Celebrity culture and the relationships upon which it depends
Authors
Goodwin, Kate
Issue Date
2006
Degree
BA (Hons) Media and Marketing Studies
Publisher
Dublin Business School
Rights holder
Rights
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Abstract
Celebrity in modem life positions itself as a contemporary cultural and economic phenomenon. Celebrity has been inserted significantly into our everyday lives, and is prominent in all media outlets of which we consume. The topic of celebrity raises issues for debate in news reporting. This is because contemporary media appears to be turning to sensationalism, entertainment and personalisation, with the intimate relations of 'celebrities' often being deemed more newsworthy than the reporting of significant issues and events of global consequence. In the contemporary environment there has been a huge expansion towards a 'manufactured' type of celebrity, which has involved the increase of the 'ordinary' being inserted into an industry that would have historically involved hierarchies of fame. This rise in the importance of celebrity has essentially been driven by the huge possibility that surrounds the value of producing and manufacturing it, with all parties involved holding a form of vested interest in either creating, elevating, maintaining or indeed consuming ‘celebrity’. This dissertation will seek to look at celebrity culture, with a focus on the newspaper market, by using evidence to outline the relationships upon which it depends. It will involve analysis of celebrity's activities and those who manage them, the media industries who produce 'celebrity' outputs, and the audience who consume them.