Almost Famous

Being famous used to be reserved for a select few. Now with game shows, reality TV, the Web, satellite radio, etc. - it seems as if anyone can be famous.

Fame, as we once knew it, has been fractured. Split into little pieces of popularity. Sure there are still some people that transcend - those that 9 out of 10 people would know. George Bush, Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, etc. But the modern era has brought us more "niche celebrities" than ever before. Within a certain world, these people are hugely popular. But outside that world, nearly unknown. Here are some examples. My guess is either you know them as being "famous" or you don't know them at all:

• Robert Scoble
• Giada De Laurentiis
• Aishwarya Rai
• Jessica Rose
  
• Sanjaya Malakar

Some say the Internet has changed Andy Warhol's famous statement to "In the future, everyone will be famous to fifteen people."