15 minutes of fame
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15 minutes of fame, alternatively famous for 15 minutes, is short-lived, often ephemeral, media publicity or celebrity of an individual or phenomenon. The expression was coined from Andy Warhol, who said in 1968 that "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." The phenomenon is often used in reference to figures in the entertainment industry or other areas of popular culture, such as reality tv.
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[edit] Origin
The expression is a paraphrase of a line in Warhol's exhibition catalog for an exhibit at the Moderna Museet, in Stockholm from February to March of 1968.[1] The catalog read, "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes."[2] In 1979 Warhol reiterated his claim, "...my prediction from the sixties finally came true: In the future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes."[3] Becoming bored with continually being asked about this particular statement, Warhol attempted to confuse interviewers by changing the statement variously to "In the future 15 people will be famous" and "In 15 minutes everybody will be famous."[4][5]
[edit] Interpretation
There are two primary ways to interpret the phrase: emphasizing "15 minutes" and the fleeting nature of fame ("...world-famous for [only] 15 minutes"), as is most common, or; emphasizing "everyone", and the accessibility and prevalence of fame ("everyone will be world-famous"). The earlier sentiment (15 minutes) is widespread and dates to antiquity, and as such is frequently referred to as vanitas, as in Ecclesiastes 1:2: "Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity."[original research?] The latter sense (everyone) is more narrowly associated with pop culture.
Warhol's comment and the insight it expressed emerged from his own fascination with fame and celebrities. His view of the media was that they could enable any person to become famous. Warhol's own shifting entourage of otherwise undistinguished hangers-on in the 1960s and 1970s, whom he dubbed his "Superstars," exemplified his idea of ephemeral, disposable celebrity. Warhol himself had a short-lived MTV television series in 1986 entitled, Andy Warhol's 15 Minutes.[citation needed]
[edit] Contemporary theories
Since Warhol's death, changes in media markets, as well as technological advancements, allowed otherwise unknown individuals or concepts to gain widespread audiences in short periods of time.[6] YouTube and associated Internet memes are modern drivers of this phenomenon.
John Langer suggests that 15 minutes of fame is an enduring concept because it permits everyday activities to become "great effects."[7] Tabloid journalism and the paparazzi have accelerated this trend, turning what may have before been isolated coverage, into continuing media coverage, even after the initial reason for media interest has passed.[7]
[edit] Derivative phrases
The age of reality television has seen the comment wryly updated as: "In the future, everyone will be obscure for 15 minutes."[8] The British artist Banksy has made a sculpture of a TV that has, written on its screen, "In the future, everyone will be anonymous for 15 minutes."
A more recent adaptation of Warhol's quip, possibly prompted by the rise of online social networking, blogging, and similar online phenomena, is the claim that "In the future, everyone will be famous to fifteen people" or, in some renditions, "On the Web, everyone will be famous to fifteen people".[9] This quote, though attributed to David Weinberger, was said[9] to have originated with the Scottish artist Momus.[10]
[edit] See also
[edit] Derived terms
- 29 Minutes of Fame (a British quiz show, which borrows its title from the expression)
- 15 Minutes of Shame
- 15 Minutes
[edit] References
- ^ Ralph Keyes, The quote verifier: who said what, where, and when, Macmillan, 2006, ISBN 0312340044, page 288.
- ^ http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/fifteen-minutes-of-fame.html
- ^ Warhol photo exhibition, Stockholm, 1968: Kaplan, Justin, ed., Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 16th Ed., 1992 (Little, Brown & Co.), p. 758:17)
- ^ http://eu2006.tuuletin.fi/fileadmin/tiedostot/material/i2010-presentations/Mika_Mannermaa_Article.pdf[dead link]
- ^ Looking For Fame In All the Wrong Places, by Candace Murphy in the Chicago Tribune, Aug 25, 2006
- ^ Frederick Levy, 15 Minutes of Fame: Becoming a Star in the YouTube Revolution, Penguin Group, 2008, ISBN 1592577652.
- ^ a b John Langer, Tabloid television: popular journalism and the "other news", Routledge, 1998, ISBN 0415066360, page 51, 63, 73
- ^ Peltz, Jennifer (2004-03-01). "Aiken and Clarkson show off Idol mettle". http://chautauqua.yuku.com/topic/374. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
- ^ a b Weinberger, David (2005-07-23). "Famous to fifteen people". http://www.hyperorg.com/blogger/mtarchive/004264.html. Retrieved 2006-12-21.
- ^ Momus (1991). "POP STARS? NEIN DANKE! In the future everyone will be famous for fifteen people...". Grimsby Fishmarket. http://imomus.com/index499.html. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
[edit] External links
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Andy Warhol |
- 15 Seconds of Fame Ordinary people banking on celebrities.
- 15 Seconds of Fame - An interactive, computer-vision based art installation
