15 minutes of fame

Quote on a building in Rotterdam.

15 minutes of fame is short-lived media publicity or celebrity of an individual or phenomenon. The expression was inspired by a quotation misattributed to Andy Warhol: "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." Attributed to two other people, the first printed use was in the program for a 1968 exhibition of Warhol's work at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Sweden.[1] The phenomenon is often used in reference to figures in the entertainment industry or other areas of popular culture, such as reality television and YouTube.

An older version of the same concept in English is the expression "nine days' wonder." This phrase dates at least as far back as the Elizabethan era, referencing William Kempe.[2]

  1. ^ Guinn and Perry, p. 4
  2. ^ Martin, Gary. "The meaning and origin of the expression: Nine days' wonder". The Phrase Finder. Retrieved July 25, 2021.