Celebrity in the 21st Century

by Leslie, Larry Z.

• ISBN13: 9781598844849
• ISBN10: 1598844849
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-01-12
• Publisher: Abc-Clio Inc

Summary

Tabloid magazines, television shows, and Internet sites inundate us with daily updates about movie stars, musicians, athletes, and even those who have achieved celebrity status simply for being rich and extravagant. Disturbingly, it appears that the harder our celebrities fall, the more fascinating they are to us. As popular culture becomes more influential, it is important to understand both the positive and negative aspects of celebrity. This volume traces the development of the concept of celebrity, discusses some of the problems facing both celebrities and their followers, and points to future trends and developments in our cultural understanding of celebrity. The author's treatment is unflinchingly honest, revealing the importance of the public's role in celebrities' lives and establishing firm criteria for determining who is a celebrity - and who is not.

Table of Contents

List of Tables	p. xi
Preface	p. xiii
Background and History	p. 1
A Modern Celebrity	p. 1
Early Uses and Meanings	p. 2
The Classical Civilizations	p. 4
The World in Transition	p. 7
Important Progress in Europe	p. 8
America Stirs	p. 10
The Rise of Media in 19th-century America	p. 10
Media Gain Strength in the Early 20th Century	p. 12
Media Become Powerful in the Late 20th Century	p. 14
The Public's Role in Celebrity	p. 15
Celebrities as Stars	p. 17
The Remarkable 21st Century	p. 18
A Celebrity Taxonomy	p. 23
Members of the General Public as Seekers of Fame	p. 24
Members of the Public as Famous Newsmakers	p. 25
References	p. 28
Problems, Controversies, and Solutions	p. 31
Is Celebrity Finite?	p. 31
Celebrities Who Violate Social or Moral Norms	p. 36
Celebrity Endorsement	p. 45
Fictional and Cartoon Celebrities	p. 47
Source and Quality of Celebrity Information	p. 49
Celebrity Magazines	p. 50
Celebrity Television Programs	p. 57
Celebrities and Electronic Media	p. 62
Traditional Information Sources	p. 62
New Media Information Sources	p. 64
Social Media and Celebrities	p. 66
Misconceptions about Celebrity	p. 69
Summary and Conclusion	p. 72
References	p. 73
Worldwide Perspective	p. 75
Entertainment Celebrities	p. 76
Celebrities and Politics	p. 77
Limits on Worldwide Celebrity	p. 80
A Look at the Worldwide Celebrity Taxonomy	p. 82
Politics and Government	p. 83
The Arts	p. 89
Science and Medicine	p. 90
Academia	p. 93
Business	p. 96
Religion	p. 97
Summary	p. 100
References	p. 101
Chronology	p. 105
References	p. 120
Biographical Sketches	p. 121
Glenn Beck	p. 121
Beyoncè	p. 122
Kobe Bryant	p. 123
George Clooney	p. 123
Tom Cruise	p. 124
Entertainment Celebrities	p. 76
Celebrities and Politics	p. 77
Limits on Worldwide Celebrity	p. 80
A Look at the Worldwide Celebrity Taxonomy	p. 82
Politics and Government	p. 83
The Arts	p. 89
Science and Medicine	p. 90
Academia	p. 93
Business	p. 96
Religion	p. 97
Summary	p. 100
References	p. 101
Chronology	p. 105
References	p. 120
Biographical Sketches	p. 121
Glenn Beck	p. 121
Beyoncè	p. 122
Kobe Bryant	p. 123
George Clooney	p. 123
Tom Cruise	p. 124
Ellen DeGeneres	p. 125
Tony Dungy	p. 126
Bill Gates	p. 126
Al Gore	p. 127
Scarlett Johansson	p. 128
Angelina Jolie	p. 129
Michael Jordan	p. 129
Jennifer Lopez	p. 130
Stephenie Meyer	p. 131
Michael Moore	p. 132
Barack Obama	p. 132
Conan O'Brien	p. 133
Bill O'Reilly	p. 134
Danica Patrick	p. 135
Brad Pitt	p. 136
Rachael Ray	p. 137
Arnold Schwarzenegger	p. 137
Martin Scorsese	p. 138
Britney Spears	p. 139
Steven Spielberg	p. 140
Jon Stewart	p. 140
Taylor Swift	p. 141
Rick Warren	p. 142
Oprah Winfrey	p. 143
Mark Zuckerberg	p. 143
Data and Documents	p. 145
Celebrity Magazines and Television Programs	p. 145
Celebrities and the Movies	p. 147
Gender Differences in Prime Time Television Celebrity Earnings	p. 149
Highest-Earning Celebrities	p. 151
Top Celebrity Fundraisers	p. 152
Celebrities and Religion	p. 153
Celebrity Chefs	p. 154
AKA (Also Known As)	p. 154
Celebrities and Music	p. 165
Specialized Celebrities	p. 168
Celebrity Families	p. 170
Early Celebrity Jobs	p. 173
Early Celebrity Deaths	p. 173
Celebrity Writers	p. 174
Celebrity Business Criminals	p. 177
Celebrities and Controversial Issues	p. 179
Celebrities and the Public	p. 181
Two Celebrity-Related Leisure Activities	p. 182
Recreational Expenditures	p. 183
Internet Use	p. 184
Letters to Celebrities	p. 185
Directory of Celebrity Organizations and Web Sites	p. 191
Celebrity-Sponsored Charities	p. 192
Celebrity-Affiliated Charities	p. 199
Professional Organizations	p. 201
Multi-Service Organizations	p. 205
Speakers Bureaus	p. 207
Celebrity Look-Alikes	p. 209
Celebrity News and Gossip Web Sites	p. 211
Connections to Celebrity Fan Clubs and Web Sites	p. 221
Selected Print and Nonprint Resources	p. 225
Print Resources	p. 225
Books with Historical Perspectives	p. 225
Books with Special Perspectives	p. 228
Academic Journal Articles	p. 233
Academic Journals	p. 240
Selected General-Interest Celebrity Magazines	p. 243
Nonprint Resources	p. 246
Video	p. 246
Video Games	p. 251
Audio	p. 252
Useful Internet Sites	p. 254
Glossary	p. 259
Index	p. 263
About the Author	p. 273
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