Due to the overwhelming public interest in her, Sarah Bernhardt is widely considered to be the world's first celebrity, and is still revered today. Lucy Riall talks about the life and career of the Italian nationalist and soldier Giuseppe Garibaldi, and the circumstances in which he became the first celebrity of the modern political era. In your book, you argue that French actress Sarah Bernhardt (1844-18192) is the first modern celebrity model. Celebrity is a condition for the fame and wide public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by the media.
An individual can achieve celebrity status by having great wealth, their participation in sports or the entertainment industry, their position as a political figure, or even because of their connection with another celebrity. The restaurants near the theaters, where the actors met, began to place cartoons or photographs of actors on the walls of famous people at the end of the 19th century. With wide public and media interest, Lillie Langtry made her West End theater debut in 1881, making a splash in London by becoming the first high-society personality to appear on stage. The following year she became the poster girl for Pears Soap, becoming the first celebrity to promote a commercial product.
In 1895, poet and playwright Oscar Wilde was the subject of one of the first celebrity trials. He performed at Chicago's famous comedy club Second City before becoming a founding member of the television series Saturday Night Live. However, most of them are only famous in the regions where their particular station reaches, and it can only be said that a few, such as Oprah Winfrey, Jerry Springer or David Frost, have achieved wider stardom.
