CelebrityIn contemporary society, the cult of celebrity is inescapable. Anyone can be turned into a celebrity, and anything can be made into a celebrity event. Celebrity has become a part of everyday life, a common reference point. But how have people like Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Bill Clinton or Princess Diana impressed themselves so powerfully on the public mind? Do they have unique qualities, or have their images been constructed by the media? And what of the dark side of celebrity – why is the hunger to be in the public eye so great that people are prepared to go to any lengths to achieve it, as numerous mass murderers and serial killers have done. Chris Rojek brings together celebrated figures from the arts, sports, politics and other public spheres, from O.J. Simpson and Marilyn Monroe to Hitler and David Bowie, and touches on many movements and fads, including punk, rock-and-roll and fashion. Rojek analyzes the difference between ascribed celebrity, which derives from bloodline, and achieved celebrity, which follows on from personal achievement - the difference between Princess Margaret and, say, Woody Allen. He also shows how there is no parallel in history to today's ubiquitous "living" form of celebrity, powered by newspapers, PR departments, magazines and electronic mass media. |
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Contents
Celebrity and Celetoids | 9 |
Celebrity and Religion | 51 |
Celebrity and Aestheticization | 101 |
Celebrity and Transgression | 143 |
Celebrity and Celebrification | 181 |
200 | |
Bibliography | 204 |
Acknowledgements | 206 |
List of Illustrations | 208 |
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abstract achieved celebrity acquire American appearance argued associated attraction attributed audience became become behaviour belief body campaign capitalism celeactors celebrity culture celetoids century character claim commodity communication constructed consumer contemporary course Court critical David death democracy desire developed economic embodiment emerged established example experience expressed fame famine fans feelings figures film global Hollywood human individual influence interest involved John killing later leaders less lives London magic mass mass-media means moral murder never notoriety object ordinary organized performance perhaps photographs played police political popular possess presentation produced provides public face qualities question reason recognition recognized regarded relations relationship religion religious requires respect responsibility result rock role sense sexual shaman significant social society staged stars status success suggests suicide symbolic taste term tion tradition types values veridical York
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Page 2 - Focus on Contemporary Issues (FOCI) addresses the pressing problems, ideas and debates of the new millennium. Subjects are drawn from the arts, sciences and humanities, and are linked by the impact they have had or are having on contemporary culture.