10.6094/helden.heroes.heros./2016/QMR/13
Kristina Sperlich 81
The Hero as Celebrity in Contemporary British Media
Introduction as inferior to a heroic reputation in contemporary society. The two concepts seem to be perceived This paper is concerned with heroism and ce- not only as mutually exclusive – although they lebrity – two kinds of reputation in the sense of are sometimes used synonymously (cf. Kelly “cultural constructions” that reflect “the values 724) – but also as hierarchical. and ideologies of the societies in which they are The alleged contradiction between hero and produced” (Cubitt 3). The Victoria Cross imbues celebrity is the focus of this paper. My aim is its recipients with a very solid and uncontested to show that a hero can function as a celebrity heroic reputation:1 It is a decoration awarded without damage to his heroic reputation. John- for exceptional bravery in the armed forces of son Beharry’s story and his representations in the Commonwealth. In 2011, a recipient of the the British media will serve as a test case for medal, Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry, one of this assumption. Indeed, in Beharry’s case, his the most highly decorated serving soldiers in the reputation as a celebrity constantly reminded the British Army, participated in the sixth series of a public of his heroic reputation and thereby re television celebrity entertainment show, Dancing inforced his heroisation. Functioning as a celeb- on Ice (ITV 2006-2014).2 In an interview cover- rity helped Beharry to become firmly established ing the story leading up to his participation, the as a hero in British society. war hero was asked whether he felt like a ce- lebrity himself, now that he was competing with celebrities on television. In his reply, he clarified: “Hero” and “Celebrity”: 3 “I am a soldier. And I’ll always remain a soldier.” A Contradiction in Terms? (British Forces TV 2011)4 This answer suggests that Beharry considers the term “celebrity” as in- appropriate for himself – although he has no ob- Trevor Parry-Giles, who worked on the percep- jection to competing with celebrities on television tion of J.K. Rowling’s fictional character Harry – and we might infer that his solid reputation as a Potter as a celebrity figure, both within the fic- “hero” is perceived as incongruent with the repu tional framework and in British society, found tation of a “celebrity”. This was also suggested in that the public is eager to distinguish between the Call for Papers for the seventh Queen Mary hero and celebrity. Parry-Giles defines celebrity University of London – Freiburg PhD Colloquium: as a “system of representation – its conventions, structures and circulation – within which the ce- The notion of glory or fame has become lebrity self resonates within the public sphere” an […] unfamiliar one. Today men and (Parry-Giles 307).5 Another characteristic of ce- women seek celebrity status or try to cre- lebrities can be identified by the public reaction: ate a public image for themselves which “the reaction to celebrities is affective, character- appeals to their fans, admirers or – in ised by the non-rational, the emotional” (Parry- politics – voters, but they do not consider Giles 308), and because emotions are powerful personal glory as a kind of reputation that is – potentially – forever and attested by and seductive, celebrities are perceived as po- a social community […]. Intimacy would tentially dangerous. In short, there is a cultural make it impossible to consider somebody uncertainty about celebrities and their function in as a true hero. (Call for Papers 1-2) and for society (cf. Parry-Giles 308). A hero, on the other hand, can be defined as In this light, being labelled as a celebrity seems to imply a loss of honour as well as serious dam- any man or woman whose existence, age to a heroic reputation, and we might con- whether in his or her own lifetime or later, clude that a reputation as a celebrity is regarded is endowed by others, not just with a high degree of fame and honour, but with a helden. heroes. héros. Kristina Sperlich
82 special allocation of imputed meaning is in the shape of a cross to which a red ribbon and symbolic significance – that not only is attached. In the centre of the cross, Saint Ed- raises them above others in public esteem ward’s crown is guarded by a lion and encircled but makes them the object of some kind of by the inscription “FOR VALOUR”.7 “Deliberate- collective emotional investment. (Cubitt 3) ly intended to have little actual value, the VC It is noteworthy that the emotional reaction of is hand-made, traditionally using bronze taken the public is central to the definitions of both from a gun captured in the Crimean War.” (Im 8 hero and celebrity. Both figures also fulfil a cul- perial War Museum 2015) With the inception tural function for the public and function only of the Victoria Cross, military heroism became within the public framework; they are therefore a standardised and institutionalised entity in the subject to media representation. It is the media British Empire (cf. Smith 29). As in 1857, today’s representation which makes them a hero and/ recipients of the medal are invested with the or a celebrity. However, a hero is distinguished highest degree of fame and honour by the mon- from a celebrity by the notion of honour. Honour arch in an official ceremony at Buckingham Pal- is what makes a hero appear as a trustworthy ace. Their heroic deeds