Eyewitness viral fame rarely translates into sustained financial return

Evidence

We should be suspicious of the claim that eyewitness virality can be translated into a sustainable financial return. Once the glitz of viral clicks wears out, and the glamour of clamoring cameras and follow-up interviews dies down, and a once viral sensation is relegated into the archives of internet memory, what’s there to make of the person behind the virality? Viewers seldom learn of how former viral stars are doing once media circuses have capitalized upon their instant fame for viewership, and users have expended them for internet laughs. Although a rare minority of eyewitness viral stars can groom their transient celebrity into a slightly extended but ultimately short-lived fame through endorsement deals, many of them enter this domain with little to no knowledge or preparation about how to handle their fame as a commodity. — Crystal Abidin, Internet Celebrity, 160

Categorization

• SEED: Could anchor an article on the economics of viral fame — who profits at each stage and why the star usually doesn’t.
• XREF: connects to: Many actors profit from viral stars’ images without returning value to them — Crystal Abidin, Internet Celebrity: Understanding Fame…, 161; Micro-celebrities rarely achieve real fame’s financial rewards without external legitimization. — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity,…, 348; Micro-celebrity success brings psychic damage that can outweigh its rewards — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity,…, 319 (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Micro-celebrities rarely achieve real fame’s financial rewards without external legitimization. #corroborates (0.85) — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 348
• Micro-celebrity success brings psychic damage that can outweigh its rewards #expands (0.75) — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 319