OK....

What's the difference between someone being famous and someone being a celebrity?

When Andy Wharhol said that everyone would be famous for 15 minutes, did he have 'being a celeb' for 15 minutes in mind?

Is there a difference?

I'm kind of thinking that fame is more long lasting, usually more skill / ability / talent based and celebrity is more short lived / lifestyle based.

Thoughts?

Joe

Interesting question, Joe.

I remember seeing 'Have I Got News For You' once, when the Angus Deaton said something like "Other celebrities who attended included Greg Dyke.." and Ian Hislop blustered out "Greg Dyke isn't a celebrity! He's got a real job! You're a celebrity!", which really made me laugh!

I think the difference is that celebrities often don't have real jobs, like Jade Goody, Paris Hilton etc - they are just famous for being 'media personalities'.

But then I suppose footballers have real jobs and they're celebrities, aren't they. Hmmm...

Perhaps, being a celebrity is qualified by you doing celeb things like celebrity tv or celebrity parties or interviews for Hello! magazine, like Joe says 'lifestyle based'. And if you're famous but you dont do those things then you're just famous. But joe not everyone who is famous is famous because of a skill/talent, e.g. Tony Martin

What do you think?

I'd have to say I rather agree with kathy. In my mind, a celebrity doesn't have a "real" job. Can someone be famous for being famous? Or infamous?

Who exhibits worse behavior? Celebrities? Or famous people?

I watched a biography of Evel Knievel http://home.ama-cycle.org/forms/museum/biopage1.asp?id=48 this afternoon. Interesting guy by the way. Even if I think he's crazy.

I would consider him someone who started out as a celebrity, then morphed into being a famous person. Mostly because no one thought he'd still be around all these years later!

I loved Peter O Toole in My Favorite Year. Upon learning that the television show he's agreed to do will be broadcast live, no retakes, he screams, 'I'm NOT an actor!" "I'm a movie star!"

:) Sierra

One has talent & has attained notoriety as a result.
The other hasn't.

Originally posted by Don_Kiddick
One has talent & has attained notoriety as a result.
The other hasn't.

I think this is a pretty accurate assessment - although I'd associate the word Notoriety more with Infamy than Fame.

It's like Fame is a positively-gained thing, while Celebrity is much closer to Infamy. Not quite that one's positive and one's negative, but something like that.

StarSparkle