With the advent of Youtube and reality shows, there's no shortage of those who have held the spotlight for their 15 minutes of fame. The "15 minutes of fame" expression refers to a short-lived, highly public stint in the spotlight for celebs and regular, everyday people as well. These experiences are often fueled by tabloid rumors or highly unusual circumstances that, for "15 minutes," captures the media's attention.
The "15 minutes" expression is credited to Andy Warhol, who included the words "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes" in the program for a 1968 exhibition of his work at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Sweden.
Here's a plethora of folks, from Olympic champs to politicians, who at some point had their 15 minutes. Some have been reduced to tabloid fodder, while others took their 15 minutes of fame in the mass media and turned it into lucrative careers. So, where are they now?
http://www.ranker.com/list/15-minutes-of-fame-celebrities-where-are-they-now-/derrick920,
Nancy Kerrigan
Now a married mother of three, the 44-year-old retired figure skater recently stepped back in the spotlight as a commentator for the Sochi Winter Olympics. She's also the subject of the upcoming documentary The Price of Gold, which covers the big controversy that surrounded Kerrigan's attack during the 1994 Olympics.
Tonya Harding
Despite a brief stint as a celebrity boxer (she quit the sport, complaining of asthma), Harding primarily lives outside the public eye. Due to the Kerrigan incident in '94, she was banned from pro skating for life. She was married in 2010, and she and her new husband had their first child, a boy, in 2011.
Chris Crocker
Crocker, whose look has changed dramatically since the "Leave Britney Alone" video, has been up to a multitude of activities in the last few years. He continues to produce a slew of Youtube vids for his massive following, and he has also signed on to do a gay porn flick with legendary gay porn producer Chi Chi La Rue.
Crocker has also been in discussion about various television deals, including a show to be produced by MTV titled Chris Crocker's 15 Minutes More.
Levi Johnston
With a Playboy photo spread and Bristol Palin finally behind him, Levi hooked up with another woman and became a baby daddy for a second time. This time, however, he ended up tying the knot in 2012 with the baby's mother, Sunny Oglesby.
Nicole Polizzi
Now a mom with a year-old son, Snooki just announced that she's pregnant with her second child. She also appeared recently on "The View" to talk about her new book Baby Bumps.
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Levi Johnston Then
Johnston was thrust into baby daddy spotlight during Sarah Palin's 2008 campaign for VP. His on-again, off-again baby mama drama with ex-fiance Bristol Palin never ceased to entertain.
Chris Crocker Then
Who can forget the heartfelt yet hilarious wails of Chris Crocker on Youtube defending his precious Britney Spears? The video "Leave Britney Alone (it got over 4 million hits in its first two days online) is genius and remains a Youtube classic.
Nicole Snooki Polizzi Then
Known for her crazy and wild antics on MTV reality show "Jersey Shore," Snooki was the motor mouth that just wouldn't stop. After getting punched in the face by a guy during a bar room altercation (an incident caught on video that went viral), Snooki's personal appearance fee jumped $2000 to $10,000.
She's also considered one of the highest paid reality show stars, netting $150,000 per show.
Nancy Kerrigan Then
While Nancy Kerrigan was obviously a talented figure skater (after all, she was competing in the Olympics), her big claim to fame really didn't happen until she was attacked at a skating rink in January, 1994. Planned by her longtime skating rival Tonya Harding, a hired hand attacked Kerrigan after she exited a practice session on the rink. Once off the rink and out of sight, the man ran up to her and hit her with a club on her knee. The "Whyyyy!?" whack was felt around the world.
The intent was to injure Kerrigan so she wouldn't be able to compete in the upcoming Olympics, which Team Tonya believed would easily land Harding the frontrunner spot for the gold. Didn't work. Kerrigan ended up winning a silver medal two weeks later at the Olympics; Harding ended up banned from pro skating for life.
Tonya Harding Then
The Olympics' troubled child. Frantic that she wouldn't top Nancy Kerrigan for an Olympic medal in 1994, Harding allegedly conspired with her ex-husband to attack Kerrigan, aiming to injure her so she'd be unable to compete in the Olympics.
Fortunately, Kerrigan was not injured too badly and was able to capture a silver medal despite the shenanigans of Harding and friends. It was never actually proven that Harding had a hand in the attack. But come on.