Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Who Made The Most Of Their 15 Minutes Of Fame

Man wearing a hat that says famous on it.
man wearing multicolored Famous cap
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Reddit user TonyClifton323 asked: 'Who has most successfully milked what should have been 15 minutes of fame?'

Initially, to become famous, one needed an impressive skill set or talent, or needed to have accomplished a notable achievement, or a notorious one for that matter.

Today, one could argue that becoming famous is much, much, easier than it's ever been, either by appearing as a contestant or participant on a reality show, or through one of the numerous social media platforms on which they could go "viral".


Generally, these newfound celebrities tend to be a flash in the pan.

Most of the time owing to another unexpected celebrity displacing them, but now and then by their own decision to step out of the spotlight.

Many of these viral sensations can't get enough of their newfound fame and will go to great, sometimes even desperate lengths, to stay relevant.

Despite having a complete lack of talent or accomplishments to their name.

Redditor TonyClifton323 was curious to learn about media stars who made their fame last well beyond their allotted 15 minutes, leading them to ask:

"Who has most successfully milked what should have been 15 minutes of fame?"

TikTok Goes The Clock...

"The D'amelios."

"Can't believe they got a Kardashian wannabe show on Hulu."

"..to clarify.. i don't like the Kardashians."

"They're just the most notable instance of this phenomenon."- Reddit

Just Don't Go To Him For Medical Advice...

"Dr. Phil."

"In 1995, Oprah Winfrey hired Phil McGraw's legal consulting firm to prepare for the Amarillo Texas beef trial."

"Winfrey was so impressed with him that she thanked him for her victory in that case, which ended in 1998."

"Soon after, she invited him to appear on her show, which turned into a recurring segment."

"He turned that into his own show and now 25 years in the spotlight."- Ollivander451

One Way. To Get Your Music Heard...

"The Island Boys, they've stretched that sh*t out so far."- cantaketheskyfrome

Those Poor, Poor Children...

"Jon and Kate Gosselin."

"Only famous because she had a lot of babies and then verbally abused her husband on camera for years."

"The kids were adorable, but they should have had 1 television special, saved that money for kids' college funds or whatever and then disappeared."- KimboSlice129

She's Not The Only One Shaking Her Head...

"Bella Poarch."

"She has one of the biggest Tik Toks ever and all she did was shake her head."

"It became the most liked Tik Tok with over 61M likes and now she's the 3rd biggest Tik Toker, with 94M followers."

"Then, she somehow turned that into a music career."

"One song even charted on the Hot 100 and got a little bit of pop airplay."- Avicii_DrWho

Dolls GIF by Bella PoarchGiphy

All A Matter Of Taste

"I mean this not in a negative way at all because 'milking it' seems negative, but Brittany Broski became a meme for tasting kombucha and then took that opportunity to build an empire."

"Mad respect."- goblingirlie

Baby, You're A Firework!

"Guy Fawkes, it’s been over 400 years and we still celebrate him every year in the UK."

"Not that he lived long enough to enjoy his infamy."- bradley_b_

Never Be Afraid To Speak Your Mind

"Not most successful, but people talked about Ken Bone way more than I would’ve expected."- kingoflint282

debate kenneth bone GIF by Election 2016Giphy

He "Bang"ed His Way To Success...

"William Hung stuck around a good while."- svh01973

When Life Gives You Lemons...

"Bhad Bhabie, aka Danielle Peskowitz Bregoli."

"Cash me outside, how 'bout that?'"

"One episode on Dr Phil."

"Where he intended to exploit her and trash her on live TV."

"She just proved receipts for... a house in Florida for 6.1 million cash."

"Hate all you want, but I challenge anyone to do better quicker."

"I added those two figures in just as an 'icing w/ a cherry on top' cap, not to imply that is her sole source of income."

"She is currently 20 years old."- rFortressofRain


Angry Bhad Bhabie GIFGiphy

There's Going Viral, And Then There's Being Exploited...

"Deez Nuts guy."

"Although he is homeless, he still pops up from time to time and he still makes money off a 3-second meme."- LiteBeerLife

TAn Ongoing Tragedy

"Currently and on their way..Gyspy Rose and her Peter Griffin looking Husband."- hellooonurse23Being famous, even for only fifteen minutes, would seem to guarantee that you will be remembered long after you're gone.

Something to keep in mind before going to great lengths to sustain that fame, however, is what you'll be remembered for.

After all, there's being famous, and there's being infamous.

More from Trending

Elon Musk; Joyce Carol Oates
Tom Brenner For The Washington Post via Getty Images; Rosdiana Ciaravolo/Getty Images

Elon Musk Rages After Author Joyce Carol Oates Calls Him 'Uneducated' And 'Uncultured' In Epic Takedown

You'd have to be a "chronically online" user of X, aka Twitter, to know just how prolific a tweeter author Joyce Carol Oates is, but to those who are, her takedowns have become legendary.

And recently, the 87-year-old award-winning writer set her sights on the owner of X himself, Elon Musk. And the gazillionaire babyman is FURIOUS about it.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sydney Sweeney channels boxer Christy Martin
Black Bear Pictures

Sydney Sweeney Speaks Out After 'Christy' Biopic Has One Of Worst Box Office Openings Of All Time

Sydney Sweeney can land a punch, but maybe not at the box office. Her latest film, Christy, a biopic about trailblazing boxer Christy Martin, landed a hard blow but barely connected with the audience, opening to a paltry $1.3 million.

That’s not just a loss; it’s a technical knockout in the “worst wide release openings ever” category, according to Box Office Mojo. For films debuting in over 2,000 theaters, Christy ranks at No. 12 overall and No. 9 when excluding rereleases.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images

The White House Swiftly Slammed After Boasting That Trump Is 'The Man Who Does It All'

The White House was mocked online after sharing a screenshot to boast that President Trump is "the man who does it all" after he provided some NFL commentary alongside Fox broadcasters during a Washington Commanders game on Sunday.

At no point did the White House note that Trump was booed by spectators multiple times during his appearance, including when he was introduced at halftime by the stadium announcer.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Manny Chavez
@TheTNHoller/X

Teen Breaks Down In Tears While Pleading With City Council To Do Something About ICE Raids

16-year-old Manny Chavez broke down in tears during a Hillsboro City Council meeting on Tuesday as he decried President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown and the ICE raids that have made him fear his own safety and that of his parents despite all of them being U.S. citizens.

Hillsboro, a Portland, Oregon, suburb with a significant Latino population, has been rocked by ICE raids; the Washington County Board of Commissioners last week declared a state of emergency in response to ICE activity.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from The Wall Street Journal's interview with Aaron Paul
@wsj/Instagram

Aaron Paul Reveals Daughter's Heartbreaking Response After He Vowed Not To Use His Phone Around Her

If we're honest with ourselves, most of us realize we spend too much time on these small computers that we take everywhere we go. Between social media and gaming options, it's safe to say a lot of people are addicted to the constant spikes of dopamine available at the swipe of a finger.

But what we don't talk about enough is the impact that this is likely having on our children, especially Gen Alpha kids, who are the first to be raised entirely in a screen-dependent and social-media-crazed world.

Keep ReadingShow less