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Fame in Hollywood North Fame in Hollywood North A Theoretical Guide to Celebrity Cultures in Canada Samita Nandy, PhD The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the publisher. © 2015 Samita Nandy, Ph.D. All rights reserved Front and back cover photographs and design: © 2015 WaterHill Publishing, Toronto ISBN: 978-0-9939938-3-1 Contents Acknowledgments ........................................................................................ v List of Acronyms ........................................................................................ vii List of Figures ............................................................................................ viii 1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 1 Defining Fame and Celebrities ................................................................. 3 Social Function of Celebrities in a Nation ............................................... 6 Structure of the Book ............................................................................. 10 2 Celebrity Cultures in Canada ................................................................... 16 National Identity in Canadian Media ..................................................... 17 Study and Meaning of Fame in Canada ................................................. 21 3 Technological Nationalism - The North in Canadian Popular Culture .. 31 Technological Nationalism .................................................................... 33 Canada as a Nation, Nationalism, and National Identity .................... 33 The Theory of Technological Nationalism ..................................... 36 Conditions of the Rhetoric of Technological Nationalism ............. 38 The Ambivalence of the Canadian Nation...................................... 41 Canadian Symbols of Nature in Popular Culture ................................... 45 Technological Nationalism in Popular Culture .................................. 45 National Representations of Nature – The North ........................... 46 Romanticism and Authenticity of the North ................................... 50 The Problem with Canadian National Identity and the North ............ 54 Technological Nationalism and Cultural Productions .................... 57 Conclusion ............................................................................................. 60 i 4 Hollywood North as the Context of Celebrities ...................................... 62 Ideas and Origins of ‘Hollywood North’ ............................................... 64 The Meaning of Hollywood North in Canadian Popular Culture .......... 67 Hollywood North as a Place ............................................................... 67 Hollywood North as a Cultural Construct/Symbol ............................ 71 Celebrities in Hollywood North ......................................................... 74 Conclusion ............................................................................................. 80 5 Celebrities at the Toronto International Film Festival............................. 84 Origin and Function of TIFF .................................................................. 85 TIFF as a Media Event Supporting Stardom ......................................... 87 Representations of Stardom at TIFF .................................................. 93 Stardom in Gentrification of Yorkville .............................................. 98 Conclusion ........................................................................................... 101 6 Canada’s Walk of Fame ........................................................................ 104 CWOF – Origin and Differences with Hollywood Walk of Fame ...... 106 The Myth of Inferiority in CWOF Discourses ..................................... 110 CWOF as National Pride and Heritage ................................................ 117 Contrasts of the Strong Frontier and Inferiority Complex ................... 127 Conclusion ........................................................................................... 128 7 Celebrities in Canadian Reality TV Shows ........................................... 131 Canadian Reality TV Programs ........................................................... 131 Battle of the Blades .............................................................................. 133 Canadian Idol ....................................................................................... 139 So You Think You Can Dance Canada ............................................... 150 Conclusion ........................................................................................... 154 8 Online Celebrities in Canada ................................................................. 157 Online Fame – General Concepts ........................................................ 157 Justin Bieber......................................................................................... 161 Lisa Ray ............................................................................................... 168 Maria Aragon ....................................................................................... 175 Conclusion ........................................................................................... 180 9 Canadian Meanings of Fame ................................................................. 183 The North ............................................................................................. 183 ii The Lack .............................................................................................. 185 The American Better ‘Other’ ............................................................... 187 Meanings of Fame in Canada ............................................................... 188 Directions for Future Research on Canadian Celebrity Cultures ......... 197 Conclusion ........................................................................................... 201 Bibliography ..............................................................................................203 Index ..........................................................................................................228 iii 1 Introduction Historically, Canadians have not been much good at celebrity culture. Oh, we have talent, and plenty of it, but we’ve never had a knack for constructing the celebrity-industrial complex that surrounds it (Gillmore, 2014). Red carpets, limousines, TV cameras and klieg lights, movers and shakers in tuxes and evening gowns [are] somehow almost...un- Canadian. Now, I don’t mean to be impolite (that would be really un-Canadian), but this is a country that tends to measure its cultural worth based on its American reception (Salem, 2002). Fame is not a very Canadian word (Harris, 1998a). Fame, a mildly famous Canadian once declared, is mainly the privilege of being pestered by strangers. That observation, by Montreal poet Louis Dudek, seems to sum up the Canadian attitude toward fame: a bit of nuisance, an imposition, something that is best avoided but, once acquired (usually outside the country) must be borne with forbearance (Harris, 1998a). In television interviews, public seminars, and personal conversations, I have often been asked: what is it about fame that appeals to me as a topic of interest in cultural studies? It is neither the glamour nor the scandals: I do not even follow celebrity news. Could it be, then, the deep social impacts of fame? Could it be the creative forces underlying fame? In the context of this book, could it be the capability of fame to construct and support a nation? Let us address these questions with positive responses, why not? 1 S. Nandy Yet, there is a negative connotation associated with fame, but such “infamy” paradoxically helps to construct fame and to maintain the social fabric. One may argue that people engage in celebrity gossip and scandals based on taboo issues. These cultural practices and narrative devices play a sociological function in integrating society on grounds of ethics and morality. But the irony is that celebrities are often consumed on unethical grounds. Celebrity gossips function as narrative devices to negotiate ideological tensions and manage social norms and behaviour. Indeed, celebrity bashing is a pleasurable practice in fame, but it shifts attention away from merit-based talent that has been characteristic of legendary heroes since historical times. The construction of celebrities is ubiquitous and pervasive in modern culture. One can trace the historical roots of celebrity culture back to the Egyptian, Greek, and Roman eras, when hero worship was prevalent. In the wake of the Industrial Revolution and the rise of mass communication, fame has played a significant role in shaping how fans engage in pleasures and identification, how they develop para-social relations with celebrities, and the ways in which artists understand the production and representation of their own talent in popular culture. Like glamour, fame carries splendour, allure, sexual appeal, and questions of authenticity that can be partially fulfilled only when it remains an illusion. While these ongoing questions of authenticity are integral to the negotiation and maintenance of desire for celebrities, they rarely address the talent that allows some public personalities to shine and become popular in the arts and entertainment industry while most others remain anonymous. The anonymity
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