A celebrity is a person in the public eye, considered to be well known. A celebrity could be defined as someone who has a prominent profile within the media (i.e. On television or in magazines a lot).
Celebrity could also be described as the state of being famous or to have achieved notoriety for an achievement or career, or adored by a large group of fans. Celebrities tend to be synonymous with certain professions, for example musicians, actors and sports professionals tend to be considered 'celebrity' as their lives, and their careers are widely broadcast throughout media outlets such as television shows or newspapers. Examples of celebrities within these professions are Britney Spears, Brad Pitt and David Beckham. It is also possible to be a celebrity in other professions, especially if your name becomes well known amongst a certain profession, even if the profession as a whole is not well known. Good examples of this would be Bill Gates in computing, Pablo Picasso in art and Donald Trump in business. Celebrity culture has always been prominent in society. In Ancient Greece, hymns were written about the winners of Olympic Games and other sporting events. In Ancient Italy (amongst others), statues were commissioned to bring fame and renown to the men and women considered to be the most intelligent or successful in their era, such as scientists or writers. In modern cultures, celebrities are widely adored and celebrity gossip is popular, with fans seeing celebrities as role models, and private lives of famous people tend to be well publicised and critiqued. Magazines, newspapers and television shows are dedicated to talking about the latest celebrity fashion, popular activity (fad) or wrong-doing. Whole television stations, such as MTV, have been created to publicise and criticise celebrities and their lives, as well as bringing further fame to those considered to be famous.
