The promise of democratic celebrity collapsed under its own pressures

Evidence

Yet, by the end of the decade, the dream of democratic celebrity began to falter. Established stars like Vin Diesel and Leonardo DiCaprio remained cultural fixtures, while the original YouTube pioneers faded into obscurity. Burnout became rampant. Beauty guru Michelle Phan disappeared for a few years after suffering from poor mental health. Mommy blogger Heather Armstrong, a trailblazer in personal blogging, tragically ended her life after a long struggle with depression. The pressure to produce ever-evolving content under constantly shifting algorithmic rules took a significant toll. — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 560

Categorization

• XREF: Evidences the inverted meritocracy: legacy celebrities outlasted the new democratic stars, undercutting the democratization narrative.