the show being boring, disappointment of “old” acts like ACDC, confusion of who Beck is (and anger that he “stole” Beyonce’s award) and the repeated question, why so many ballads? Viewers were more interested in entertainment than social justice.

Hey, everyone- enough with the laments.

Yes, us consumers wish to be entertained when we dedicate three-and-a-half hours of our time to watch a program that only airs once a year. But the artists showcased at this telecast have something they must prove: that they are worthy of winning such a prestigious award. If viewers crave amusement, they can turn to a radio station or watch a music video. They can, and should, use this one night a year to respect pure talent and artistry. Complainers of this year’s show should at least be thankful that they were spared of any potentially “boring” performances, like jazz, new age or classical, which win GRAMMYs, too.

Artists like Pharrell, Beyonce, and Common used their time in the limelight to remind the audience of the #BlackLivesMatter campaign.

Pharrell, singing his award-winning song Happy, juxtaposed his, well, happy song with background dancers emerging in black hoodies reminiscent of what Trayvon Martin was wearing when he was shot by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman. At one point, the dancers all froze and posed with their hands up, tributing the Hands Up, Don’t Shoot gesture. Pharrell, dressed as a bellhop, also had a choir dressed in white robes perform and, ending with his hands clasped in prayer in front of him, he said, looking up, “I’m at your service, Lord”. Here is the video below:

Beyonce, in closing out the GRAMMY Awards, performed her rendition of gospel song “Take My Hand, Precious Lord”. The song and background singers all had political importance, as Beyonce chose the song because her mother used to sing it, reflecting the struggles her family had faced. As for choosing her singers, Beyonce says, “I wanted to find real men that have lived that have struggled, cried. Have a life and spirit about them. I felt like this is an opportunity to show the strength and vulnerability in black people.”

Her performance segued into Common and John Legend’s performance of the “Glory”, the song featured in the Civil Rights movie Selma, where Common assumes the “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” position.

Prince, when presenting Album of the Year, claimed, “Just like books and black lives, albums still matter.”

Katy Perry’s performance had a political edge as well, and quite the emotional one. President Barack Obama spoke in a video urging men to prevent domestic violence, advocating all to get involved with ItsOnUs.org. After he spoke, domestic abuse survivor and activist Brooke Axtell gave an inspiring spoken word piece, and the piano for Perry’s relationship recovery ballad “By The Grace of God” began.

So yes, the GRAMMY Awards weren’t a party. But in light of all the events of the past year, from violence in Ferguson to the Ray Rice scandal, it is encouraging to see such influential artists use their status to inspire social change and not just to broadcast their fame.