are described in detail figure. In contrast to a celebrity, a hero is per- and read aloud, and the ceremony is broadcast ceived as someone who is admired for being on television. The official citation is then publish “truly virtuous and brave, rather than simply well- ed in the London Gazette by the Ministry of De- known” (Parry-Giles 311). Accordingly, a hero fence. With this ceremony, the recipients are of- transcends the purely affective reaction of the ficially and publically presented as heroes who public and provides his public with a reasonable have rightfully earned their heroic reputation. justification for their admiration. Victoria Cross recipients are not simply The distinction between hero and celebrity is heroes. The Imperial War Museum in London 9 thus made in analogy to the distinction between presents them as “Extraordinary Heroes” since the reasonable and the irrational, and the latter the Victoria Cross is only awarded for actions carries a rather negative connotation. Addition- under direct enemy fire. It is therefore rare for ally, a moral judgement is at the heart of the Victoria Cross heroes to receive the award them- distinction: heroes are considered as morally selves as they are frequently awarded posthu- good and are therefore also considered as role mously. The recipients are therefore members of models. They confirm a society’s moral code. a very exclusive community (cf. Smith 41). Their Celebrities, on the other hand, are considered as singularity was emphasised with the opening of a bad influence because they are famous with- the largest collection of Victoria Crosses in the out necessarily being morally good. They are Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Mu- no models to be imitated – despite their public seum in London in 2010. The exhibition “Extra admiration. In consequence, celebrity culture is ordinary Heroes” has the agenda to “intrigue, perceived as “a culture of artifice and deception inspire and amaze by re-telling forgotten stories where authentic heroism and real courage are of bravery that show, when faced with extreme ignored or minimised” (Parry-Giles 315). Follow- situations, some people can do extraordinary 10 ing such criteria, a hero cannot be a celebrity. things.” (The Imperial War Museum 2015) It Accepting the label celebrity would equal an displays the medals, as well as personal belong- adoption of all the negative connotations and ings of the recipients that helped them carry out immoralities it carries. It would mean serious their acts of bravery. Furthermore, visitors are damage to a heroic reputation. This explains Be- told about the heroes’ acts of valour with the help harry’s rejection of the label celebrity for himself: of multimedia representations, including panels, he prefers to remain a “soldier hero”,6 and spe- short films, leaflets and even comic books. Their cifically a hero awarded with the highest military heroism is explained with such character traits decoration in the British honours system. as boldness, aggression, leadership, skill, sac- rifice, initiative and endurance.11 Victoria Cross heroism is redefined and adapted for today’s context of the post-9/11 wars. The public is in- The Victoria Cross Hero formed in detail and the Victoria Cross heroes are supposed to serve as inspiration for them. On 29 January 1856, Queen Victoria introduced The public’s “collective emotional investment” the Victoria Cross to officially recognise acts of (Cubitt 3) is thus deliberately triggered. The ex- gallantry and heroism independent of the recipi hibition transforms Victoria Cross heroes into ent’s origin, birth or class, “in recognition of the popular figures who enjoy a heroic reputation. sacrifices made by the soldiers and sailors of the On 17 March 2005, Private Johnson Gideon Crimean War” (Smith 26). Prior to the Victoria Beharry was invested with the Victoria Cross by Cross, only high ranking military officers could Queen Elizabeth II for twice saving members of be invested with an award for valour. The medal his unit from ambushes on 1 May and 11 June
helden. heroes. héros. The Hero as Celebrity in Contemporary British Media
2004 at Al-Amarah, Iraq. Beharry was the first The Hero as Celebrity 83 living recipient of the VC in more than thirty years and the only veteran of the war in Iraq. His In addition to these institutional and symbolic official citation reads: acts, Beharry has also been in the spotlight of Private Beharry carried out two individual celebrity media and literature. The representa- acts of great heroism by which he saved tion of the military in popular media is a recent the lives of his comrades. Both were in phenomenon and has increased with the in- direct face of the enemy, under intense volvement of British troops in post-9/11 wars in fire, at great personal risk to himself (one order to “present militarism as necessary and leading to him sustaining very serious natural extensions of nation-states’ civil society” injuries). Beharry displayed repeated ex- (Kelly 723) . According to the public’s perception treme gallantry and unquestioned valour, of hero versus celebrity referred to above, Be- despite intense direct attacks, personal harry’s representation as a celebrity in a dance injury and damage to his vehicle in the show should have damaged his heroic reputa- face of relentless enemy action. (Ministry of Defence, 2005 3369) tion, also because it revealed intimate and emo- tional details of his private