10 Things You Need to Know about 15 Minutes of Fame

1. Artist Andy Warhol coined the concept/phrase in 1968.
2. Warhol was actually born Andrew Warhola on August 6, 1928, to Slovak immigrants in a working class suburb of Pittsburgh.
3. If you ever visit Pittsburgh, be sure to check out the Warhol Museum. The cafÃ© has pretty good salads.
4. "15 minutes of fame" is a paraphrase. What he actually said was, "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes."
5. Another famous Warhol quote I've always admired: "I have a social disease. I have to go out every night." (He was a regular at Studio 54 back in its heyday.)
6. In 1986, Warhol hosted an MTV show called Andy Warhol's 15 Minutes featuring celebrities, artists, musicians, and designers.
7. The very next year, in 1987, Warhol died of complications during his recovery from a routine gall bladder surgery. He certainly had more than his 15 minutes worth, tho.
8. The 1999 Sugar Ray album 14:59 plays on the Warhol quote. (Clearly they didn't want to be one-hit wonders.)
9. The Strokes have a song called "15 Minutes." I have a hard time with the song because, if you recall, I have a hard time with lyrics that ignore the subjunctive. Take a listen:
10. In 2005, the BBC ran a celeb quiz show called 29 Minutes of Fame. It was canceled after only six episodes.