The contributors to "Celebrities and Publics in the Internet Era" ask how new digital media platforms such as search engines, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube have qualitatively changed celebrity culture. Drawing on a wide range of examples, from the luxury selfies of micro-celebrities like Kane Lim to performance artist Marina Abramovic’s collaborations with Jay-Z and Lady Gaga, from the karaoke standard in shows like American Idol to Syrian singer Assala’s media battle with the Assad regime, from the "emotion economy" of reality TV to the influence of network entrepreneurs like Tim O’Reilly, the essays in this special issue identify core structural features that contribute to the development of a new theory of celebrity.

Sharon Marcus, special issue editor