There are many ways to become famous. The twenty-four hour news cycle, the emergence of the Internet as a viable medium for fame, and our culture’s fascination with even the D-list of celebrities combine to enable you to achieve fame in America many different ways. Some methods to make yourself famous require hard work and dedication — other means of earning fame require little more than a YouTube account and a camera. Anyone can be famous these days, just ask the poor kid who was videotaped after being anesthetized at the dentist’s office, or the “Double Rainbow” guy who had interviews in major markets around the world after posting a simple two minute video to YouTube.
How can you become famous? Below are ten ways to make a name for yourself.
1.How to Become Famous by Being Cast on a Reality Show
Though the celebrity of reality show stars is often short-lived, you can get your name known simply for being cast in a reality series. The popularity of a reality series is difficult to predict — why was Survivor so much more popular than Temptation Island? Difficult to say, but you can bet that some of the Survivor celebs would have faded into obscurity had they been cast in any other show. That’s why picking a good reality show to audition for is half the battle, and there’s no good way to predict what shows will be popular until they air.
Think of people like Susan Boyle from Britain’s Got Talent (who turned a single beautiful audition into a worldwide phenomenon and record deal), or Kelly Clarkson from American Idol. Sometimes all it takes is a single appearance on a popular reality show (Pants on the Ground — that’s all I have to sy) to make yourself famous. This is an easy route to fame, and one that doesn’t always require talent. If you’re wondering how to become a famous singer, and you’ve got talent, then the reality show route is a good strategy to think about.
How to Become Famous by Being Beautiful
Unfortunately, this is one route to fame that not everyone can take. Our world is appearance-obsessed, so sometimes simply being gorgeous is enough to get your name known.
Without possessing any skills besides simply looking hot, you can earn get instant name recognition if you’re “discovered” by a talent scout or clothing designer. Celeb history is full of stories of people discovered “on the street” who went on to a successful career. Look your best, and put yourself in situations where influential people gather, and you could become famous just for your cute face.
See also: How Paris Hilton Became Famous – This blog post focuses less on how Paris Hilton parlayed her beauty into fame and more on how Paris Hilton became famous by becoming a walking billboard.
How to Become Famous on YouTube
We’ve all seen viral videos, YouTube clips that get linked and relinked so many times they become minor cultural phenomenons. “David at the Dentist” is the most recent mega popular viral video, featuring a young boy saying outlandish things while his anesthesia wears off. That creator of that video, the boy’s father, has reportedly earned $500,000 in revenue from YouTube and other ventures who want to capitalize on the popularity of his random video.
Here’s how to become famous on YouTube: You can make your own “viral” video. Unfortunately, videos that are made with the idea that they’ll become “viral” are really obvious and don’t usually catch on. The best way to make yourself famous through YouTube is to record everything, all the time. If you happen to catch someone getting hit in the balls with a baseball or if you manage to videotape your drunk uncle at a wedding, you can simply upload the video to YouTube and pray for the best.
And Epic Beard Man became famous on YouTube without even TRYING. You’re probably already familiar with the video of Tom Slick getting into the fight on the bus, but the links I posted will take you to a page that covers the entire meme in great detail.
How to Become a Famous Athlete
If you develop your natural athletic skill over time, you could land a contract with a professional team and have your name in magazine articles, sports reports, and live games. Yes, getting signed to a professional sports contract is hard, and many athletic people find it difficult to make that last final leap into the pros, but if you manage to do something awesome at the athletic level, your name will be known to many sports fans. Let’s say you develop your track abilities to the extent that you can beat out a world record — that story will be printed and reprinted the world over, with your name in big bold letters.
Want some inspiration? See this list of Top 10 Famous Athletes.
How to Become a Famous Novelist
This may not be as difficult as it sounds. There are thousands of stories of otherwise unknown authors suddenly releasing the right book at the right time and becoming world famous. Think of Stephanie Myers’ Twilight books — she was an unknown fiction writer when she hit on her billion dollar idea. Now her books are made into films and millions of young adults the world over wish they lived in the world she created.
Then there’s J.K. Rowling, who didn’t write a word until she landed on the idea for a little book you may have heard of called Harry Potter. She’s now one of the richest and most famous writers in the world.
For an irreverent, satirical look at the subject, read How I Became a Famous Novelist by Steve Hely.
How to Become Famous by Studying Math and Science
Cure a disease, and your name will be remembered for hundreds of years. Most people are familiar with names like Jonas Salk and Louis Pasteur — these people were unknown scientists working privately in their fields before they cured a disease or other medical condition and had their names inscribed in history books for all time. This is not the easiest of routes but find a cure for the common cold and you will not just be famous but you will be in the history books and be remembered forever.
How to Become Famous by Being Funny
Are you naturally funny? If you think you could make it as a funnyman, study comedy. Watch the classic comics who paved the way for your own comedy. Read funny books. Do whatever you have to do to perfect your comedic timing. Funny people are prized in America, and simply being funny could be enough to get you cast in a TV show or film. See How to Become a Comedian.
How to Become a Famous Politician
Being a politician requires little training. Some politicians don’t have advanced degrees, and most of them are such scumbags you wonder how they ever got elected. It’s just proof that if you study politics and get involved with a political party, you can become famous for doing almost nothing. It seems to help if you have an outlandish opinion or unique and vibrant personality — think Sarah Palin or Hillary Clinton. You may not agree with their politics, but you know their names.
How to Become a Famous Inventor
If you want to be rich and famous but don’t care if your name is in lights, inventing something useful is the best way there. We may not know the name of the guy who invented Post-it Notes, but we use his invention every day of the week. Successful inventions are usually simple devices that people didn’t realize they needed until they saw it in the store. Breathe-Right nasal strips were the brainchild of a guy who suffered from snoring. A paperclip and a rubber band later, he had his billion dollar idea.
The most famous inventor we can think of is Thomas Edison. Unlike the inventors of the paper clip, the post-it note, and the rubber band, EVERYONE knows who Thomas Edison is. Heck, he invented the light bulb. He also patented 1093 inventions. If you want to become a famous inventor like Thomas Edison, get ready to work hard and stay busy for years and years.
How to Become Famous by Marrying or Dating a Celebrity
Becoming famous by dating someone else who’s already famous is self-explanatory. Move to Los Angeles, perfect your body, hang out at celeb haunts, and try to attach yourself to a famous person. Keven Federline is a great example of this tactic. He may be washed up now, but his celeb status was once almost equal to his mega famous ex-wife, Britney Spears.
Another great example of someone who married his way to fame is Prince Frederic von Anhalt. But marrying Zsa Zsa Gabor isn’t his only strategy for becoming famous. He’s also claimed to be the father of Anna Nicole Smith’s baby and announced that he’s going to run for governor of California. Being outrageous AND marrying someone famous can be a great combination, especially if you can get yourself named a “Prince” at some point in the past too.