Lindsey Weber and Bobby Finger, the hosts of the popular podcast "Who? Weekly," are celebrating a decade on the air with the release of their first book, *I Want to Be Famous: When Everybody and Nobody Is a Celebrity*. The book offers a comprehensive examination of fame and celebrity culture, tracing its evolution and the increasingly blurred boundaries between widely recognized figures and lesser-known personalities in the social media era.
Drawing on a wide range of pop culture moments, the authors revisit notable incidents such as Courtney Love’s confrontation with Madonna, Ariana Grande’s relationship with Pete Davidson, and Katy Perry’s suborbital flight aboard Blue Origin. These anecdotes serve to illustrate how the clear-cut distinctions between “Whos” and “Thems” in celebrity culture have transformed into a more complex spectrum.
Where the "Who? Weekly" podcast is known for its lighthearted tone, listener interactions, and humorous banter, the book takes a more analytical approach. Weber and Finger explore the structural shifts in celebrity, including the different ways celebrities issue public apologies, from formal press statements to handwritten Notes app messages. The authors also address the phenomenon of “nepo babies,” the children of famous individuals who benefit from their family connections.
Despite changes in how fame operates, Weber and Finger argue that one aspect remains constant: fans’ desire for perceived authenticity from the celebrities they admire. They also highlight a decline in traditional entertainment journalism’s influence, as many celebrities now directly manage their public narratives through social media platforms and personal podcasts. The book contrasts the in-depth, often candid profiles of past decades, such as the iconic 1966 Esquire article “Frank Sinatra Has a Cold,” with today’s more sanitized and PR-controlled celebrity interviews.
Although "Who? Weekly" shows no signs of ending, Weber and Finger view the book as a milestone in their careers and a potential academic resource for media and communications studies. For Weber, the project represents a deeper commitment: “We love celebrities, but we love media more.”
The book not only celebrates a decade of podcast success but also offers a nuanced reflection on how fame continues to adapt in an ever-changing cultural landscape.