RKOI celebrities self-consciously flaunt wealth to provoke and gain fame.

Evidence

In her interview with a group of RKOI for Vice, journalist Chem Squier queries the young and wealthy over their internet celebrity status achieved almost solely by flaunting wealth on the internet. To this, an RKOI internet celebrity pseudonymized as “Luke” replied that it was merely a strategy to provoke and shock viewers, while @akinbelfon17 (Instagram account now defunct) asserted that her primary objective for posting pictures was to become famous. Perhaps the appeal of exclusivity as a route to internet celebrity is best summarized by the account biography by spin-off RKOI account @richkidsof, which crassly states that viewers do not get to see “this shit” on a regular basis. — Crystal Abidin, Internet Celebrity, 108

Categorization

• QUESTION: The RKOI claim that wealth-flaunting is a deliberate provocation strategy deserves a deeper dive into the interview sources.
• XREF: connects to: Micro-celebrity involves fame detached from any discernible achievement or work — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity,…, 316; Micro-celebrity status requires achievements, not just self-promotion — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity,…, 335; Attention and status-seeking motivate people to endure micro-celebrity’s costs — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity,…, 409

Broader Connections

• Micro-celebrity involves fame detached from any discernible achievement or work #qualifies (0.82) — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 316
• Micro-celebrity status requires achievements, not just self-promotion #contradicts (0.80) — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 335
• Attention and status-seeking motivate people to endure micro-celebrity’s costs #corroborates (0.78) — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 409