VIRTUAL CELEBRITIESHow is concept of fame changing in

the convergence culture?

Introduction

•Celebrity – „a person who is known for his well-knownness" (D. Boorstin), famous for being famous

•Culture of real virtuality and new media heroes

• Date and place of birth: 14th February 1968, Wimbledon, UK

• Status: single• Blood group: AB-• Height: 1,73 m• Weight: 59 kg• Breast: 34DD• Waist: 24• Hips: 35• Hair: brown• Eyes: brown• Shoes:7• Identification mark: full-size 9mm Beretta

Do you know her?

Yes, it’s Lara Croft

•A fictional character created for video game series Tomb Raider

3D gaming's first female superstar

From game heroine…• video game series since 1996• film adaptations – two

feature films with Angelina Jolie: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003)

• comic books - crossover in Sara Pezzini's Witchblade, and an own comic book series

• a series of animated short films

• fanfiction created on fanpages

… to celebrity

• Covers of „Time”, „Newsweek”, Focus” and „Financial Times”

• Television advertisements for Visa, Lucozade drinks, G4 TV, Brigitte magazine, and SEAT cars

• U2 concert during their 1997 PopMart tour

• Music video for „A Pig Named Men” of German punk band Die Ärzte's (1998)

• An album A Tribute to Lara Croft.with songs of e.g. Depeche Mode, Moby, Faith No More and Apollo 440

•the spokesmodel for the Skin Cancer Awareness Foundation of Minden, Nevada (2006)

•In 2007, Radleigh Homes placed a blue plaque for Lara Croft at the site of Core Design's former offices in Derby

Six Guinness Records

• “MOST SUCCESSFUL VIDEO GAME HEROINE”

• “MOST RECOGNISABLE FEMALE CHARACTER IN A VIDEO GAME”

• “MOST DETAILED VIDEO GAME CHARACTER”

• “MOST OFFICIAL REAL LIFE STAND-INS IN A VIDEO GAME” (TOMB RAIDER)

• “HIGHEST GROSSING COMPUTER GAME SPIN-OFF” (TOMB RAIDER)

• “MOST SUCCESSFUL LIVE-ACTION TRANSFER” (TOMB RAIDER)

Sex symbol

Introduction GORILLAZ

Do you know them?

The Band

British virtual band created in 1998 by:– Damon Albarn of Britpop band Blur– Jamie Hewlett co-creator of the

comic book Tank GirlThe band's music is a collaboration

between various musicians, Albarn being the only permanent musical contributor

Their style is a composition of multiple musical genres, with a large number of their influences including: dub, hip hop, alternative rock, electronic and pop music

More about…• The band's 2001 debut album Gorillaz sold over

7million copies and earned them an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records as the Most Successful Virtual Band

• This is the guy responsible:• Jamie Christopher Hewlett is an English comic book artist and designer. He is best known for being the co-creator of the comic Tank Girl and co-creator of the virtual band Gorillaz.

Virtual but like real

11.000.0002.000.000

10.900

Official website

My Space

You Tube

Facebook

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of72cc9EsW8http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_gnMOom7kE&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACTpyYrV_wM&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szERhJROOLk&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLeMxsHrD0E

Introduction

The Dude

Do you know him?

•„Big Lebowski” is a film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen in 1998

•The main characters: • Jeffrey Lebowski, also well known as The Dude • Walter Sobchak,• Danny,• Maude Lebowski,• Jesus Quintana• The Nihilists,• Jackie Treehorn• Jeffrey Lebowski• and others

Why I mentioned them? Because all of them are heroes and

kind of founding fathers of a festival, which – since 2002 – became a serious event. As we can read at their web site [http://lebowskifest.com]: Lebowski Fest is a celebration of all things related to the 1998 Coen brothers cult comedy, "The Big Lebowski." Fans of the film (aka "Achievers") come from far and wide to drink white Russians, throw some rocks and party with an array of Dudes, Walters and Maudes (not to mention a nihilist or two). It's a two-day party that typically opens with live performances and screening of the film the first night and concludes with a raucous bowling party the following night.

History• The First Annual Lebowski

Fest was in 2002 in Louisville, but subsequent fests have been held in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Las Vegas, Austin, Seattle, London and Edinburgh. While the Coen brothers continue to maintain a safe distance from the madness they created, the fest has earned the blessing of the Dude himself, Jeff Bridges, who attended the fest in L.A. and even stuck around to sing a few songs.

Festiwal of a…• The simple party, which

was made of adoration and boredom, became a huge event. Moreover, it is based on untrue, fictional, and fully created film characters. With a help of a web, people are gathering and cultivating their idols. It in not – of course – isolated case, but size of this one is more then curious.

•http://www.lebowskifest.com/

Web sites Also with a developing internet and social portals, like MySpace or Facebook, Twitter and all blog platforms, The Dude and his friends became stars. Only on MySpace we can find a dozens of Dude’s profiles. But the most curious thing is that their profiles [hundreds of them] have also others characters from “The Big Lebowski”.

Blogs and social sities We can find not only the most popular and well known characters like: Jesus Quintana, Wlater Sobchak, Danny or Maude, but also the group of nihilist [together], and each one of them, second and third plan heroes and even – last but not least – Cynntia’s Pomeranian, the dog of Walter Sobchak’s ex wife.

www.myspace.com/justtakeiteasyman www.myspace.com/10332654 www.myspace.com/71691349www.facebook.com/pages/Walter-Sobchak-The-Official-Fans-Page/37801791508www.myspace.com/maudefatalewww.myspace.com/jesusquintanacanroll www.myspace.com/jesusquintanacanroll www.myspace.com/autobahnband http://www.myspace.com/44444

What do you think?

• How is convergence culture changing the showbiz? And if yes, how?

• Are there similar examples/figures in Swedish culture?

• Do you think it’s likely for virtual celebrities to become more popular than real ones?