The line comes from the opening theme of Total Drama, the Canadian animated reality show parody that premiered in 2007 with Total Drama Island. Sung by the cast in the theme, 'I wanna be famous' sums up why the teenage contestants endure humiliating challenges for a cash prize. As the series grew into a long running franchise, the phrase became shorthand online for shameless ambition, quoted in edits, captions and reaction videos whenever someone is clearly chasing clout or attention.