The etymological origin of "celebrity" is "one who is celebrated." Alternatively, a celebrity is a person who is famous for being famous (regardless of what first brought him or her to fame). A person that is considered a celebrity depends on the cultural context and the period in history. The advent of mass media increased the public interest in celebrities, and has even developed into a self-substantiating circuit (the "cult of celebrity"—being famous for being famous, and not for having achieved anything else). Some ordinary people volunteer to become known on television (for example, in reality television shows) for a taste of celebrity, though celebrity from a reality show is usually called "fleeting celebrity" or "15 minutes of fame" (a term coined by Andy Warhol).

Note on categorization

Individuals should only be included in this category if they do not fit into any other occupational category.