Is it my imagination, or have we lost an inordinately large number of celebrities in this young 2012? Today came the announcement that famed guitarist Ronnie Montrose died at 64. And Star Wars’ cartoonist Ralph McQuarrie passed away at 82 earlier today. Then on Thursday it was Davy Jones of The Monkees passed at 66, and blogger Andrew Brietbart at the young age of 43.
What is going on?
I have a theory: it’s because we have a lot of celebrities today, starting with those still alive from the Golden Age of Television, through the expansion of TV into cable, then the Internet, which spawned blogs.
And now, because of The Internet, we have what is called the “microcelebrity.” According to The Urban Dictionary, the “microcelebrity” is:
One who gains a cult or mainstream following due to viral internet distribution. Does not refer to those who have gained limited or cult followings through traditional media. Does not refer to has-beens or “B-list” celebrities
Thus, bloggers and video-bloggers fall right into the group of people from which microcelebrities spawn. More people who form and guide our culture than ever before.
We have more celebrities, and in away to me this is a great thing because it forces us to pay attention to people and what they do, more than ever before.
Stay tuned.
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Yael Tamar 
Nikky Raney