Meme celebrities range from faces to personae, with unwilling participants resisting identification
Evidence
The three-stage model presented above illustrates how meme personalities develop into different extents of internet celebrity: faces of memes, meme personae, and meme celebrities. At each stage, the actual identity of the person behind the image attaches and sticks to the memefied image and viral celebrity differently, and these depend on the fidelity of the meme, how well the meme resonates with the audience, and other intangible idiosyncrasies such as press interest, timing, and luck. However, not all meme personalities want to be identified with their memefied image, and such unintentional and unexpected internet celebrities can be characterized as “unwilling memes.” — Crystal Abidin, Internet Celebrity, 175
Categorization
- DEFINE: Introduces the three-stage model of meme celebrity (face/persona/celebrity) and coins ‘unwilling memes’ for those who did not consent to their virality.
- XREF: Links to book’s broader typology of internet celebrity and to later discussions of consent, exploitation, and image ownership common in influencer literature. — connects to: Some viral faces become unwilling memes who reject their fame. — Crystal Abidin, Internet Celebrity: Understanding Fame…, 175; Some viral meme figures decline to extend or monetize their transient fame — Crystal Abidin, Internet Celebrity: Understanding Fame…, 165; Meme personae arise when meme faces intentionally monetize their iconized image — Crystal Abidin, Internet Celebrity: Understanding Fame…, 167 (+3 more)
Broader Connections
- Some viral faces become unwilling memes who reject their fame.
#exemplifies(0.95) — Crystal Abidin, Internet Celebrity, 175 - Some viral meme figures decline to extend or monetize their transient fame
#expands(0.85) — Crystal Abidin, Internet Celebrity, 165 - Meme personae arise when meme faces intentionally monetize their iconized image
#expands(0.80) — Crystal Abidin, Internet Celebrity, 167 - Meme celebrities institutionalize their viral fame into sustained commercial businesses.
#qualifies(0.75) — Crystal Abidin, Internet Celebrity, 172