Warhol's Fifteen Minutes a Reality

"In the future, everyone will be world-famous for fifteen minutes." This is the infamous quote made by Andy Warhol in the sixties. By the 1980's, when he had his own show, Warhol thought he was seeing his statement come true. However, he was only seeing the tip of the iceberg. Today there are numerous individuals that go in and out of the media spotlight on a daily basis. These people are anonymous Joes whose acts of notoriety lead to their own personal fifteen minutes. There are also others who make a career out of being famous. Warhol just didn't know what he had opened the world up to.

The most notable way that ordinary people today become famous is through reality shows. COPS was th first in eighties, introducing the world to law enforcement at its best and the common criminal at its worst. Over two decades later, there is probably not one person in the US who hasn't seen the show. America's Home Videos and MTV's Real World came in the nineties, opening the floodgate to "reality TV".

America's Home Videos was a precursor to today's YouTube, which showcases video footage taken by amateurs and posted for all to see. A long way from the numerous tapes sent in, cut, and edited every show; YouTube is a venue in which anyone could showcase themselves for public scrutiny. Many have been made famous from YouTube, including the band OK GO whose two homemade videos were a runaway hit. The band even won a Grammy for the YouTube video "Here it Goes Again"; where they perform a deftly choreographed sequenced on rented treadmills. Other sites have popped up following You Tube's model, making it easy for an average Joe to get noticed. Even the most serious of newscasts showcase at least one amateur internet clip on a daily basis.

The Real World spawned another type of star, one who agrees to let a camera record his or her every move for the sake of fame and fortune. Soon after the success of the MTV program, game shows were launched incorporating the reality TV concept. Today, shows like Survivor, Big Brother, and The Bachelor are known world-wide. Ordinary people go on the shows in pursuit of romance or money, while the entire world tunes in.

Now, it is hard to not have your own personal fifteen minutes. I doubt that Warhol knew that his words would be realized on such a grand scale. Any activity caught on camera in now fair game. Even the girl crying the audience of American Idol made all the morning news shows.