Celebrity capital and its connections to other fields: an extension of Bourdieu’s theory and the case of Felipe Neto

Abstract:

In a society in which individuals live for and through representations, celebrities have a key role. In this article, I try to show that being a celebrity is a capital. Thus, Bourdieu’s field and capital theory needs to be extended. Based on the example of the digital influencer, Felipe Neto, I reveal how this capital has been used. Beyond acting in the media or entertainment fields, famous people influence and actively participate in the political process. It is therefore necessary to redefine the role of the individual who accumulates celebrity capital, the result of accumulated media visibility and recurrent media appearances. Only then can we understand the effect of celebrity capital on other fields, such as politics and/or the economy.

Keywords:
Celebrity capital; famous; politics; media; Felipe Neto