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Volume 29, #4 (2010) Centre for the Study of Communication and Culture Volume 29 (2010) No. 4 IN THIS ISSUE Media and Celebrity: Production and Consumption of “Well-Knownness” Lea C. Hellmueller and Nina Aeschbacher Fulbright Researcher University of Fribourg-Freiburg University of Missouri, Columbia A QUARTERLY REVIEW OF COMMUNICATION RESEARCH ISSN: 0144-4646 Table of Contents Communication Research Trends Media and Celebrity: Volume 29 (2010) Number 4 Production And Consumption of “Well-Knownness” http://cscc.scu.edu 1. Introduction . 3 Published four times a year by the Centre for the Study of A. Section outline of this review . 4 Communication and Culture (CSCC), sponsored by the 2. Historical Approach: From Alexander the Great California Province of the Society of Jesus. to Reality TV Celebrities . 5 Copyright 2010. ISSN 0144-4646 A. The historical origin . 5 B. The birth of celebrity journalism . 6 Editor: Emile McAnany 3. The (Mass) Media’s Role in Creating Fame . 9 Editor emeritus: William E. Biernatzki, S.J. A. Relationship between paparazzi, Managing Editor: Paul A. Soukup, S.J. Celebrities and their followers . 9 1. Battles for visibility and control . .12 Subscription: B. Reality TV: Construction and Annual subscription (Vol. 29) US$50 deconstruction of fame . .12 1. Altered (perception of) Celebrity Payment by check, MasterCard, Visa or US$ preferred. value through Reality TV . .13 For payments by MasterCard or Visa, send full account 2. Reality TV production from an number, expiration date, name on account, and signature. economic perspective . .14 3. Balance of power between Reality TV Checks and/or International Money Orders (drawn on and its participants . .15 USA banks; for non-USA banks, add $10 for handling) 4. Media coverage of should be made payable to Communication Research Reality TV participants . .16 Trends and sent to the managing editor C. Interplay between mass and social media Paul A. Soukup, S.J. communication channels . .16 Communication Department 1. The place of social media in the traditional Santa Clara University media’s landscape . .17 500 El Camino Real 2. Celebrities’ use of social media . .18 Santa Clara, CA 95053 USA 3. Fame through social media and user- generated content . .19 Transfer by wire: Contact the managing editor. Add $10 4. Interaction between Audience, Celebrities, for handling. and Media . .21 A. The position of the audience in the celebrity Address all correspondence to the managing editor at the cultural industry . .21 address shown above. B. The Audience as a Consumer, Producer, and Tel: +1-408-554-5498 Promoter of Mediated Celebrity Content . .22 Fax: +1-408-554-4913 C. Relationship between Celebrities and their email: [email protected] Audience through Online Media . .23 5. From the Celebrities’ Point of View: The Centre for the Study of Communication and Culture Case Study of Switzerland’s Beauty Queens . .24 (CSCC) is an international service of the Society of Jesus 6. Research Prospective for Media Celebrity established in 1977 and currently managed by the Scholars . .26 California Province of the Society of Jesus, P.O. Box 519, Los Gatos, CA 95031-0519. References . .28 Additional Bibliography . .32 Book Reviews . .35 2— VOLUME 29 (2010) NO. 4 COMMUNICATION RESEARCH TRENDS Media and Celebrity: Production and Consumption of “Well-Knownness” Lea C. Hellmueller and Nina Aeschbacher [email protected] [email protected] 1. Introduction “Two centuries ago when a great man appeared, 1962, 1972), is only one type of contemporary celebri- people looked for God’s purpose in him; today we look ty status. Ascribed celebrity, on the other hand, is the for his press agent” (Boorstin, 1972, p. 45). Daniel celebrity of biological descent whereas achieved Boorstin (1962, 1972) pointed out how much of our celebrity is the celebrity of accomplishments–that is, thinking about human greatness has changed since individuals who possess rare talents or skills. However, Shakespeare divided great individuals into three class- mass media may play a stronger role in the creation of es: Those who had greatness thrust upon them, those Celebrities than assumed by Rojek (2001). To give an who achieved greatness, and those born great example, not all players who are merely drafted into the (Boorstin, 1972, p. 45). Within the last century, National Football League (i.e., achieved celebrity status processes by which Celebrities can be manufactured through talent and skills) receive the same attention in have been established. (The term celebrity is multifac- society because they do not receive the same attributed eted and has changed its meaning over time. Within celebrity status by the media. Therefore, the representa- this essay, the term can either refer to the actual human tion in the media and the