The American Meme is part documentary part social commentary on our culture’s obsession with fame. In an age when you can be famous in six seconds, what will you be known for?
Paris Hilton for the past two decades has created the blueprint for our online celebrity fixation. And when you watch The American Meme, that fact comes clearer and clearer into sight. Hilton understood branding and commercialism before people knew you could monetize those things. Her fashionable outfits, nightly partying forays, and her trademark catchphrase, “That’s hot!” transformed Hilton from hotel heiress to businesswoman and cultural icon.
Director Bert Marcus wants the world to realize finally that Paris Hilton is still and always has been number one and everyone else is playing for second. While The American Meme mostly is about Hilton’s influence, the documentary narrative also follows social media personalities Brittany Furlan, Josh Ostrovsky (@TheFatJewish), and Kirill Bichutsky (@slutwhisperer).
In a culture where we are obsessed with instant celebrity, Furlan, Ostrovsky, and Bichutsky serve equally as inspirations and cautionary tales. Their ability to master social media platforms like Vine (Furlan) and Instagram (@TheFatJewish and @slutwhisperer) are amazing. Each personality understands the fundamental nature of people and how to make them like you. Whether through the use of humor, shock value, or vulgarity, each person grew their following and their bank accounts all from their online presence.
Marcus balances the film by depicting the downsides of fame. The fleeting nature of instant celebrity is often lost on many. As fast as you become a household name, you easily become forgotten. We watch Bichutsky struggle to keep up with the demands of his brand, traveling from city to city giving champagne facials to random women in clubs, Furlan’s struggle to find happiness as her Vine career is closing, and Ostrovsky trying to maintain relevance in an inherently unstable form of fame.
Marcus also includes commentary from celebrities and social media moguls DJ Khaled, Hailey Baldwin, and Emily Ratajkowski. These people whose livelihoods don’t completely depend on social media, discuss the benefits and pitfalls of the social media landscape. They marvel at their ability to directly interact with their fans or take charge in carving their own public image. Social media helps enhance their careers as much as it can damage them.
The American Meme is a mirror for the audience. Marcus shines a light on parts of our society and culture that are familiar to us, but we hardly ever put a name to. What makes us so fascinated with the instant celebrity? Marcus blends the reality of life with the fantasy of the online world in a fantastical way that makes the audience step back and examine their role in this monster called the Internet. His assembly of personalities on all parts of the spectrum of fame provides a balanced look at a culture we’ve created that has consumed us.
The American Meme premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 27, 2018.
