It’s undeniable that Americans are a celebrity-obsessed bunch. Take a look at what’s trending on Twitter or Yahoo, or any other online service that tracks buzz and you’l notice a trend; Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Katie Holmes, Snooki, Snooki’s baby, Kim Kardashian again. Reality TV remains popular because it gives everyone the hope that someday, they too could be a star. People Magainze flies off the shelves. Girls trample each other for the chance to touch Justin Bieber’s shirt.

It’s a giant fame circlejerk, no doubt.

But are we more attracted to the famous people themselves or simply the idea of fame?

Brett Cohen decided to answer that question by becoming a celebrity for one night. If you haven’t heard of Brett Cohen, don’t feel bad. He’s just a dude. But he though that by dressing up like a celeb, hiring a couple of bodyguards as an entourage, and having a half dozen “papparazzi” snap some photos, he could trick New Yorkers into thinking that he was somebody. Anybody.

And it worked – like a charm.

As the crew walked over to Times Square, the crowds around Brett grew on each consecutive block. Very few people even questioned who he was, where he was from, or what he does. Brett took pictures with nearly 300 people before the stunt ended. The video even includes interviews with people who had just taken a picture with Brett, and puts them in an awkward position when they’re asked questions such as, “Where do you know Brett from?” and “What’s your favorite movie he was in?” Many of them were overwhelmingly excited over Brett’s walk through Times Square, and it showed.

Check out the social experiment below:

Why the hell does everyone seem to think he was in Spiderman?

[via reddit]