There Is a Difference Between a Star and a Celebrity

credit: Office Space

The terms ‘celebrity’ and ‘star’ get used quite often when describing those who act and those who are famous just for being famous. For instance, the Kardashians are celebrities, but the Baldwins are stars. Jennifer Aniston is a star. The Paul brothers are celebrities. What’s the difference, you ask? Well, the difference is that a star has taken the time to develop and refine their skill. A celebrity is out there just to be noticed and will do just about anything to get likes, hits, views, whatever it takes. In other words, a star is someone that’s worth putting emotional investment into since they’re bound to get better and better with time, while a celebrity is happy just to be noticed and make money from those who are willing to kowtow to whatever they happen to want to do at the moment. Believe it or not, a lot of stars that aren’t well-known are still easier to respect than a large number of celebrities, and usually because they’re putting in the work to make sure they improve and earn their reputation. 

credit: The Thinning

Why are celebrities so popular?

There are a lot of reasons why this might happen, and a lot of them point to the public, since people who watch and comment on whatever celebrities do, no matter how minimal or how ridiculous, are the ones that help to make them famous. There was a time when celebrities and stars were close to being the same thing, but once the internet really kicked in and social media started up, pretty much anyone could get online and find a way to become famous. It’s been seen since the inception of social media that people have and will do anything they can to get online, and the result is sometimes amusing but often is kind of ridiculous since it becomes a giant headache the public invariably causes even as we complain about it. Seriously, the Paul brothers might never have been nearly as famous had people not found them funny, somehow. 

Stars might not be perfect, but they’re constantly working to get better, and a lot of them are worth watching since they are good at what they do. 

A star is someone that is striving to be the best they can be in their industry without being a dancing clown unless that happens to be the role they’re taking on for a movie or a TV show. Stars tend to find their way into the industry for a very serious reason, which means they’re going to do what they need to improve in their craft, and become the type of individual that people will idolize because they’re worth the effort, not because they’ll do anything that might make their fans laugh or wonder how crazy they can get. Stars are those who might be deemed elite, but for a good reason, since they’re defined by the skill, they bring to their craft, not the antics that they perform on a regular basis. Celebrities don’t often do much other than smile for the cameras and perform in ways that are, for all intents and purposes, 

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At the end of the day, a star doesn’t appear to crave attention as much as a celebrity does. 

This statement isn’t wholly accurate since, quite often, there are stars who don’t mind the attention they receive when they’re out in public, but quite often, there are stars who simply want to live their lives and not be bothered that often. A lot of these people don’t look like they do when they’re not on the runway or attending one gala or another. Celebrities tend to lap up the attention they get and will work as hard as they need to in order to get it. Unfortunately, that’s not always as hard as the people who, for some reason, think of celebrities as the types of people who are worth following and emulating from time to time. People are free to idolize and appreciate who they want. There’s no dispute there since there is something out there for everyone to enjoy. But there are times when one has to look at a celebrity and wonder how and why such a thing happened in the first place. 

People choose who’s going to be famous; that’s hard to debate. 

A person can say, do, or act any way they want, but when all is said and done, the public will be the ones who decide what is funny, what is worth watching, and who will receive the accolades they want. Celebrities are the jesters that are willing to do or say just about anything to get attention, while the stars are those who are willing to earn it. Others might have a different opinion on this matter, and it would be welcomed as a friendly debate.