After watching Dog Day Afternoon, it is apparent how the introduction of television into society produced a universal desire to be on T.V. and its association with being a celebrity. Because Sunny and Sal were all over the news and their lives were discussed in great detail they became celebrities. The pizza boy was one of the characters within the film that was “star struck” when he was able to interact with Sunny. The pizza boy even exclaimed that he was a “star” because he was able to be on T.V.
The fascination with being on television has only gotten worse in today’s society. As a result, the definition of what a celebrity is has changed. It is no longer defined by one’s talent as an actor, but rather an ability to capture people’s attention in whatever means necessary. While there are rankings among the celebrities, A list, B list, C list, D list celebrities, we still regard reality T.V. stars as some form of celebrities, distinguished from the rest of society. Reality television has allowed average Joes to get their 15 minutes of fame, and if they are lucky it might be longer. Shows such as I love money, Real Chance of Love 1 and 2, Tool Camp, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, My Antonio, etc. allow unknown individuals to come into people’s homes once a week on various shows (the lovely photo above is from the show I Love Money). They become a part of our social discussions and gossip.
The creation of the celebrity also goes beyond the television; people are able to become “famous” through the Internet, through blogs, youtube, etc. This sort of fame relies on how many people view the image or video. The image or video does not necessarily have to be well represented, the presentation is not what is important, rather how entertaining it might be.
So if anyone and everyone can be a celebrity in today’s society why is there still such an obsession with being on television?
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