ABSTRACT
In the internet age, there are no longer only a handful of powerful gatekeepers deciding who will be in the public eye, but instead it is often individuals themselves who can take advantage of blogs, social networking tools, video sharing, and digital downloading to act as their own studio, record company, publicist, or publishing company. Celebrity represents the notion of individualism today perhaps more than ever-it has never seemed easier to be famous just for being you, and possibly get rich in the process. At the same time, the gap between the wealthiest 1 percent and the rest of Americans has widened and wages remain stagnant, even if opportunities for fame have expanded, offering the appearance of greater mobility and the chance to cash in on the new media environment. As traditional modes of entertainment confront the challenge of making money in the face of free internet content, the very mechanisms creating celebrity have forever been altered.
