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Popularity and Celebrity

• NEW271Y 23 Mar. 2004

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Spring Term Test

• Tuesday 6 April 2004 310-500 pm
• In-Class, No Aids
• Part 1 worth 20 - multiple choice, fill in the
  blanks, T/F
• Part 2 worth 50 - make briefs notes on terms,
  concepts, topics, modes
• Part 3 worth 30 - short essay

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Definitions

• popularity ad. L. popularitas fellow-citizenship,
  popular bearing, in late L. population
• The fact or condition of being approved, beloved,
  or admired by the people, or by many people
  favour or acceptance with the people.
• Suggests achievements, qualities, skills

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Definitions cont.

• Celebrity - a famous person, "one who is
  celebrated."
• celebrate, f. L. celebr-em renowned.
• famous for being famous (regardless of what first
  brought them to fame).
• Can become celebrity just from having been on TV
  even if untoward circumstances

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Celebrity

• Jan 18, 2002 Monica Lewinsky appeared at a news
  conference held in honor of her HBO documentary
  "Monica in Black and White." It largely consists
  of her answering questions from an audience of
  HBO staff and college students.
• The former Whitehouse intern said she made the
  film partly because she was worried other TV
  movies being made about her case would perpetuate
  inaccuracies and misconceptions.
• What is the biggest misconception people have
  about her?
• That I sought this celebrity by seducing the
  president and going to the White House with an
  agenda and turning on him so all of this could
  happen, so I could enjoy it and make millions of
  dollars and perpetuate my celebrity," she said.
  "And that I'm stupid," she added.

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Monica Lewinsky
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Celebrity Sister

• Associated Press Mar. 15, 2004
• NEW YORK - MTV has tapped another Simpson for a
  new reality show.Ashlee Simpson, the
  19-year-old sister of pop star Jessica Simpson,
  will be the focus of "Ashlee," which will track
  her attempt to become a recording star. The
  six-episode series will air this
  summer."Newlyweds Nick Jessica," starring
  Jessica Simpson and her husband, Nick Lachey, is
  now in its second season.The new show will
  follow Ashlee as she records her first album, on
  Geffen Records, auditions a band and breaks up
  with her boyfriend."My series will show people
  all the hard work it takes to cut an album, and
  I'm excited for everyone to see this and live it
  right along with me," she said. "I'm really proud
  of everything that I've accomplished and I can't
  wait for the MTV audience to see it for
  themselves!"

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Celebrity Commodification

• Ego ideal
• Role of images in production of ego ideal
• Star quality
• Celebrity production transformation
• commodification

• December 29, 1999Slimmer Lewinsky will promote
  Jenny Craig diet
• Jan. 5, 2000
• Jenny Craig franchises opt out of Lewinsky ads

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Commodification

• Celebrity as object for audience consumption
• Attainable, consumable
• Cf. Clueless mobility of social status
  central myth of US culture
• Performability can be learned, imitated

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Celebrity Commodity

• Today show
• Updated 649 a.m. ET March  12, 2004
• Its time to burn those UGG boots! Spring is just
  around the corner and to help you get in the
  cheery mood, celebrity style expert and "Today"
  contributor Steven Cojocaru offers a look at some
  of the must-have items and wardrobe secrets of
  celebs like Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears and
  Madonna.

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• Penhaligon's Travel Slippers are the "It" travel
  accessoryPerfect for slipper-ing about the house
  or strolling along the beach Jessica Simpson
  loves the new super-soft Penhaligons Travel
  Slippers and just snapped them up in every color!
  She is obsessed and said she will be wearing them
  on her show because they are so comfy and she
  cant bear to take them off! They are made of
  Buttersoft Lamb Nappa leather and are very
  springy.The brand new (just launched) spring
  colors are Peony (pastel pink) and Powder (light
  blue/gray).Penhaligons Travel Slippers, 100.
  Penhaligons.co.uk.

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• The Generra Jacket is the "It" jacketYou name
  the it girl and shes got this it jacket
  Gwyneth Paltrow, Cameron Diaz, Halle Berry, Sarah
  Jessica Parker, Demi Moore and Madonna have all
  purchased the same light pink leather cropped
  zip-up jacket by the new hot line, Generra (also
  comes in a silvery gray). It's a great staple
  and its machine washable.Generra Jacket, 498.
  Henri Bendel. 1-800-HBENDEL

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Fairy Tale Myth

• Recognition innate qualities
• Pretty Woman (1990)
• Transformation
• Failure of perception (true worth) indicates
  moral failure

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Pop Princess

• Britney Spears has become the youngest singer to
  get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• "This is something that I've dreamt about since I
  was a little girl. I can't believe I'm actually
  here with all of you amazing fans," she said.

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• So only ersatz ego ideal can be performed
• Backlash cf. Avril
• Cultural currency loses value
• Age as factor in loss of value for women

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Consumption Audiences

• Pomo theories of ID
• Consumption, conformism, simulacra, loss of
  referent, depthlessness
• Traditional sources of ID (family, community,
  nation) in decline globalization
• Consumption as alternative
• Paradox identical to everyone else

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Audience Studies

• 2 traditions effects uses
• Effects approach hypodermic model
• Power of media domination control
• turn audiences into zombies
• Mechanistic deterministic
• Audience as inert mass - Homogeneous,
  undifferentiated

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Uses gratifications approach

• Examines audience engagement
• Emphasize differences
• Subjects have histories
• textual analysis also emphasizes ambiguities
  open negotiation
• Plurality of contemporary cultural life

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Intermission

• HOLLYWOOD
• March  22, 2004  
• Jackson's First Accuser May Testify
• Paris Hilton Thrown From Horse
• Britney Spears Cancels Concert Due To Injury