public’s attention to it mainly being represented by the term or to the tradable com- influences the process of contemporary celebrity cre- modity that a celebrity generates or to the theoretical ation (Bell, 2009, p. 3). Hence, the media maintain the concept, Bell, 2009, p. 1. To avoid confusion, we will intersection between achieved and attributed celebrity capitalize the human being represented by the term, status. They can decide whether someone who embod- i.e., “Celebrity.”) In fact, since the birth of mass com- ies talent and skills is newsworthy or not and thus high- mercial culture, a society-wide system that supports the ly contribute to their celebrity status in society. Due to creation of Celebrities has been in place (Gamson, the emerging omnipresence of created celebrity status 1992). Therefore, Boorstin (1972) defines a Celebrity (e.g., media can create a celebrity), this review primari- (i.e., the human person) as a “human pseudo-event,” ly concerns itself with this type of celebrity and its inter- that is a product of manufacture—a creation—rather sections with achieved celebrity. than the result of merit. It is particularly important to highlight the The media play a crucial role in that creation of celebrity industry on a space and time perspective, as Celebrities: They provide visibility and a distribution these two components intertwine and provide the driv- channel of Celebrities’ activities, which contribute to ing forces for change in the celebrity system. During their well-knownness in society. In the democracy of the mass communication culture’s early years, each pseudo-events, everyone can become a Celebrity by celebrity sector was largely concentrated in a special getting into the media’s spotlight and by staying there location (i.e., Nashville’s country music made it (Gamson, 1992; Ponce de Leon, 2002; Boorstin, 1972). famous; public art celebrities did so for Seattle; film for Rojek (2001) argues that the “human pseudo-event,” Los Angeles, and so on). Due to technological process- that is attributed celebrity as a concentrated representa- es, the celebrity industry has evolved into a stage of tion of an individual as newsworthy (e.g., Boorstin, decentralization. Not only has celebrity manufacturing moved into sectors beyond entertainment (e.g., sports, Authors note: The authors would like to thank Prof. politics, and business), but Celebrities also do not Louis Bosshart for his support, feedback, and contri- remain in one sector (e.g., movie actor Ronald Reagan butions to this essay. was elected governor of California in 1966 and presi- COMMUNICATION RESEARCH TRENDS VOLUME 29 (2010) NO. 4 — 3 dent of the United States in 1980; bodybuilder and well established. Thus, we will use the particular term action star Arnold Schwarzenegger became governor for the medium such as Internet. As we will, however, of California in 2003). In terms of time, the celebrity make use of the term social media, we opted to use industry constitutes a growth industry: each year more Kaplan and Haenlein’s (2010) definition which states, people become involved in producing Celebrities; “Social Media is a group of Internet-based applica- more institutions use them to create jobs such as travel tions that build on the ideological and technological experts, whose whole function is to smooth foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation Celebrities’ movements through airports (Rein, Kotler, and exchange of User Generated Content” (p. 61). & Stoller, 1997, p. 41) or the appearance industry (i.e., Consequently, social networking sites, blogs, and costumers, cosmeticians, hairstylists) whose job is to “content communities” like YouTube can all be sub- satisfy a competitive market environment that has sumed under this term (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010, p. fueled a race in all sectors to look younger and to bet- 62). Further, Reality TV emerged in the last 20 years ter match the appearance requirements of their sectors as an important distributor and creator of Celebrities. (Rein, Kotler, & Stoller, 1997). By reviewing past academic research about Reality Nowadays, U.S. popular culture tends to highly TV, Mielich (1996) detects some discord about which influence the global Celebrity market. Economic inter- formats researchers can subsume under that term (p. ests drive boosting this global appeal. Celebrity pro- 6). In this context Hill (2005) emphasizes the transi- vides an alternative way to increase revenues in an tional nature of this TV genre and its variety of for- international market. But using various Western mats, which constantly change and find enhancement Celebrities for that purpose has not always been suc- in new programs (p. 41). Nonetheless, we find specif- cessful because consumers grow
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