DEFINITION OF A CELEBRITY

While universal fame might seem to be an unachievable goal, it is important to distinguish between an individual's being recognized for a specific accomplishment and mere celebrity. With regard to the latter, Daniel J. Boorstin noted that "a celebrity is a person known for his well-knownness." Clearly, universal fame requires only meeting the Boorstin standard of well-knownness. The current exemplar of such celebrity is Paris Hilton. (To be fair, Ms. Hilton is young and could well achieve something of note in years to come.)

-Blogcritics.org