Not too long ago, the main job of celebrity handlers was to preserve an aura of invincibility around their clients. Now, in a matter of just a few short years, that ethic has been turned on its head. The advent of the smartphone, and its ability to capture candid moments at whim, has created a whole new category of celebrity photo. It plays simultaneously on fans' increasing sophistication and impatience with "canned" photo-ops, and their fascination with celebrities as real people, rather than plastic muses.
A "selfie" of actress and singer Kristen Bell, taken from her Facebook page.
"Real is where it's at these days," writes entertainment reporter Donna Freydkin. "Or, more accurately, the perception that you're authentic." Courtesy USA Today.