Ideas from the CBC: Origins of Celebrity

Our fascination with famous people long predates both early Hollywood and the recent internet — by centuries, in fact. It has also allowed for a broad definition of celebrity: from medieval saints who rival the Kardashians for life drama, to a certain abrasive 19th century frontiersmen, all too reminiscent of a recent American president. In today’s IDEAS, scholars tell us that throughout the centuries, there are always echoes of our complex and curious relationship with the well-known people who we don't actually know.