Celebrity Bloggers: They’re Just Like Us!

There’s no denying that we live in a celebrity-saturated culture, and the blogosphere isn’t immune from this fixation. Not only are there whole blogs devoted to celebrity gossip — who they’re dating, what they’re wearing, where they’re hanging out — but the stars (and the wannabes) themselves are, for better or worse, taking to the keyboards to expound on all manner of topics.

I mentioned one of my favorite celebrity bloggers, as well as other notable names, in last week’s Blog Spotlight, but there are scores more lining the blogosphere. Though many of these celebrity blogs are PR exercises that won’t get updated unless a paycheck or an awards show is involved, some become viable outlets that not only provide informative content, but also create a community and a dialogue with the fans. That’s not to say they all do, but I have to admit that some celebs, including ones I don’t particularly care for, defy expectations and do a decent job on their blogs.

The blogosphere, though far-reaching, is a notoriously competitive space, and it seems almost unfair the advantage that these celebrity bloggers enjoy, considering they have a built-in audience interested in their thoughts and travails. Add to that the promise that they’ll deliver news directly from the source (i.e., themselves) without the interference of agents, PR firms, managers, and whatnot, and they’re practically guarantee a blockbuster readership. There’s no doubt that a celebrity blogger will, almost by definition, enjoy the sort of traffic that Joe or Jane Blogger can only dream about, but that shouldn’t discourage you from blogging. In fact, you can look at it in another light.

For one thing, it’s particularly telling that a celebrity would feel the need to blog at all. These are people who frequently have the support of managers, agents, and other advisers–that is, people who paid to keep their profile prominent. Yet, they know that a blog is one of the most direct ways to reach other people interested in similar topics or issues, and that’s true whether you two, two hundred, or two million people know your name. I’m not saying that the blogosphere needs celebrities to justify its importance, but it’s heartening to know that the average blogger can take advantage of some of the same tools available to the rich and famous.

In addition, it’s no secret that the blogosphere has generated a number of its own stars who started out with little more than a computer, some free time, and refreshingly novel ideas. The most famous example may be the Julie/Julia Project, which started out as a blog, then became a book, and is now on its way to the silver screen. Publishers haven’t stopped signing more blog-to-book deals, either.

Though you may not reach the same point of success, the playing field is, at least, relatively level. I always say that you shouldn’t start a blog with the expectation of becoming rich and famous. Also, last time I checked, there was no such thing as an American Idol for bloggers. But on the other hand, if you tend your blog and nurture it with a singular point of view, you could very well garner a nice chunk of the spotlight for yourself.