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“15 Minutes of Fame” – the Cult of the Celebrity

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“15 Minutes of Fame” – the Cult of the Celebrity DIPLOMARBEIT Titel der Diplomarbeit “15 Minutes of Fame” – The Cult of the Celebrity Verfasserin Patricia Todjeras angestrebter akademischer Grad Magistra der Philosophie (Mag.phil.) Wien, 2012 Studienkennzahl lt. Studienblatt: A 190 344 353 Studienrichtung lt. Studienblatt: UF Englisch UF Spanisch Betreuer: Priv.-Doz. Dr. Stefan L. Brandt Acknowledgements The thesis you are holding in your hands would not have been the way it is, if I did not have people in my surroundings that have helped and encouraged me. At this point I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor Dr. Stefan Brandt who was the most encouraging support imaginable! Thank you so much for your help with the topic, the ever-positive words and the incredibly helpful feedback you gave me along this process. Without your faith in me, I would not have made it! So, know that I appreciate everything you did for me. Besides, Harry Dünser, thank you so much for your wisdom, knowledge and help in formatting and getting familiar with Word. You have always been a very dear friend to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Moreover, my “gang” at the Institute needs to be thanked for! Christina Stößich, Katharina Niedermayr, and Lisa Edelbacher, it was my honor to spend every day, all day in our secret, mystic own little world at the Anglistik. Working together at the diploma thesis helped me a lot to stay focused and be proactive. I also enjoyed our breaks and eating sessions, so, thanks guys! Also, I want to thank all the people who participated in my surveys and helped me gain an insight into what our society thinks and feels about celebrities. Special thanks go to my roommates Sarah Krüger and Nayomi Keller who have not seen me much during the last few months, but have greatly supported me throughout this time of excitement, nervousness and silliness! Finally, I want to dedicate this thesis to a very special woman in my life, my mother. We all know that I would have never stand here today, if it was not for you, your love, your drills (☺) and your support!! Mama, this paper is for you! I know that you are proud of me and I want you to know that I am proud of myself as well. I love you! DECLARATION OF AUTHENTICITY I confirm to have conceived and written this Diploma Thesis in English all by myself. Quotations from other authors are all clearly marked and acknowledged in the biographical references, either in the footnotes or within the text. Any ideas borrowed and/or passages paraphrased from the works of other authors have been truthfully acknowledged and identified within the text or in the footnotes. Signature HINWEIS Diese Diplomarbeit hat nachgewiesen, dass die betreffende Kandidatin befähigt ist, wissenschaftliche Themen selbstständig sowie inhaltlich und methodisch vertretbar zu bearbeiten. Da die Korrekturen der Beurteilenden nicht eingetragen sind und das Gutachten nicht beiliegt, ist daher nicht erkenntlich mit welcher Note diese Arbeit abgeschlossen wurde. Das Spektrum reicht von sehr gut bis genügend. Die Habilitierten des Instituts für Anglistik und Amerikanistik bitten diesen Hinweis bei der Lektüre zu beachten. Table of Contents Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... 3 Table of Figures ............................................................................................................................ 9 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 11 1. Clear-cut or Blurred? An Attempt at Defining the Celebrity .............................................. 17 1.1. ‘Our’ Perceptions are Asked for – A Survey ................................................................... 17 1.2. “It's IN Me” vs. “I Earned It” vs. “Just Because” ............................................................ 18 1.3. Stardom vs. Celebrities .................................................................................................... 19 2. Did celebrity culture emerge from postmodern popular culture? - A journey through the centuries ...................................................................................................................................... 21 3. What For? - Celebrity's Functions ....................................................................................... 27 3. 1. Celebrities as commodities ............................................................................................. 27 3.2. Celebrities as role models ................................................................................................ 29 3.3. Celebrities as cultural mediums ....................................................................................... 33 3.3.1. Celebrity Gossip ........................................................................................................ 35 3.4. Stardom and its Discontents ............................................................................................ 36 4. Audience as a Fuel .............................................................................................................. 39 4.1. Celebrity Worship ............................................................................................................ 41 4.2. Not only voyeurs, but performers .................................................................................... 43 4.3. On the Same Side of the Red Carpet ............................................................................... 45 5. Big Brother .......................................................................................................................... 49 5.1. Big Brother’s aesthetics ................................................................................................... 49 5.1.1. Key Components ....................................................................................................... 50 5.1.2. Really ‘Real’ Or ‘Hyperreal’!? ................................................................................. 53 5.2. Why does our culture need a show like Big Brother? ..................................................... 55 5.2.1. The commercial background of Big Brother............................................................. 55 5.2.2. The voyeurism of ordinariness .................................................................................. 56 5.2.3. A platform to fame .................................................................................................... 58 5.3. Big Brother’s agency ....................................................................................................... 61 5.3.1. Why do people watch Big Brother? ......................................................................... 62 5.3.2. The Loss of Privacy – “Big Brother is watching…society” ..................................... 64 6. Paris Hilton ......................................................................................................................... 67 6.1. The Human Pseudo-Event ............................................................................................... 67 6.2. The Image ........................................................................................................................ 70 6.3. The Brand ........................................................................................................................ 73 6.4. Why Do We Need A Paris Hilton? ................................................................................. 75 6.4.1. Love Her or Hate Her ............................................................................................... 76 6.4.2. Excursus: Paris representing the postmodern mixture of high and low culture ....... 76 6.4.3. Loving Vs. Hating Her ONLINE ............................................................................. 77 6.4.4. PerezHilton.Com ...................................................................................................... 78 7. Criticizing Celebrity Culture by Reference to Woody Allen’s To Rome With Love ........... 85 7.1. To Rome with Love by Woody Allen .............................................................................. 85 7.1.1. A Short Summary ..................................................................................................... 86 7.1.2. From Rags to Riches and Back to Rags – the Uncanny Story of Leopoldo Pisanello ............................................................................................................................................ 87 7.1.3. Cinematic, critical analysis of film sequence ........................................................... 88 7.1.4. Cinematic Description .............................................................................................. 89 7.2. Criticizing Celebrity Culture ........................................................................................... 96 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 101 Works Cited and Consulted ..................................................................................................... 105 Appendix .................................................................................................................................. 113 Index .......................................................................................................................................
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