STUDlebrity

By: Amos Lassen

I must admit that when I first heard about this film I had on idea what it was about or what the title means. Now I know and I felt awfully not catching it earlier. A Studlebrity is a guy who is famous for his looks. Studlebrities are online celebrities getting their seconds of fame based only upon their outward appearances. Let's face it, we live in a world that is dominated by celebrity status and it seems that everyone can be a celebrity for whatever reason.

"Today there seems to be a new "social celebrity" every time we go online. We are inundated with guys famous for... well... we don't really know". Some of these "celebrities" have 10,000 followers on Twitter and when they post a carefully-posed half-naked shot on Instagram, they gain armies of followers that make them feel special when in actually the special they have is just what is visible. We all have heard the stories of how a handsome face and sculpted physique have helped pave the way to a charmed life (there may be more but that is all we about online). This film documentary is from Charlie David who goes a bit deeper into this new instant celebrity business.

Those of you who use social media and its websites know about the random pictures of the same guy coming across your computer screens. Many times you have no idea as to who they are but you realize that they are passed around for you to admire them. In the film we meet such half-undressed characters such as Mark & Ethan, Topher DiMaggio, Pablo Hernandez and Murray Swanby. We don't know why these guys are famous and we really do not care. Each guy thinks that he is pretty and he knows that he is. More than that he wants to share every moment of his pretty life with you. Indeed he is a real person but he also becomes an illusion.

The film is a combination of archival video and photos from guys in conjunction with new original interview and photo-shoot style footage and this gives us "a layered look at this unique male mayhem." We get a close look at boys who before becoming famous online just for being incredibly attractive were just regular guys. Here the guys open up about all their secret dreams and aspirations and talk about what they think of being watched.