I Want to Be Famous
When Everybody and Nobody Is a Celebrity

Quotes

“I Want to Be Famous takes you on a Regal Cinemas rollercoaster pre-show ride through the history of celebrity, then pulls gems of insight and humor from the garbage dump of our strange present. No one is as good as Lindsey and Bobby at being brilliant and absolutely pain-free.”—Jia Tolentino, author of Trick Mirror

“Lighthearted but often trenchant . . . A comprehensive theory of how the internet and social media transformed everyone into someone—and therefore, no one.”—The Atlantic

“I Want to Be Famous is funny and engaging, but it’s also thoughtful in how it explores pop culture and how social media has changed the meaning of celebrity—plus its effect on the Who/Them binary. Though the book is just as excellent for non-listeners of their podcasts, the Wholigans can rest easy knowing the pair’s reverence for Rita Ora and all she is up to follows them onto the page.”—E! News

“At once chatty and digressive and satisfyingly meaty, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it one day gets taught in media studies classes.”—Emily Gould, New York magazine

“This is one of the best books on the topic [of traditional celebrity] I’ve ever read. . . . A genuinely laugh-out-loud funny romp. . . . The historical interludes woven through each chapter are especially good.”—Reason

“I Want to Be Famous is the seminal text for the internet brain-rotted freaks, i.e. me, who are obsessed with pop music girlies and know what Spencer Pratt’s dog’s name is. It’s sharp, funny, educational: a dissertation-length highbrow tabloid written by your coolest friends who have excellent taste in lowbrow culture.”—Samantha Irby, author of Quietly Hostile

“As a Wholigan of almost a decade, there is no one I am more eager to hear contextualize the modern fame game than Lindsey and Bobby. They’re funny, this we know—but you will be surprised by how I Want to Be Famous stays with you, and by the questions it forces you to ask about the attention economy, and how we the audience are just as accountable for where culture finds itself, if not more so. Come for the laughs and incredible cultural deep cuts, stay for the exegesis on how we wound up . . . here.”—Lena Dunham, author of Famesick

“I Want to be Famous cements Bobby Finger and Lindsey Weber as two of our most astute and thoughtful critics—and it’s a genuinely laugh-out-loud experience.”—Rumaan Alam, author of Leave the World Behind

“I Want to Be Famous is a hilarious deep dive into the evolution of celebrity, from untouchable gods and goddesses to a morass of ‘just like us’ strivers (who manage to have more cultural currency than anyone with millions of dollars of studio backing behind them).”—Karina Longworth, author of Seduction and host of You Must Remember This

“An entertaining examination of how streaming and social media have splintered the public’s attention span and, with it, the hierarchy of fame . . . Packed with pop culture history and sharp analyses, this is a definitive account of contemporary stardom.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A clever, erudite assessment of fame.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Fun, conversational, insightful, and extremely well-researched, this is perfect for anyone amused by the bizarre phenomenon of knowing and being known.”—Booklist