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Growing up as a millennial, “celebrity” followed a clear hierarchy. Fame was reserved for Oscar winners, Emmy darlings, Olympic medalists, or literal royalty. Think Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry, Serena Williams, or Princess Diana. While those icons are still very much A-listers, their resumes are no longer the only qualifiers for legitimate fame.\n<\/p>\n
Reality stars have shifted the pendulum. They’ve been around for decades\u2014Tiffany Pollard, Lauren Conrad, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi\u2014but today, they’re being validated in ways we haven’t seen before. I think back to Kim Kardashian’s early days, when she was told she’d never land certain magazine covers or receive invitations to runway shows. There was a clear legitimacy struggle\u2014a fine line between being a reality star and being a real<\/em> star. That line was so real that only a few reality stars ever crossed it\u2014Kim K and Cardi B being the most obvious examples.\n<\/p>\n Now, it’s not just possible\u2014it’s becoming the norm. The “proving yourself” timeline is shorter, and the access is broader. Think Paige DeSorbo, Alix Earle, and especially Olandria Carthen. She moved quickly from reality television into widespread industry visibility, without the same prolonged proving period. The same could be said for fellow Love Island<\/em> stars Serena Page, Leah Kateb, and JaNa Craig.\n<\/p>\n That contrast says less about any one person and more about the moment we’re in. In a cultural landscape that feels increasingly fluid, it makes sense that celebrity would evolve, too. Ahead, I spoke with two experts to unpack why reality stars are no longer peripheral figures, but legitimate forces shaping culture, consumer behavior, and industry power.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
Meet the Experts<\/p>\n
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\nTravis Cronin is a branded partnership strategist and the former Entertainment Director at Us Weekly<\/em>.<\/li>\nFarai Bennett is a pop culture content creator and commentator.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n TV Is the Blueprint\u00a0 <\/span><\/h2>\n The small screen has always led to exposure\u2014it doesn’t matter whether it’s a sitcom or a dating competition. Being in people’s living rooms, week after week, creates widespread visibility regardless of the format. We sometimes forget that some of the biggest names working today began on television in ways that didn’t appear “prestigious” at the time, as Cronin points out.\n<\/p>\n
“I think a definite shift happened with Kim Kardashian and the entire Kardashian\/Jenner family,” Cronin says. “But so many credible actors and singers got their start on reality TV. For example, Laverne Cox was on this TLC show called TRANSform Me<\/em>, where three trans women gave people makeovers.”\n<\/p>\n\n