Have you ever just taken a step back and thought about how much our perception of what being a celebrity entails has changed in the past 20 years? Where will we stand 20 years from now? Take a look at Oprah Winfrey and Kim Kardashian for example; besides the obvious differences in their upbringing and how they both made their way into stardom, they are also very different in how they maintain their celebrity status. As stated in Broadcasting Yourself by Drew Pinsky “the explosion of reality T.V. Programming combined with the widespread accessibility of the internet have reshaped the landscape of fame and dramatically influenced the public 's relationship with the celebrity”. What used to be frowned upon in media is now an everyday norm,
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In Oprah 's case, she was raised in a poor, extremely physically sexually and emotionally abusive single parent home. At 19 after much persistence landed her first job in radio from there she worked her way up the ladder into television. In 1986 the Oprah Show aired bringing in $125 million the first year. She “gained “ ownership of the program. In 1994 Oprah pledged to keep her show “free of the tabloid topics” as talk shows became increasingly trashy and exploitative. She earned respect of the viewers and was awarded with increasing popularity. Besides the fact that Oprah has worked hard and is very deserving of where she is today she has been very generous. Oprah 's Angel Network has raised more than $51,000,000 for a variety of charities. In 2013 Winfrey received the nations highest civilian honor; The Presidential Medal of Freedom, in which was awarded for her contributions to her country. Oprah has paved a path for herself through hard work and determination with many accomplishments and contributions to show for it. This is what the “old fame” role model looked like. A story that made society feel like they could also make a difference or a “footprint” no matter where they came from. The problem is; this is not the way we perceive celebrities anymore. Which brings me to my next “success”
In Oprah 's case, she was raised in a poor, extremely physically sexually and emotionally abusive single parent home. At 19 after much persistence landed her first job in radio from there she worked her way up the ladder into television. In 1986 the Oprah Show aired bringing in $125 million the first year. She “gained “ ownership of the program. In 1994 Oprah pledged to keep her show “free of the tabloid topics” as talk shows became increasingly trashy and exploitative. She earned respect of the viewers and was awarded with increasing popularity. Besides the fact that Oprah has worked hard and is very deserving of where she is today she has been very generous. Oprah 's Angel Network has raised more than $51,000,000 for a variety of charities. In 2013 Winfrey received the nations highest civilian honor; The Presidential Medal of Freedom, in which was awarded for her contributions to her country. Oprah has paved a path for herself through hard work and determination with many accomplishments and contributions to show for it. This is what the “old fame” role model looked like. A story that made society feel like they could also make a difference or a “footprint” no matter where they came from. The problem is; this is not the way we perceive celebrities anymore. Which brings me to my next “success”