What makes celebrity?

What is it that makes one a celebrity? That is, what does one have to do, create, or otherwise to gain the notoriety of the masses? In my eyes, as well as the eyes of many other Americans, the Kardashians do not deserve the fame or rather infamy that they presently have. This goes for many of the other psudocelebrities out there who are famous for essentially nothing other than appearing on reality television or in media scandals.

I believe that the great minds of today are the true celebrities who unfortunately remain in the realm of obscurity. Those making great advancements in the fields of physics, biology, chemistry, engineering, communications, and technology are the one's who I feel deserve the notoriety and fame that these present day celebrities are getting.

However, the appeal and excitement factor that draws the public to these celebrities won't likely be found with scientists and scholars. It is unlikely that a Kardashianesque sex tape will pop up featuring physicists or a cat fight between engineers. It appears that for the time being, the nature of celebrity will remain constant and consistently shallow.