Mozart and Paris Hilton
A celebrity is a person who is well-known for their well-knownness. Have Da Vinci, Van Gogh, Mozart and Bach all become Daniel Boorstin’s definition of a celebrity? It is their art that brought them fame, but now it’s their fame that brings them fame. Much like Paris Hilton, Mozart and Da Vinci are known for their well-knownness.
Of course, everybody knows Eine Kleine Nachtmusik or the Mona Lisa, but nobody seems to know, except for the few critics and enthusiasts, why they are famous. Consequently, even the art itself has become well-known for its well-knownness; never mind the genius and brilliance of the works.
Is it popular culture that makes the difference. In their time or shortly after, Van Gogh and Bach were elevated to the level of folk heroes by their deeds; Paris Hilton was created for the masses by popular culture. In his book The Image, Boorstin explains that image has replaced reality, and pseudo-events—man-made events with the sole purpose of being reported such as photo shoots and press conferences—have replaced spontaneous events such as a fire, an earthquake or a bank robbery.
Da Vinci, Van Gogh, Mozart and Bach have only recently become celebrities in Boorstin’s definition, as they have undergone a rebirth through popular culture. No longer a folk hero known for their deeds, they have become a celebrity for the masses through advertising, television and all other vehicles of popular culture. The Mona Lisa now smiles on mouse pads, calendars, wall posters and mugs and Johann Strauss’ An der schönen blauen Donau is now known for 2001: A Space Odyssey and Homer Simpson biting weightlessly for potato chips in a space craft.
Anyone can become a celebrity today and when known for their well-knownness, who cares about their abilities? It doesn’t matter what’s good and what’s not; that’s why Mozart has to share the store shelves with Paris Hilton.
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