The well-known from well back.
The concept of “celebrity” in the 21st century is drastically different from what it was mere decades ago. Considering it’s not far-fetched for your neighbor to have a reality TV show, Andy Warhol wasn’t far off when he said in 1968: “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.”
In a 2016 article in Psychology Today, Jill Neimark noted that “Fame ain’t what it used to be. Celebrities are borne aloft on images marketed, sold, and disseminated with a rapidity and cunning unimagined by the heroes of old, and then just as quickly cast aside.” She quotes Leo Braudy, professor of English at the University of Southern California and author of “The Frenzy of Renown”: “We’re in the Kleenex phase of fame. We see so much of people, and in all branches of the media. We blow our nose on every new star that happens to come along and then dispose of them.”
MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey
So, perhaps social media bears much of the blame. Fame, once rooted in accomplishment, is now often measured in “likes.” Multiple Tony-Award nominee Kelli O’Hara might have summed it up best in the fewest words: “I don’t want to be famous for being famous.”
Here’s a gallery of photos of well-known people from the past in New Jersey. And here are links to similar galleries you’ll enjoy.
Vintage photos of famous folks from N.J.
Vintage photos of celebrities when they were young in N.J.
More vintage photos of celebs from N.J. when they were young
Greg Hatala may be reached at greghatalagalleries@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.