The step up from socialite to celebrity can be a tricky one. In the UK this is usually achieved through a romantic tryst with a famous person, swiftly followed by an appearance on a reality TV show.
Americans Tareq and Michaele Salahi appear to have taken a more direct route to fame, however, by allegedly gatecrashing President Obama's first White House dinner on Tuesday night.
The US Secret Service is investigating how the couple, who its spokesman, Ed Donovan, confirmed were not on the guest list, managed to breach security and attend the 300-strong event.
Donovan said an initial finding indicated that a checkpoint did not follow proper procedures to ensure the two were on the list.
The Salahis, who were described by the Washington Post as "polo-playing socialites," are also reportedly auditioning for roles in the TV programme The Real Housewives of Washington".
Michaele Salahi's Facebook page – she has a fan page rather than a profile – was dutifully updated within hours of the White House dinner. Salahi, a former model and cheerleader who had 2,213 "fans" at the time of writing, posted a photo album named "White House state dinner," showing herself and her husband posing with America's great and good.
"I was honoured to be invited to attend the first state dinner hosted by President Obama and the First Lady to honour India," Michaele explains on her page.
The album features the Salahis with White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, mayor of DC Adrian Fenty and vice-president Joe Biden.
There are no pictures posted of Tareq and Michaele with the president, but one imagines that was not for want of trying.
The "bio" on the Michaele Salahi's Twitter page, which appears to be genuine, reads: "Loving, passionate, energetic, charismatic, giving, beautiful, always positive, faithful, I see the good in everyone, love pashion, polo & Oasis champagne."
But after this stunt it seems not everyone agrees. Hundreds of comments have been left on Michaele Salahi's Facebook page, many of them decidedly negative: "You are absolutely pathetic. People will really do anything for attention," said one commenter.
Another post said: "Enjoy going to jail."
But opinion appears to be divided on the issue, with others congratulating the pair. "You pulled the caper of the millennium!" wrote one.
Donovan said the couple did not pose any danger: "It's important to note that they went through all the security screenings and the magnetometer screening, just like all the other guests did."
He added that Obama and others under Secret Service protection had their usual guards with them at the dinner.