Lecture 7: Celebrity Culture

Lecture looks at celebrities in culture, how they are engraved in society. How celebrity culture and perceptions have changed over time, through changes in technology and culture.

Early photographs imitated paintings and were never used artistically, for landscapes etc but for capturing portraits, like paintings.

Poets, writers, artists and actors were the celebrities at this time

Male celebrities were famous for what they did. Not what they were doing.

The Artist, 2011 Directed by Michel Hazanavicius

Refers to this era, tells the story of a silent movie idol. Went on to win many oscars.

American of mixed descent but found fame in France as an exotic dancer, nicknamed the "Bronze Venus", the "Black Pearl", and the "Créole Goddess".

Also acted in films from 1927 onwards

Jewish husband and agreed to spy on the Nazis using her position / access to important people internationally. Kind of similar to Diane Kruger in Inglourious Basterds!

She helped mount a production in Marseille to give herself and her like-minded friends a reason for being there. She helped quite a lot of people who were in danger from the Nazis get visas and passports to leave France. Later in 1941, she and her entourage went to the French colonies in North Africa; the stated reason was Baker's health (since she really was recovering from another case of pneumonia) but the real reason was to continue helping the Resistance. 

From a base in Morocco, she made tours of Spain and pinned notes with the information she gathered inside her underwear (counting on her celebrity to avoid a strip search)

Beyoncé Knowles has portrayed Baker on various accounts throughout her career. 

During the 2006 Fashion Rocks show, Knowles performed "Dejá Vu" in a revised version of the Danse banane costume. In Knowles's video for "Naughty Girl", she is seen dancing in a huge champagne glass á La Baker. In I Am... Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas, Beyonce lists Baker as an influence of a section of her live show.

Reclaiming of racial stereotyping/terms of abuse?

Icon. Her personality has been set in stone since her death, almost preserved as a sex symbol for ever.

Becomes immortailsed in art in the 60’s by Andy Warhol 

Warhol's work on celebrities looks at them as products of consumer culture like his Campbells soup tins- celebrities are there to be consumed.

Hollywood seen as churning out stars= money

JFK was another one of Warhol's subjects.

President Kennedy's last seconds traveling through Dealey Plaza were recorded on silent 8 mm film for the 26.6 seconds before, during, and immediately following the assassination. This famous film footage was taken by garment manufacturer and amateur cameraman Abraham Zapruder, in what became known as the Zapruder film. 

Cinema viewing declines

Less channels

Less viewing hours

Michale Jackson became a star and went on to a legendary career, King Of Pop. Singers are further merged with popular culture with TV shows. Michael's strange behaviour and downfall can be largely attributed to celebrity culture and the pressures that come with it.

Madonna makes herself iconic by recalling classic female icons

Names female icons of hollywood

Refers to the fashion for ‘Voguing’ which was popular in gay clubs in New York at the time

Reinvents herself for every tour

"Queen of Pop"

Celebrities who change their look rather than looks.

Return to an age where a show of wealth is celebrated rather than seen in bad taste

An anti fashion statement? Subverting the red dress award tradition

It doesn’t mean anything? Yeah probably. She just wore a dress made of meat. Because, why not?

First example of a well designed, campaign, engraved into pop culture with a backing of art and design, fronted by HOPE posters by Shepard Fairey.

Media plays a huge part in how we perceive people, why are we supposed to feel as if these celebrities are our mates? 

The wealthier and more flawless a celebrity seems, the more there is envy 

Had to be broadcast on cable tv and shown online as so many people want to be part of the event.

Singles charting on top ten's around the world. Capitalism in music industry.

From the comic/kitsch to indie rock

Voyeuristic. Blurred foregroud silhouettes of windows/door.Many images of sexual/comic nature

Copying celebrities, celebrities on a pedestal. Mates might wear the same clothes, but no "as seen on your friend" sections on ASOS. 

How do we ‘keep in touch with celebrities lives?

Whereas untill recently we might have had to wait for the magazine to come out now we have  direct unmediated link to the stars-

This lack of mediation means that stars often make their own PR disasters

Objects celebrities grace with their snot, such as tissues selling for obscene amounts.

Social media, making 'ordinary people' feel important through sharing and global communication at the touch of a finger tip. Also can lead to negative, such as the outbreak of riots and uprising with ease.

FURTHER RESEARCH

Lady Gagas meat dress http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11297832

Bordo, Susan () Material Girl

Rahman, M () Is straight the new Queer? David Beckham and the dialectics of Celebrity

Street, J () The Celebrity Politician: Political Style and Popular Culture

Johnson, R () Exemplary Differences: Mourning and not mourning a Princess

Hinerman,S () ‘I’ll be there with you’: Fans, Fantasy and the figure of Elvis