Celebrities measure success differently from the rest of us. The ultimate measure of celebrity is relevance. Their primary job is to get your attention and get you talking about them. Being liked is secondary to being known. It doesn’t really matter how they do it. So why do we get so hung up on what celebrities say or do? Celebrities are characters, no different from an actor playing a role. I don’t say this to dehumanize celebrities. I say this to say what many of them feel about the rest of us, that we do not know them. We are fans, general population, civilians, commoners, etc.
The most successful celebrities are the ones that understand this and play to it for their own benefit. They curate the lives of their fictional selves based on what would capture the attention, admiration, love, hatred, intrigue of the public. As long as you’re watching, thinking or talking about them then they’re winning. A celebrity only fails when they’re unable to capture your attention or your interest. It doesn’t matter how they do it in the short term. Celebrities that are able to capture our attention over years and decades are the ones with a mix of natural ability, strong work ethic, and political & social awareness. They’re able to reinvent themselves continuously through their art, skills, and ambition. Talentless or lazy celebrities can’t sustain celebrity. Next time you find yourself outraged about something a celebrity has said or done, remember that you wouldn’t be outraged if they weren’t relevant. And they wouldn’t be relevant if you weren’t outraged.