In his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), Oscar Wilde teased: ‘[T]here is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.' When he wrote those words, Wilde was at the pinnacle of his fame – and the beginning of a romantic scandal that would make him infamous. Frequently disparaged but equally admired for his provocative prose and flamboyant posturing, it is not surprising that Wilde would attract public attention by his controversial love affair with Lord Alfred Douglas and his impassioned courtroom defence of a ‘love that dare not speak its name'. It was not the first time, nor would it be the last, that Wilde's larger-than-life personality eclipsed his professional reputation. One of the period's most eccentric, charismatic and recognisable figures, Wilde experienced, more fully than most, the privileges and perils of being talked about. That is to say: Wilde knew well the power of celebrity.
And what is that? Why do we think of Wilde as a celebrity but not, say, Sir Isaac Newton? What exactly is celebrity, and when did celebrity as we know it emerge? How does celebrity differ from other categories of recognition such as fame or renown?
Celebrity distinguishes itself from other forms of public approbation because it centres on the individual personality. In their seemingly immortal perfection, celebrities offer us escape from the mundane, they entertain us, they give us pleasure or help us express our pain. In their all-too-human imperfection, they reassure us about our own shortcomings, foster a sense of belonging, and remind us that struggle is simply a condition of the human experience. Celebrities reflect our personhood – they show us who we are. But they also charm us with illusion, showing us whom we want to be.
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