14 Brilliant, Stupid or Niche Things That Turned People into Celebrities
If you want to be famous, don’t overthink it. Just say or do the first thing that comes to mind, say it loud and do it relentlessly.
Dave McPherson Stood in Line
If you don’t recognize that name, congratulations, you’re not a Disney adult. McPherson was the first person to enter Disneyland when it opened in 1955, and has become a real-life Disney legend, earning a lifetime pass to all Disney parks and resorts.
Laina Morris Satired Her Way Into Pop Culture
Justin Bieber called for fans to make their own videos for his 2012 song “Boyfriend,” and Morris sent in a character piece about an extremely clingy girlfriend that inadvertently launched the Overly Attached Girlfriend meme. She grew a huge YouTube following, made lots of internet and TV appearances over the years and sold her NFT for over $400,000.
Nadya Suleman Became Eight Moms
She was the second person in America to pop out eight kids in one try, but she was the first to parlay that into a semi-successful media career as the Octomom. She wasted all the goodwill and money she’d accrued, however, and her career devolved into bankruptcy and porn.
Heir to Bread Fortune Makes Bread
Dave Dahl grew up working in his family’s bakery, but dropped out of high school, the bread biz and society in one fell swoop. He spent a decade or so in and out of prison before finally rejoining his brother at the family business. He came up with a protein-packed, cornmeal-crusted loaf called Dave’s Killer Bread, which became incredibly popular. The dude has overcome adversity and does a lot of charity work, but the bootstrapping, rags-to-riches story that follows him is a bit exaggerated.
Cara Cunningham Cried on Myspace
Internet yeller Cara Cunningham made a two-part video in defense of Britney Spears in 2007, making some very good points about gossip columnists ruining the artist’s life which were, somehow, considered outlandish and hysterical at the time. She parlayed the virality of these videos into development deals, a pop album and a Grammy plaque she got for appearing in a Weezer video.
Norton the First, Emperor of the United States
British/South African man Joshua Abraham Norton named himself the Emperor of the United States in 1859, after squandering his sizable inheritance in San Francisco and moving to a boarding house. He printed his own currency, which local establishments eventually accepted as he became a public figure and they realized he wasn’t going to knock it off. Ten thousand people reportedly attended his two-mile long funeral procession.
The Fart-O-Maniac
French performance artist Joseph Pujol became world-famous in the late 19th century as Le Petomane, or “The Fart-O-Maniac.” He could play instruments, “sing” songs and blow out candles with his flatulence, and entertained some of the biggest celebrities and politicians of his day.
Mister Eats-All
French entertainer Michel Lotito transformed into Monsieur Mangetout, or “Mister Eats-All” at age 16 when he realized he could eat things like rubber, glass and metal without any apparent harm. Doctors who examined him said he had exceptionally thick stomach lining and strong stomach acids. He would cut up and eat entire bicycles, beds and televisions, culminating in the consumption of a Cessna 150.
The Man With the Golden Arm
Australian man James Harrison gave blood for the first time at age 18, and doctors discovered that he had extremely unique plasma that could be used to treat a deadly disease. He donated a record 1,173 times before he retired from the game at age 81.
The Immortal Woman
Henrietta Lacks was an African-American woman who died at age 31 of cervical cancer. While she was alive, researchers noticed that her cells had extremely unique properties, and they were given without her consent to medical researchers at Johns Hopkins University. They used them to develop the first immortalized human cell line, which has been used for lots of medical and commercial purposes. Her DNA has saved countless lives, but the whole ordeal is an ethical travesty.
Brian’s Incredible Luck
In 2005, Ohio high schooler Kyle Craven took a school photo so intentionally goofy, his principal demanded he retake it. Seven years later, one of his buddies uploaded it to Reddit and made him an instant internet sensation as Bad Luck Brian. Between merchandise and a McDonald’s commercial, he made about $20,000 in the first three years of the meme. He later sold the NFT for $36,000, and most recently appeared in another commercial with Shaq.
Philippe Petit Trespassed on the Twin Towers
In 1994, Petit managed to string a tightrope between the two towers of the World Trade Center and then walk back and forth between them eight times. This got him international headlines — and charged with disorderly conduct. His stunt made him so beloved in New York City that all he had to do was a few tightrope tricks in Central Park and the city called it even. He’s lived there ever since.
Rebecca Black Accidentally Made the Song of the Summer
In 2011, Black’s parents paid $4,000 to a record label that writes bad songs for tweens, and selected the song “Friday” from their catalogue of duds. The sheer campiness of the video rocketed it to internet virality (and number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100). She was written off as a no-talent hack, but spent the next few years earnestly pursuing a career in entertainment. She’s worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, released two studio albums and is currently a supporting act on Katy Perry’s world tour.
The Hot Convict
Jeremy Meeks was arrested in 2014, and the Stockton, California police department put his mugshot on their Facebook page, along with his alleged accomplices’. Meeks’ photo went viral, and by the time he got off of house arrest, he had a modeling contract waiting for him.
