Branding, Icons and Religion

We are our own media companies. We create ourselves and ‘brand’ ourselves anyway we like. We are empowered by the web, and the web is empowered by us. But is this really the case? How much are we really in control of our own identity? As Einstein writes in her article, “identities are constructed through consuming”. Therefore, we are not the product of our hard work, dedication and beliefs, but a consequence of what we buy (clothes, cars, laptops etc.). The brands we wear and the things we buy are more than just goods and services, they play a vital role in communicating our ‘true’ identity to the rest of the world. This branding translates to the online world, where the things we share, tweet and like become the primary means of revealing our characters.

This communication is very critical for the “like generation”, not because it reveals their personalities but because it provides a source of validation, as well as connection to the celebrities and the online community. One source of validation comes from the idea of being liked by lots of people. If that happens, you become an icon, a secular source of  “divine representation” that can inspire others. This is where religion and identity branding meet. Tyler Oakley and Steven Fernandez are true icons in this sense, they have the capacity to induce powerful and transformative experiences within a group. Their fans look up to them for a number of reasons, either in search for a life advice or simply to be entertained. Neither Tyler nor Steven expected to reach these levels of followers at first, yet the idea of being liked and “worshiped” as a celebrity was definitely flattering.

After reaching this level of celebrity adoration, how much are they still in control of their own identities? It seems like both had to give up parts of who they are in order to reach that status. Inevitably, both of them had to adjust their content according to their needs or the desire of the fans, whether it was advertising their sponsors or adding naked girls to the videos. In the end, it seems like it’s the fans and the followers who are the true marketers, they have the ultimate power to make Tyler and Steven alter their identities in order to meet the demands of the web community.

Why We Love Celebrities

The advent of mass media has ushered in with it,  an era of  idolizing celebrities. From Kim Kardashian to Lebron James, our media is saturated with the lives of seemingly divine figures. A simple channel surf showcases the fascination with the separate and distinct sphere of lives that regular people cannot enter into. "Laderman argues, celebrity fame is "a pervasive and powerful force in modern society, magnetizing and tempting millions of people... a historically unique, curious, cultural phenomenon (74). While this phenomena has been amplified in modern times, it is not exclusive to the 20th century. But why do we have such a fascination and desire to emulate celebrities?  


The appeal of celebrities develops from a long history of aspiration and a desire to escape from the mundane.Just like other types of myths, celebrities provide the possibility of excitement and escape for the average person. Celebrities appear to risen above the commonality of "normal" people, instead they are living the ideal life. One of the earliest celebrities" was Richard I of England or the Lionheart.  Richard was a central Christian commander/king during the Third Crusade. He scoring considerable victories against his Muslim counterpart, Saladin. Though he didn't capture Jerusalem, his legacy became a folk legend.  Richard I legacy not only created idolization in his time, but far into the 20th century and even a slated 2014 release of a King Richard movie. Celebrities represent a myth of what humans could be. Unlike saints, and hero myths, celebrities are human. Though they are separated by vast talent and resources (Richard ate a Lion's heart for its power), there is a fundamental similarity between the common person and celebrity. This allows a desire for emulation to exist in a way it cannot for a saint or hero myth. As Laderman argues, Idolization of celebrities is a, “rather secular version of more authentic religious devotional practices, a displacement of a deep human need onto stars rather than saints” (76). " 

Idols throughout history: Even the Romans had them!!

Has the human race always idolized their celebrities?

The creation of idols is not a new phenomenon in today's world of mass media. No, the creation of celebrity idols has been happening since the time of the Ancient Romans (and even before that). Graffiti of Rome's heroes were plastered walls throughout Rome and spoke of each celebrity's superhuman accomplishments. In fact, the making of celebrities into idols went much farther in Rome. After the death of popular emperors, the Senate would proclaim them to be gods, worthy of worship and adulation (called imperial cults). This phenomenon goes beyond any worship that we have for modern celebrities. As Landerman says, "Humans are born to mimic others...especially prestigious individuals perceived to be the fittest and most successful by the group." (p.72) Today, that is of course the case, but the Roman people would also mimic the greatest accomplishments of these idols in plays and other forms of entertainment. In both cases the masses would try "to be like" their idols. Our idols are worshiped with massive fan following, making the religion connotation more implicit compared to the more explicit nature  of the Romans.

Today, Celebrities' imprints are everywhere. Companies use the likeness of these celebrities on clothing, advertisements, and many other forms of media. This use is not all that dissimilar to the Romans where Romans would reenact the virtues of their celebrities. Many Romans had busts done of their favorite emperors and put those busts in their homes. This is exactly like today with the posters of our heroes that many college students (and others) have in their rooms. Time has not changed how we have worshiped celebrities as humans have turned celebrities into idols throughout history.

