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Celebrity, a Netflix series about the world of fame and fortune, is gaining traction.
Released on March 30, Celebrity is a series about the glamorous and cutthroat world of celebrities. Within two weeks of its release, it reached the top of Netflix's Global Top 10 TV (Non-English) category, proving its popularity.
In the show, Seo-ari (played by Park Kyu-young) is framed for a crime committed by another celebrity and pretends to pass away as a last resort. When she reappears three months later, she uses a live broadcast to expose the truth about the other celebrities who got her into trouble. The drama has been praised for its fresh take on the rise from ordinary to celebrity narrative, its twists and turns, and for highlighting the glitz and glamor of social networking services (SNS).
The drama defines influencers who became famous through social media as "emerging aristocrats. And it's not just because of their glamorous exteriors - they wear luxury clothes and bags, drive sports cars, and have large followings, sometimes in the millions - that they are able to gain financial benefits and even influence from the attention they receive. It's a mirror image of the real world.
On Instagram, it's not uncommon to see photos of people wearing omakase or visiting fine dining restaurants. You'll also see the effort that goes into composing a shot so that the logo of a luxury bag or the keys to a car are clearly visible. And don't forget the "owunwan" (completed a workout today) posts that show off a toned body. These are the kinds of photos that attract more followers. It's about displaying the fantasies that the public chases, whether it's wealth or looks, and grabbing attention.
The influencer market is getting bigger by the day, and there are elements of it that we haven't seen before. In the wake of the popularity of Netflix's "Celebrity," we've taken a look at the glory and cancer of the influencer market.
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Influencers can be defined as "people who influence" or "people who are influential." As opposed to celebrities, influencers are people who are popular online and have an impact on the public.
In the past, influencers were those who gained fame through blogging or Facebook, but now we're seeing influencers who go beyond just creating a buzz and influence consumption patterns, such as instilling a favorable opinion of a product or brand or driving purchases. Some people call them "followers" because they collectively buy health food and cosmetics as if they have a certain number of followers. The industry has gone beyond this to treat individuals who create their own content as influencers.
The cost of social media advertising depends on the number of followers you have. Soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo, who is on the verge of reaching 600 million followers on Instagram, is said to have earned around $40 million from Instagram alone in 2021. Based on the number of posts he made last year, that works out to around $1.6 million per post. The basic deal is one photo in the feed, but the specifics can vary, such as a monthly contract or a few photos, and word on the street is that higher-profile influencers and celebrities can command higher rates, even if they have fewer followers.
Influencers can be defined as "people who influence" or "people who are influential." As opposed to celebrities, influencers are people who are popular online and have an impact on the public.
In the past, influencers were those who gained fame through blogging or Facebook, but now we're seeing influencers who go beyond just creating a buzz and influence consumption patterns, such as instilling a favorable opinion of a product or brand or driving purchases. Some people call them "followers" because they collectively buy health food and cosmetics as if they have a certain number of followers. The industry has gone beyond this to treat individuals who create their own content as influencers.
The cost of social media advertising depends on the number of followers you have. Soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo, who is on the verge of reaching 600 million followers on Instagram, is said to have earned around $40 million from Instagram alone in 2021. Based on the number of posts he made last year, that works out to around $1.6 million per post. The basic deal is one photo in the feed, but the specifics can vary, such as a monthly contract or a few photos, and word on the street is that higher-profile influencers and celebrities can command higher rates, even if they have fewer followers.
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The popularity of influencers is often measured by the number of followers they have, which is directly proportional to their wealth. This system also has a significant flip side: there are countless examples of people who have turned their backs on their audience for attention.
Frizia, an influencer with 4.5 million followers on Instagram and 130,000 subscribers on YouTube, gained attention for her glamorous appearance and extravagant lifestyle. Her content featuring luxury products and her spacious home became popular. In 2021, she gained fame after appearing in the Netflix reality series "Sologok," and she signed an exclusive contract with Hyowon CNC, headed by actress Kang Ye-won, and was active in broadcasting.
However, early last year, he was accused of wearing fake goods from a luxury brand, which he admitted to and suspended his activities. After five months of self-restraint, he recently signed an exclusive contract with agency Sublime and has been active again.
More recently, a controversy involving "My Neighbor's Backhoe," which has 860,000 followers (280,000 on Instagram, 450,000 on Twitter, and 130,000 on YouTube), has been making waves online. Backhoe was a Welsh Corgi puppy who became popular for his spunky personality and cute appearance, until he passed away on March 6 after undergoing chemotherapy, leaving his fans in tears. The controversy started when it was alleged that his owner, who runs the channel, was using him as a way to make money.
As soon as Baek-ho died, there were many questions about the adoption of a new Welsh Corgi puppy, whether the proceeds from the sale of Baek-ho merchandise were donated, and whether the proceeds from the sale of merchandise were used for Baek-ho's cancer treatment. In December last year, Baek-ho underwent surgery to remove a tumor, but the controversy spread out of control when it was revealed that Baek-ho had recruited people for a fan meeting without announcing it, and that the fan meeting was held nine days after the surgery. Even after the rebuttal from Baek-ho's owner, there were many demands for clarification. Currently, all of the "Baek-ho in the neighborhood" channels have been deleted or suspended.
What they all have in common is that they tried to maintain a social media persona that was disconnected from their real lives. They flaunted their wealth by displaying consumerism, created a fairytale narrative, and created an image that others envied.
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The obsession with followers can be endless. A Chinese influencer with 170,000 followers was found dead the day after broadcasting a drinking session at his home. He had apparently consumed several bottles of white wine, a traditional Chinese liquor with an alcohol content of 60 percent, during a live broadcast before his death. His wife said, "He started broadcasting online to pay off debts he had incurred before they got married." "We planned to make money together to pay for home repairs when our son went to kindergarten," she said. The phrase "money is more important than life" was also written in his room, adding to the bittersweetness.
Influencers may have started out with the intention of sharing information and connecting, but it seems to have morphed into a commercial endeavor, and it's not uncommon to see people projecting themselves on social media by creating an illusion of desire.
Now, influencers are not only exposing and introducing products, but also actively participating in planning and development to create added value for companies. As influencers are often referred to as 'one-man companies' in the new media era, it is important to recognize their influence. The public should also be reminded of Jacques Lacan's statement that 'man desires the desire of the other'. Experts have warned that the more time we spend on SNS, the more likely we are to compare ourselves to others and fall into depression. 'Over-immersion' is not allowed.
In a recent interview, Park Kyu-young, who plays Seo-ari in "Celebrity," said, "As a person who often uses SNS, 'Celebrity' made me realize again that there are clear benefits and harms of SNS." She added, "SNS is a great way to promote myself and show the natural side of my daily life. It has a lot of influence, but there is also a lot of dangerous information mixed in with it, so I learned not to be swayed by that.
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