Young Celebrity Girl Portrait

According to Madow, "fame is a "relational" phenomenon, something that is conferred by others. A person can, within the limits of his natural talents, make himself strong or swift or learned. But he cannot, in this same sense, make himself famous, any more than he can make himself loved." Madow goes on to point out that "fame is often conferred or withheld, just as love is, for reasons and on grounds other than "merit." This means that regardless of how "... strenuously the star may ... try to "monitor" and "shape" it, the media and the public always play a substantial part in the image-making process."
Bob Greene argues for "most of man's history...people of talent would work to create something--something written, something painted, something sculpted, something acted out--and it would be passed on to audiences." With the rise of reality TV shows, Greene points out audiences have been turned into the creators. He argues the "alleged stars of the reality shows Survivor and Big Brother, have become famous not for doing, but merely for being."
Greene says "You simply have to be present, in the right place at the right time." Whereas publicly famous people "were once defined as such based upon the fact their remarkable skills had brought them to the attention of the public." Greene states with reality TV, "one can become a public person just by being a person, in public."
"Celebrities often have fame comparable to royalty," claimed author Micha Frydman. As a result, there is a strong public curiosity about their private affairs. Celebrities may be resented for their accolades, and the public may have a love/hate relationship with celebrities. Due to the high visibility of celebrities' private lives, their successes and shortcomings are often made very public. Celebrities are alternately portrayed as glowing examples of perfection, when they garner awards, or as decadent or immoral if they become associated with a scandal. When seen in a positive light, celebrities are frequently portrayed as possessing skills and abilities beyond average people; for example, celebrity actors are routinely celebrated for acquiring new skills necessary for filming a role within a very brief time, and to a level that amazes the professionals who train them. Similarly, celebrities with very little formal education can be portrayed as experts on complicated issues.