Fame-nesss Summary by Meghan Daum
Daum, known for her quick wit and amusing observations on American culture,
is the author of two other books: the memoir Life Would Be Perfect If I
Lived in That House (2010) and the novel The Quality of Life Report (2003),
which was named a New York Times Notable Book. The advent of reality
television, the Internet, and a culture that began to view anyone as a
celebrity in the 1990s brought Warhol's forecast even closer to reality than
he could have imagined.
One of the biggest draws for thousands of individuals has always been
famous. Meghan Daum discusses this type of popularity in detail in her
article, coining the term "fame-ness" to describe it. This type of fame is
comparable to traditional fame, but it is temporary and not based on
exceptional talent for singing, acting, painting, or performing in any other
way beyond the norm. She admits that she is unfamiliar with the majority of contemporary
celebrities; to be famous, one must be well-known to the general public,
easily recognizable on the streets, and have a household name. If someone
mentions Madonna, Sting, Michael Jackson, Bill Clinton, and others, there
is no need to introduce them to the listener because everyone is familiar
with them. But when I look at contemporary celebrities, I realize that
they don't fit my definition of fame, and as she puts it, it seems that
only crotchety dinosaur types like me still hold such archaic ideas about
what popularity is.