Living through Celebrities. Can there be an Upside?

      Laderman asserts that celebrity fame is "a pervasive and powerful force in modern society, magnetizing and tempting millions of people... a historically unique, curious, cultural phenomenon." Curious the phenomenon is indeed. Why are humans driven to obsessively follow and emulate celebrities? They are our fellow human beings, set apart only by the fact that their faces, words, and opinions are broadcasted across the nation due to their success in film, music, and sports careers. The idea that this phenomenon is "historically unique" is not accurate. In his chapter Laderman traces the roots of our current celebrity fascination. In the 17th century saints were idolized. Their stories provided a type of myth in which they were the heroes performing miraculous acts. In today's society, celebrities have replaced the saints as the heroes and it the media's re-approporation of their lives as myths that explains our obsession.
     Just like mythical and apocalyptic movies, celebrities provide the possibility of excitement and escape for the average American. Celebrities have personal relationships with clothing designers, professional makeup artists to enhance their natural beauty, access to trendy restaurants... the list goes on. Celebrities, so it seems, are living the dream and through them, we can realize our fantasies. In the midst of her monotonous weekly routine, the suburban housewife can find an escape in the tabloids at the local Stop & Shop. This experience is even more thrilling than a movie because it is more tangible. These are real living people who were born in average households just like the rest of us. Their rise to fame provides inspiration that we too can achieve fabulousness. Although not likely, I could go on a reality TV show and have all of my dreams realized as was the case with Kelly Clarkson, Kim Kardashian, Honey Boo Boo, and Snooki. Religious idols may offer spiritual and morel guidance, but we cannot relate to them as we can celebrities. We begin to rely so heavily on these connections however, that it becomes difficult to separate our lives from theirs, reality from fiction. Numerous BuzzFeed articles and Facebook posts appeared in the wake of Ryan Gosling's engagement announcement as thousands of hopeful girls across the country faced the harsh reality that their (imaginary) romance with the star was officially over. People shed tears over a celebrities passing as if they were close personal friends. Many even have surgery to adopt a celebrity's physical features.

        Overall, society's increasing fascination with celebrities has been viewed as a devolution. Among all of this criticism, is it possible to uncover any positive effects? As Laderman notes, celebrities can serve as our moral compasses. Just as we idolize them, we scrutinize their unethical behavior. When celebrities are caught stealing, doing drugs, and getting in car accidents is it widely publicized, often resulting in lost contracts and endorsement deals. Celebrities can also use their power to promote charities and social awareness campaigns, so much so that it has almost become an expectation. The billions of dollars and countless hours celebrities dedicate to these causes is certainly admirable. The only question is, are they doing it for the right reasons? In the end, these charitable acts just further further improve their image.  In fighting AIDS and adopting children from Africa celebrities earn one more reason to be idolized. They appear almost saintly.

The church of the celebrity

Why are celebrities considered sacred members of today’s society, and what drives the general public’s worship of them?  By saying celebrity, I’m encompassing a wide array of people – from Derek Jeter to Kim Kardashian – or essentially, those who have acquired some sort of fame due to the talents (or lack thereof) they possess.  These select people are seen by the general public as “iconic,”, and people worship them similarly as they would a religious figure.  Robert Maniura discusses this at length in his work, “Icon/Image” which examines the evolution of religious icons.  Maniura believed, “A more widespread current use of “iconic,” though, draws on another feature of the Eastern icon—its focal cultural role and high status—to refer to culturally salient people, things, and concepts: sportspeople, musicians, commercial products, and brands, among other things, can all be “iconic” in this sense. This leads away from material religion.”  Maniura argues that society’s interpretation of icons is shifting away from traditional religion and has gravitated towards secularism.  This is embodied through our worship of celebrities, they are considered “high class” and people look up to them regardless of their lack of merit.    

            So what has caused the gravitation towards more secular figures as opposed to religious ones?  Laderman described celebrities as “media-created, ultimately empty vessels that provide, though captivating, images void of real purpose or value.”  I believe that the part of Laderman’s description that is most crucial to focus on is “captivating.”  Celebrities intrigue people and therefore media outlets bombard us with pictures, videos, and gossip regarding them.  As society’s technological prowess continues to progress, celebrity news will continue to be thrown in the face of the general public.  So I believe that the media and technological progress is responsible for the increasing celebrity worship that we see today.