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. |
Contents
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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Common terms and phrases
abstract desire acclaim achieved celebrity achievement famine actor aesthetic American anti-hero arguably argued ascribed celebrity audience Barnum Beatles became behaviour belief Bowie Bruce Willis campaign capitalism celeactors celebrification celebrities and fans celebrity culture celebrity race celebrity status celetoids collective effervescence commodity constructed consumer contemporary Copeland cult cultural impresario David David Copeland death democracy democratic developed economic eighteenth century Elvis Presley embodiment Essex example f1gures fame figures film global Harrison Ford Hollywood individual interaction John John Lennon killing Kurt Cobain leaders Lennon Leopold and Loeb magic mass mass-media means mobility moral movie murder notoriety organized para-social photographs played police political popular culture possess presentation produced pseudo-event psychological public face public recognition recognized regarded reinforce relations relationship religion religious Rudolph Valentino serial killers Sex Pistols sexual shaman significant social society staged celebrity stars suicide symbolic taste cultures theatre tion transgression values veridical