life, which, following In addition to the Victoria Cross, Beharry was the argument, make it impossible to regard him also invested with the Kosovo medal and the as a ‘hero’ henceforth. However, the opposite Iraq medal, which acknowledge his involvement seems to be true. in those two regions, where he did his duty prior In the same year as Beharry unveiled his por- to his service in the Iraq War. Furthermore, he trait, he also published his biography Barefoot was promoted to the rank of lance corporal in Soldier (2007), written in collaboration with Nick recognition of his bravery. Cook. Beharry reveals that his origins are hum- Beharry was born in 1979 in Grenada, the for- ble and that he had a difficult childhood. Due to mer British colony in the Caribbean. Seeing no his alcoholic and violent father, his family was future prospects in Grenada, he moved to Lon- too poor to afford shoes for their eight children. don at the age of twenty to find a job. In 2001, Beharry’s and Jim Eldridge’s novel Hero: The he joined the first Battalion of the Princess of Incredible True Story of Courage Under Fire Wales’s Royal Regiment and trained to become (2014) is an adaptation of Beharry’s story for a the driver for an armoured fighting vehicle. In his young readership, where Beharry is the narrator, Warrior, he served in peacekeeping missions in focaliser and heroic protagonist. The plot is div Kosovo and Ireland before he was sent to Iraq. ided into two parts: Beharry’s childhood in Gren As Beharry was unable to return to active milita- ada and his mission in Iraq. Consequently, the ry service after the war due to injuries he recei- reader gets insight into the protagonist’s child- ved to his brain and spine, he took on a public hood traumas, such as the separation from his relations role with the Household Division and mother, and the suffering from a violent father has since performed numerous tasks as a repre- and poverty. The novel’s fictionalisation also en- sentative of the British Armed Forces at home. ables the reader to identify with the hero’s emo- He is especially active in the charity organisation tions and fears during his mission in Iraq. In both “Help for Heroes”, which raises funds for war ve- the biography and the novel, readers learn that terans who have difficulties in adapting to civil life Beharry saw the military as an institution where after returning from war.12 Moreover, he actively he might overcome his drug and alcohol addic- participates in a positive media representation of tion: “If I joined the army it would solve all my the British Armed Forces and their engagements problems at a stroke. […] I’ll also get a reason- with the help of his heroic reputation. In 2007, he able wage, but best of all, I’ll break completely unveiled his own portrait in the National Portrait with the past” (Beharry/Eldridge 144-145). Both Gallery in London.13 For the opening of the Lord books narrate Beharry’s story of becoming a true Ashcroft Gallery in 2010, he donated the hel- hero and climax in the narration of his heroic met he wore during the ambush in Iraq. In 2009, deed. Moreover, both books end their narratives he assisted the Queen in laying a wreath upon with the Victoria Cross ceremony at Buckingham the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.14 In 2012, he Palace – the official recognition of the hero by carried the Olympic Torch through the National the Queen: “‘You’re a very special person,’ she Memorial Arboretum on Armed Forces Day.15 On says, as she pins the medal on my chest. ‘It’s Christmas Day 2014, he volunteered in a soup been rather a long time since I’ve awarded one kitchen and served a Christmas dinner to home- of these’.” (Beharry/Eldridge 218) Both the biog less war veterans (Blunden/Davis 1). The British raphy and the novel aim to reveal Beharry’s pri- media regularly report about Beharry’s displays vate life and emotions and thus to create intim of honourable actions and so remind the public acy between the hero and his admirers. Along of his heroic reputation. with Cubitt, I would argue that life writing is an helden. heroes. héros. Kristina Sperlich
84 important means for heroisation: “The construc- He was the first ever Dancing on Ice con- tion of heroic reputations involves the imagina- testant to come from outside the world of tive construction of heroic lives – lives, in short, sport and celebrity and hero Johnson had that are not just heroic in isolated detail, but never set foot on an ice rink or donned a that constitute, in some cases, a heroic totality.” sequinned costume until he signed up to the show. But with typical guts and deter- (Cubitt 7) This is the case for Beharry: the pri- mination Johnson fast conquered the art vate and intimate details that are revealed do not of ice skating. (ITV Dancing on Ice 2011)22 minimise his true heroism (cf. Parry-Giles 315), but, on the contrary, aim at the creation of a com- His participation in the celebrity show was thus plete heroic character. portrayed as another heroic challenge bravely This process of revealing details of Beharry’s faced. Beharry’s exceptionality and his military private life is taken a step further by representa- skills were also repeatedly emphasised: “While tions in other media. Beharry’s numerous rep- other celebrities run around exuding nervous resentations in celebrity magazines and celebrity energy, Lance Corporal Beharry remains cu- television shows are at the heart of it. In 2013, cumber-cool. He is