As celebrities turn themselves into brands, the rest of us risk losing our grip on reality via nparts
Back in January, the notoriously reclusive musician Frank Ocean made his Instagram profile available to the public. Hundreds of thousands flocked to the newly opened feed to see photos that Ocean had privately posted for years. It was a rare glimpse into the life of the 31-year-old songwriter who has mostly shunned modern notions of celebrity and fame.
For decades, our fascination with celebrities has been happily fed by media outlets. The first national weekly gossip tabloid, Broadway Brevities and Society Gossip, launched in 1916. Others soon followed. Through the years, we relied on magazines like People and Us, the kind of publications that get flipped through at dentist’s offices, to find out what celebrities are up to: who is breaking up with whom and what they’re wearing on their way to the gym.
Brands, by nature, have something to sell. Their communication to the world is a marketing plan packaged to feel personal; to convince you to take action, in a way that feels authentic. Celebrities, as brands, are doing the exact same. As they continue to convince us that breaking down the barriers between themselves and the audience is making it a more authentic experience, but they are, in fact, merely selling us authenticity as their own product.
In the second episode of the series, Drake visited the barbershop to provide his first response to a rap beef with Pusha T that grabbed headlines throughout the summer. The feud had abruptly ended when Pusha released a diss track titled “The Story of Adidon,” revealing to the world that Drake has a child.
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