Celebrities are in one way a product of society, not as a living being but their distinction from other humans. Celebrities are essentially more about us than they are them. They are a product of a number of social and cultural processes, in coherence with the media. The celebrity can be described as a walking, talking sign or symbol, notes on any given generation, period, culture, society, group or profession. It should be noted however that what they 'say' on these such elements are not necessarily correct, however the celebrity does not exist without being seen and consumed, so it is often accepted that they stand as a summary. This example is best understood when the most iconic celebrities of the past are considered, and to what extent it is accepted that they recap a certain area.
Did the celebrity exist without forms of media though?
A which came first, the chicken or the egg-esque dilemma, of which week 10's reading and week 11's classes left in my mind.
A study (Fraser, B. and Brown, W. 2002) done on Elvis Presley as a celebrity and the ways in which a broad spectrum of fans and impersonators identify him. Even without media playing the massive role in his life that it does in such big celebrity personalities today, a similar effect is had as discussed above. The surveyed individuals could still identify with his values, way of life and modified their lives to emulate his.
Resources
Fraser, B. and Brown, W. (2002). Media, celebrities, and social influence: Identification with Elvis Presley. Mass Communication & Society, 5(2), pp.183--206.
Turner, Graeme (2004): "Introduction" in Understanding Celebrity. London: Sage; pp. 3-27