showing the same grit he the celebrity magazine Hello! exclusively printed displayed when he twice rescued mates in the Beharry’s wedding pictures16 as well as photos Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment from ter- of his new-born son, reporting that Beharry had rifying ambushes in the Iraq War.” (Ministry of had mini replicas of the Victoria Cross made to Defence 2011) In the same interview in which celebrate the occasion of his birth.17 Further- he rejected being a celebrity, the presenter em- more, Beharry had the motif of the Victoria Cross phasised that he could use his military skills in tattooed on his own back. A black-and-white, full- the show: size photograph of Beharry’s naked back reveal- ing the tattoo can be seen in the Lord Ashcroft It’s some military skills that are import Gallery in the Imperial War Museum next to the ant like determination, motivation and helmet he donated.18 being focused on the job at hand that will hopefully get him through to the final The peak of Beharry’s role as a celebrity stages. […] [H]e is certainly feeling the was reached when he participated in the celeb- support from the military community. (Brit- 19 rity television show Dancing on Ice – with full ish Forces TV 2011) approval of the military. On 18 February 2011, the Ministry of Defence officially announced His professional ice-skating partner Jodeyne that Beharry would participate in the upcom- Higgins also contributed to Beharry’s heroisation: ing season of the show: “From the frontline to “Johnson faced a lot of challenges: he was in- receiving a Victoria Cross to now Dancing on jured severely at war […] and to think that he Ice with celebrities. Johnson Beharry is now takes on the challenge of ice skating is remark one of twelve contestants to get through to the able. Johnson is an inspirational character.” first stages of the ITV entertainment show out (ibid.) Such comments indicated how Beharry of an original sixteen.” (British Forces TV)20 was “endowed […] not just with a high degree of Beharry managed to stay in the show until the fame and honour, but with a special allocation of semi-finals. This indicates that he was one of imputed meaning and significance […]” (Cubitt the most popular contestants because it is the 3) both by the official, military representations viewers who vote for their favourite celebrity to and by the celebrity media. His participation in win. Beharry seems to have successfully cap- the celebrity show helped to establish him as tured the public’s emotional attention. How outstanding and truly heroic even ‘in addition’ to ever, it is remarkable that his representation in his official status as a Victoria Cross hero. Be- this celebrity programme did not follow the typ harry’s heroic reputation was thus ‘reinforced’ by ical conventions of depicting celebrities. Rather his performance as a celebrity contestant. than establishing him as a celebrity, the media used heroisation patterns in order to emphasise his heroic reputation and frame him as a hero. People were told, for instance, that Dancing Conclusion on Ice was extremely challenging for Beharry: “Johnson says he finds the prospect of skating in The analysis of Johnson Beharry’s media rep- front of a huge TV audience even more frighten- resentation shows that the alleged contradiction ing than the day he risked death in Iraq to save between hero and celebrity proves to be a fal the lives of fellow soldiers.”21 This was intensified lacy. The two concepts are widely believed to by the fact that Beharry had never done ice skat- contradict each other, but they are compatible ing before in his life. in media practice. This corresponds with the
helden. heroes. héros. The Hero as Celebrity in Contemporary British Media
various functions which Johnson Beharry fulfils 1 Even the political controversy over British operations in 85 in British society: He performs the official, insti- Afghanistan and Iraq did not cause any controversy over the tutionalised acts that are demanded of a Victoria heroism acknowledged with this decoration. See Smith 205. Cross hero. He also functions as the protagonist 2 Kelly shows that, since 9/11, the British military is fre- of literary representations which add to the con- quently present at popular cultural activities, especially at struction of his heroic reputation. And addition- sports events with a large audience. He concludes that we are currently witnessing a militarisation of British society through ally, he participates in celebrity culture. Despite an increasingly frequent and positive representation of the common belief that being a celebrity means a British military in popular media. Thus, Beharry’s partici less honourable status than being a hero, Behar- pation in a TV show has to be considered within this context. ry’s performance as a celebrity ice-skater and 3 According to Kelly (724), the terms “hero” and “soldier” the publication of intimate details of his private have been used synonymously in British media since 9/11. life did not diminish his heroic reputation. On the 4 The interview with Beharry is available on the British contrary, all of his acts in the celebrity context Forces Channel on YouTube: 24 May 2015
I would argue furthermore that his role as a May 2015
helden. heroes. héros. Kristina Sperlich
86 20 For the whole report, see British Forces News Chan- “Exclusive: Victoria Cross War Hero Johnson Beharry Mar- nel on YouTube: 24 May 2015
helden. heroes. héros.