One hundred million fans cannot make you famous

HOLLYWOOD has a star problem. The latest generation of leading men and women are all blessed with the sort of beauty, talent and charm that breed public adoration. Yet 20-somethings like Zendaya, Paul Mescal and Sydney Sweeney are struggling to open movies on the strength of their name alone. They are simply not famous enough.

You won’t find stars with cross-generational appeal on YouTube either. Or any other online platform. Could you identify Kai Cenat, the most subscribed-to esports commentator on Twitch? Or Bella Poarch, who has racked up more than three-quarters of a billion views with one TikTok video? Even Jimmy Donaldson (aka MrBeast), who has over 338million YouTube followers, could probably trip over the average 45-year-old without being recognised. 

The inability to identify new pop culture heroes has long been a signifier of middle age. But there is usually a point at which these stars break through to a broader audience. In the past decade, however, this broader audience has become harder to find. As viewers are funnelled towards content they will like, fame has been atomised. It is possible to have a hundred million online fans and still be unrecognisable to people in your home town.