How to become a fake celebrity: the resurrection of Hebe Camargo, the Brazilian godmother

Abstract

How is it possible to become a celebrity by impersonating one? This is the question we pose in this article by exploring ethnographically the digital life of @hebecamargo, a fake celebrity profile created by Victor Calazans, known for being a social media guru in the Brazilian advertising industry during the years of 2012 and 2013. The emergence of fake celebrity profiles in the social media landscape is crucial to reflect upon the ways in which subjects are engaged with digital technologies throughout their lives and its power effect in the productive chain of media and celebrity. Drawing from contemporary writings, we seek to stress the importance of fakes as a means to explore dynamics of late modernity relating to power, media and subjectivity.