Here's our imaginary caption for all the celebrity #iwokeuplikethis Instagram shots we see: "But first, let me take a selfie. Well, less of a selfie, and more of an artfully arranged shot of my nearest and dearest, who all just so happen to be celebrities of equal or more important merit." That's how we imagine groups of famous people are when they put on their very best "I most certainly did not have an assistant spend hours coordinating this beach vacation/red carpet/casual hangout with other impeccable-looking folks" expressions of nonchalance.
They, on the other hand, caption the photos "#girlsnight." That's what Gwyneth Paltrow called this shot of a recent dinner. The girls, of course, being Chelsea Handler, Nicole Richie, Stella McCartney, Gwen Stefani, and Naomi Watts. NBD.
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That's why The Atlantic Wire created a handy, four-step guide to help your group shots reach the same aspirational level as notable Instagrammers such as Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian, and Chelsea Handler. We've broken it down even further here. After all, Labor Day is right around the corner. You'll need to maximize your end-of-summer weekends to the photo-op fullest. Here's how to do it in just three simple steps. (The Wire)
Step 1: Star power
You're going to need a lot of it. The Wire specifies a minimum of three famous people per photo. Kim Kardashian's snap from the Vogue Paris party works overtime because it combines luminaries from both the celebrity and fashion worlds.
Step 2: Consider arranging an event for everyone to attend
If there's no big occasion when all of your besties will be gathered together (in full hair and makeup) in the near future, create one. Did Gwyneth look at the calendar and say "Oh darn; the Emmys aren't until August. When will I get Nicole, Chelsea, and Naomi together before then?" Heck no! She threw a #girlsdinner and invited the whole crew. She didn't even worry about the less-than-optimal lighting for her fun group selfie.
Step 3: Be yourself
The hands-on-hips, legs-coyly-crossed, red-carpet pose. We've seen it. We're over it. We have yet to reach saturation point on Taylor Swift's holiday gatherings and Ashley Tisdale's cocktail parties, though. This inside look at celebrities' lives is still novel enough that we view them as our very own Magic: The Gathering (versus Tragic: The Blathering, which many award shows have become). Sidenote: Do you think non-pictured celebrities get FOMO when they see these pics? Deep thought hour is clearly right now.
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Add a flower crown for that royal touch.
It's almost as if we were all on SNL.
Avengers, assemble!
Bonus points if you're photographed rehearsing for a celeb-infused performance of Hair à la Sarah Hyland.
Everyone say, "Politics!"
Truth, justice, and the American selfie.