A Selfie With A Celebrity

Fan magazines and fan clubs (or fan sites) function to connect fans with celebrities. Fans turn to these sources to learn about celebrities, talk about celebrities, and connect with celebrities.

But there are other ways to connect with celebrities, to get closer to them.

1. BUY THEIR DISCARDED PERSONAL BELONGINGS  Everything from Elvis' hair to Britney Spears' gum is auctioned online. The problem is these items can be quite costly and it's often difficult to verify authenticity.
2. GET THEIR AUTOGRAPH  The original official fan clubs in the 1930s typically included a signed studio headshot with membership. These photos were an ultimate symbol of fandom, representing a direct connection to the stars. The popularity of signed headshots continued for decades following, with fans writing the studios or celebrity’s management requesting a signed photo. Fans can still do this today. Some even buy or bid on vintage and contemporary signed memorabilia online. (Some of the most valuable signed memorabilia are things like movie posters, clothing, tickets – something that is directly connected to the celebrity and their career.)
3. GET A PHOTO  Though autographs are still valued by fans, studies have found that fans are more likely to ask for a photo with a celebrity than their autograph. This is at least partly because fans are more comfortable today asking for a photograph with a celebrity than fans were in the past. Thanks to so much media coverage of celebrities and the extensive use of social media, fans not only feel like they know certain celebrities, but fans also often think that they’re “just like us” in many ways.

Why might a photo be preferred over an autograph?
Indisputable Proof
As one fan explains, "Nowadays, friends don't care about a scribble-scrabble. They think you did it yourself." A photo, on the other hand, is generally accepted as fact – unless you’re really good at Photoshop. "A photo is proof that I was near the people that, before this, only existed on my TV screen or in the movies."

Captures Expression
Another fan says, “A photo can show a smile or an outfit to your friends; a signature can't.” You can analyze everything in the photo – how relaxed the celebrity is, how close they got to you, how sincere their smile looks.

Normalizes Celebrities
One function of fan magazines is to unveil the private lives of celebrities so readers can relate to them on a personal level. A photo with a famous person "supports the larger belief that we are just like them because we are standing right next to them" (Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, Starstruck: The Business of Celebrity).  

Boosts Social Status
Posting selfie with a celebrity on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or any other social networking sites generates a flow of comments. In other words, these photos grant you momentary popularity and build up your social standing online.

An extreme example of this is type of boost was experienced by Sarah M., also known as Stalker Sarah. Sarah is an 18-year-old girl who lives in Los Angeles. Sarah has taken 5000-6000 selfies with celebrities over the past 4 or 5 years. She posts this photos almost daily on Flickr. One of Sarah's first celerity photos was taken at a taping of The Wizards of Waverly Place.

In an interview, Sarah explained, "Autographs never really meant anything to me...[in pictures] you see how stars are real people."

Though Sarah started off like any other fan (taking photos at taping of TV shows and movie premieres), now she’s more like a paparazzo. She waits at airport terminals and waits outside of nightclubs. But she says that she’s become so familiar to celebrities, that they recognize her and happily take photos!



And, in an interesting twist, Sarah has become a sort of celebrity in her own right. She attends celebrity events, including a Nylon magazine party, Perez Hilton's birthday, and a Family Guy event. She's gone bowling with Nick Jonas, dated Angus T. Jones (from Two and a Half Men), hangs out with Jedward, and even has fans who take photos with her!