This document discusses how social media has enabled the rise of internet celebrities or "iCelebrities". It provides several examples of people like Sophia Grace, Rebecca Black, Lauren Conrad and Felicia Day who gained large online followings through platforms like YouTube and Twitter. Experts quoted believe social media gives personalities a direct connection to fans and the tools for anyone to achieve success. However, others warn that this close access can turn fans into "vultures" and celebrity endorsements may not seem genuine. The document examines both the positive and negative effects of how social media has changed celebrity culture.

1. From James to Justin:
How social media has created
the iCelebrity
Cicely Johnston
Image Credit:VasHappenin♥ {weheartit}, Eetu {weheartit}
Wednesday, 29 February, 12

2. “When Ellen DeGeneres saw 8-year-old
Sophia Grace and her 5-year-old cousin
Rosie perform, she wanted them on the
show right away”
-TheEllenShow YouTube Channel
Image Credit:YouTube screenshot, Emily Bernard {weheartit}
Wednesday, 29 February, 12

3. Image Credit: WhiteKnight {weheartit}, nadidexter {weheartit}
Wednesday, 29 February, 12

4. Rebecca Black’s “rise” to “success”
Image Credit: Kaja Krαth ♔{weheartit}, ▲bekk.cecilia▲ {weheartit}, All2Need.com {weheartit}, Natalia Azcoaga {weheartit}
Wednesday, 29 February, 12

5. “It’s a huge help if a girl already has a
platform and followers, and Kate
Upton is a great example of that.”
-Trey Laird, the creative director of Laird & Partners
Image Credit: ana aguiar {weheartit},YouTube screenshot
Wednesday, 29 February, 12

6. “Social media brings a personality to models. That’s how
consumers today decide what to buy.” -Kate Upton
Image Credit: Hanna {weheartit}
Wednesday, 29 February, 12

7. “It is not only celebrities who are forced to
look to a team to produce real-time
commentary on daily activities;
... President Obama, has a social-networking
team to keep his Twitter feed tweeting.”
-New York Times,
‘When Stars Twitter, a Ghost May Be Lurking’
“Like any businesswoman, I think about long-term business
plans, social media, brand strategy and how best to
connect with my fans.”
-Lauren Conrad, ‘Meet Lauren Conrad, Inc.’
Image Credit: fearknot {weheartit}, ♔ MatildaOfSweden ♥ {weheartit}
Wednesday, 29 February, 12

8. “The endorsements range from subtle to
blatant; and the celebrity pairings, from
sensible to downright odd.”
-Christina Rexrode,‘Celebs make tweet bucks as shills for stuff on Twitter’
Image Credit: gem fountain {flickr}
Wednesday, 29 February, 12

9. “Will consumers believe that their
favorite rapper drives a minivan?”
-Christina Rexrode, in reference to Rapper Snoop Dogg giving
praise on Twitter to the Toyota Sienna minivan.
Image Credit: jamalicious {weheartit}
Wednesday, 29 February, 12

10. “Twilebrities are people—“tweeple,”
in twitspeak—who spend their days
typing 140-character messages into
a digital rumpus room of about 55
million monthly users.”
-Vanessa Grigoriadis, ‘America’s Tweethearts’
Image Credit: Kamilly Q. {weheartit}, Sina- That’s me (: {weheartit}
Wednesday, 29 February, 12

11. “Doors were closed to us before,”
“Now the tools for success have been democratized. It’s just me and whoever wants to
talk to me, wherever they are in the world.”
-Felicia Day, an American Tweetheart with 1.6 million followers
Image Credit:Vernon Dali {flickr}
Wednesday, 29 February, 12

12. “Like a lot of twilebrities, Michaels uses her significant
influence to push her followers toward those she
deems cool enough, and looks down on those who
don’t follow the rules.”
-Vanessa Grigoriadis, ‘America’s Tweethearts’
Image Credit: Cantabilesloves {weheartit}, Elizabeth B. Closmore {weheartit}
Wednesday, 29 February, 12

13. “We have direct
access to the
objects of our
adoration, we simply
“Like” their
Facebook page, or
“Follow” their
tweets”
-Caryn Gootkin, ‘Celebrity culture makes
vultures out of all of us’
Image Credit: Jemma Louise {weheartit}, iPhone screenshots
Wednesday, 29 February, 12

14. Image Credit: Defence Images {flickr}
Wednesday, 29 February, 12

15. Image Credit: Cicely1127 {flickr}, web screenshots
Wednesday, 29 February, 12

16. The Good...
... and The Bad
Image Credit: Nevel Amadeus Papperman {weheartit}, Web screenshot
Wednesday, 29 February, 12

17. “(Online) Participation has been further democratised
and it is having interesting effects.”
-Haydyn Shaughnessy
‘When Social Media Met Celebrity
(And Fell in Love, Authentically)’
Image Credit: Nicholas Smit {flickr}
Wednesday, 29 February, 12