The idea of socialites has probably been around for millennia, at least since there have been cities, but the concept, as used today, is fairly new, but at the same time old.
In the United States, the category of socialites first emerged as a result of the concentration of wealth during the First Golden Age from 1877 to 1893. In large part due to the industrialization of the country, aided by the construction of a vast network of railroads, a new class of the very rich emerged in the United States (something that would have horrified Thomas Jefferson). Members of high society became known for hosting lavish parties, entertainment, or formal occasions. They were often associated with celebrities of the day, but they were rarely heard of outside of the Sunday “society pages” of big-city newspapers.
With the collapse and subsequent economic depression of 1893, the First Golden Age came to an end and members of high society became much less visible. However, due to the many fortunes made as a result of America’s involvement in World War I, members of high society returned during the Second Golden Age of the 1920s. Writer F. Scott Fitzgerald described the typical socialites of the time in his novel, The Great Gatsby, and mercilessly mocked Cole Porter’s satirical lyrics. Both men knew their subject well; As celebrities, they often associated with the same high-society people they were critical of.
However, there was still a clear distinction between high society and celebrities; Today, the names of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Cole Porter are remembered and revered, but hardly anyone remembers the members of the high society of the “Jazz Age.”
Since the beginning of America’s Third Golden Age in 1981, however, the line between high society and celebrities has become a bit blurred. It is as if money buys fame without the achievements that are normally the basis of fame. It is highly unlikely that the Paris Hilton expositions would have made national news in the 1920s; however, too many Americans who cannot name their representative in Congress know a great deal about the members of the nation’s high society.
On the other hand, celebrities in many ways are now beginning to look like people of high society. In the old days, very few people knew much about the lives of prominent figures outside of their accomplishments; Between 1932 and 1945, virtually no American outside of Washington DC knew that their president was a paraplegic, confined to a wheelchair.
Yet today, many Americans clamor to learn more about the personalities and everyday lives of celebrities, just as members of high society do. It is not clear why it should be this way; perhaps in today’s media saturated world; perhaps it makes the inaccessible seem a little more accessible.