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Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton… Many of us read about them, or even want to look like them. But what exactly makes a celebrity?

Neil and Finn talk about what Canadian singer Justin Bieber has [bad word] with the English poet Lord Byron, born in 1788. And learn some expressions about fame and celebrity.

This week's question:

This item of clothing became very famous in the 1980s when Michael Jackson presented his moonwalk to the world...

How much was Michael Jackson's leather glove with shiny crystals sold for at auction in 2009?

a) US$ 150,000

b) US$ 250,000

c) US$ 350,000

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

 
Vocabulary

celebrity
someone famous, particularly someone in entertainment or sport

show business
the entertainment industry (eg theatre, film, music)

talent
natural ability to do something (eg singing, acting)

autograph
a famous person's signature

memorabilia
objects collected by fans because they're connected with the person they admire [bad word] product which is bought and sold

image
reputation; what other people think about you

scandal
action which causes a feeling of shock and disapproval

vandalism
damage to property

 
Transcript

Note: This is not a word for word transcript

Neil
Hello I’m Neil. [bad word] to 6 Minute English. And with me here in the studio ladies and gentlemen is … Finn!

Finn
Thank you! Thank you sound effects! Thank you, Neil! Is this all for me? I feel like quite a celebrity!               

Neil
Yes, a celebrity – someone famous - particularly someone in show business, that's the world of entertainment, theatre and film. Today we're talking about fame, and teaching you some related vocabulary.

Finn
Yes. Some celebrities are famous for their talent, which means by their ability to do something well, like singing, acting or telling jokes …

Neil
And others are famous for… well, for being famous or being associated with someone who is. The names Paris Hilton and Kim [bad word] to mind: wealthy women with their own TV shows. But, talking about celebrity, let me ask you a question.

Finn
Actually Neil, only if you play that lovely applause again.  Go on Neil!

Neil
I knew you would love this. Right. Here it goes.

Finn
Yes! Anyway, Neil... I can give you my autograph later…

Neil
You mean signature? An autograph is the signature of a famous person, Finn. Fans collect these and things like photographs.

Finn
Yes, we call things like those memorabilia.       

Neil
For example, Michael Jackson's leather glove with shiny crystals - it became very famous in the 1980s when he presented his moonwalk to the world. How much was it sold for at auction in 2009? Was it:

a)             US$ 150,000

b)             US$ 250,000 or

c)             US$ 350,000

Finn
I think Michael Jackson has some big fans in the world so I'll say c) US$ 350,000.

Neil
Okay. I'll give you the answer at the end of the programme.

Finn
So the idea of celebrity seems very modern in some ways – does it have a long history?

Neil
Well, Lord Byron, a very famous English poet born in 1788, is considered by some experts to be the world's first modern-style celebrity. Let's hear Dr Corin Throsby, English Literature researcher at Cambridge University.

Finn
Why was Byron a celebrity?

Neil
Listen out for the noun she uses in the first sentence meaning a product, or something for sale.

INSERT
Dr Corin Throsby, Cambridge University
If we think of celebrity as the moment where someone's personality [bad word] a commodity. So, for Byron the fact that he was popular on this scale that had never been achieved before because his career had coincided with mass printing. But something more than that, that there was a sort of a secondary industry of Byron stuff, you know, that there were Byron neck ties, people wanted to look like Byron. There was this mass of people that loved him. He could no longer control his image. I think that's what separates celebrity from the fame that had preceded that.

Finn
So the noun was [bad word] . She said that when someone's personality [bad word] a product, that's when they turn into a celebrity.          

Neil
She talked of fame so big you can't control your own image – that's your reputation, the way other people think about you and imagine you. Someone interesting in this respect is Justin Bieber.

Finn
Yeah. Are you a fan, Neil?

Neil
I'm a massive fan of Justin Bieber. I love him.

Finn
I believe you.

Neil
He's a big name and he's always in the newspapers. His fans are called 'Beliebers'…

Finn
and Byron's fans were called 'Byron maniacs'. That's the name his wife gave his adoring fans. Though she wasn't too happy about them.  

Neil
Yes. Byron's life was full of scandals, actions which cause shock and disapproval among people.

Finn
And for Byron it was mainly his love life. He had affairs with men and women. 

Neil
For Justin Bieber it's about his behaviour. He was accused of driving after drinking alcohol, and of vandalism.

Finn
Vandalism means causing damage to property.

Neil
Poor Justin Bieber!

Finn
Though he's very popular - his career started when he was in his early teens and I think it must have been difficult growing up with this global fame. Still, I wonder how much his autograph is worth in the current market…

Neil
Well,I don't know about Justin Bieber's autograph but I do know about Michael Jackson's shiny glove. It became iconic in the 1980s, but how much was it sold for? Was it US$ 150,000; US$ 250,000 or c) US$ 350,000?

Finn
I said c) US$ 350,000.   

Neil
And you were right.

Finn
Wow! That's rare.

Neil
Did you buy it?

Finn
It wasn't me. No.

Neil
Well, our time's up but let's remember the words we heard from today. Finn.

Finn
We heard:

celebrity

show business

talent

autograph

memorabilia [bad word] 
image

scandal

vandalism

Neil
That's it for today. Please join us again soon for 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

Finn
Neil?

Neil
What?

Finn
You know what. Go on.

Neil
Okay. One more time.

Finn
You love it as well, don't you?

Neil
I do. It's great. I'll join in.

Finn
Bye.