The technology-driven age allows for people who live worlds apart to bridge gaps easily. At the click of a button, we can now have access to the intimate parts of the lives of the rich and famous, the parts that are not seen in the glossy pages of mainstream magazines.
Theyposted.com, a newly launched picture-sharing website, compiles photos shared on celebrities’ Twitter and Instagram accounts and consolidates them for one-stop viewing.
“Social media is allowing stars to share pieces of awesomeness directly with their fans,” said Scott Perry, creator of theyposted.com. “And fans are loving [it] and love sharing [these] little peeks with their friends daily.”
Similar to Twitter, the site generates a trending list called “Hot Buzz,” under which celebrity names with the most frequently viewed pictures appear. Additionally, the website offers an “Explore” link which lists trending themes such as “Top Models,” “NFL Teams” and “Richest Rappers Alive Today,” and streamlines the search for photos that may relate to a
particular interest.
“Even as big as Twitter and Instagram are, and even as big as many celebrities’ followings are, we built the site as a means to amplify the efforts of these platforms and the celebrities,” Perry said. “We went far beyond the same top 100 celebrities you normally see on most sites, and added defined categories for a wide range of viewing, whether it be film and TV, comedy, reality, culture, society, tech, news, sports and more.”
However, Stern freshman Michael Eichert feels that though the site is useful, he is opposed to the kind of celebrity-centric mentality it promotes.
“It’s nice that I can see all my favorite celebrities in one place without the clutter of Facebook or Twitter,” Eichert said. “But it promotes a general obsession with celebrities and celebrity status that I am fundamentally opposed to.”
Anna Akbari, an adjunct professor in the Media, Culture and Communication department at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, agreed that sites like theyposted.com contribute to a fascination with celebrity culture.
“The rise of social media has facilitated a surge in celebrity obsession,” Akbari said. “Fans feel they have direct access to celebrities via Twitter, Instagram and other social networking sites, and therefore develop a false sense of intimacy with them … Suddenly mundane activities of their daily lives become newsworthy.”
Whether or not there is room on the Internet for yet another celebrity obsession-enabling website remains to be seen. The future of theyposted.com relies entirely on the willingness of the masses to succumb to celebrity gossip.
A version of this article appeared in the Monday, Sept. 17 print edition. Delia Kemph is a contributing writer. Email her at [email protected].