On an algorithmic level this concept seems similar to the concept of supernodes - except that relative celebrities have specialization and have bandwidth requirements that fall along a gradient scale. Thanks to the degrees of separation principle and the multivariate hierarchies you can create by weaving together the RSS feeds of your "relative celebrities" the information feed you have coming in can create a unique signature that matches the desire of your personality and gives you a more optimal signal-noise ratio.

I think this is the paradigm shift the news media hasn't really grasped yet. They are trying to put up their own blogs and compete head to head with the bloggers. A for effort. F for results. What they really need to do to be innovative is open up the database of information their reporters are collecting in the field to their consumers and leverage the long tail for analysis and commentary. Bloggers for example could create mashups based on high quality journalism coming from the various sources. It doesn't have to be a "blogger" vs. "journalist" type of thing. Basically separate out and standardize the system for collecting high quality facts-based field journalism from the analysis that is being performed. In other words everyone uses the same set of facts, let the long tail analyze what those facts are.

There is a double edged sword of sorts here in my opinion. On one hand it's getting easier than ever to use the internet to find valuable information that was suppressed because it didn't fit the one-size-fits-all pattern of old media. But on the other hand it's easier than ever to decide that all you want to drink is your flavor of kool-aid, and that kind of ignorance is only ever bliss in the short term. If we can strike the right type of balance it is going to be overwhelmingly positive for society.

And yes to keep you happy, working identity systems will be key to all of this.