Magnolia Parks

While a celebrity is generally defined as a person who gains public attention or notoriety due to an achievement or profession, a socialite is typically someone without traditional employment who gains public notice and influence due to the nature of their social life. Socialites can attain celebrity status when public interest in their social life becomes widespread. While the term “socialite” came into use in the 20th century, the public fascination with the activities of wealthy or high-status individuals dates to the early modern period, when women of wealth maintained active social lives in order to forge connections and build influence, or pursued high fashion in order to become objects of admiration. In Britain, the lives of the ultra-wealthy have long been matters of public interest, as demonstrated by the public’s ongoing fascination with the lives of the royal family and other British aristocrats.

Similarly, an “It girl” is defined as a popular young woman who is admired mostly for her personal attractiveness, her sense of fashion, and her celebrity connections through family or friends. The term gained traction after the 1927 film It, starring Clara Bow. In this specific context, the term “It” is understood as an ephemeral but powerful quality of attraction, though in current usage, an “It girl” is more likely the object of media attention due to a blend of sex appeal, fashion display, and influential connections. Paris Hilton was identified as an “It girl” in the early 21st century on the basis of her high-profile life of leisure, entertainment, and parties, and her propensity for mingling with other celebrities. The American TV series Gossip Girl (2007-2012) and the British reality-based series Made in Chelsea (2011-present) have accordingly focused on the lives of the young and affluent, establishing the dramatic appeal of high drama, luxury, exotic destinations, and reckless behavior. People who engage in this extreme version of high social visibility can obtain great personal benefit, as members of the US-based Kardashian-Jenner family have discovered. Such high-profile individuals leverage their celebrity status to launch business ventures, make paid appearances, and obtain sponsorships. However, such intense media scrutiny can also come at a very high cost. For example, Britain’s Princess Diana infamously died in 1997 in a car crash that was caused by her attempt to escape pursuing paparazzi—photojournalists who make their living selling pictures of the rich and famous. As Magnolia Parks unfolds, the characters’ high-octane, reckless lifestyles reflect many of the risks and rewards faced by real-life socialites.