Impact Of Celebrity Culture On Society

Ever since the start of commercial radio in the 20’s and the since the first silver screen entered the market, broadcasting messages by celebrities has been a tool employed to endorse products.”Just about every star was associated with one sponsor’s product he or she plugged.”(1). Over the years celebrity endorsement became an essential part of marketing (more than 25% of television ads feature celebrities)(5), for the endorser it became an easy way of generating an income while for the endorsing company it became a guaranteed way to reach a wide segment of potential clients.

A celebrity is defined by the media and society through characterisations; the introduction of various on-line and print media platforms enhance the presence of celebrity culture, such for advertising, activism, different genres of television (e.g. reality, gastronomical), and even political avenues as well (Driessens). Their fame is developed based on prominence cum establishment in the entertainment industry that transforms their recognition into a popular culture. In Graeme Turner’s Understanding Celebrity, he discusses the effects of contemporary popular culture representing celebrity as an icon of cultural change (Turner Understanding Celebrity). The power of a celebrity uses his status and popularity to create discourse with the public and media; how each present themselves to an audience in performances or marketing, these functions as general tokens of success in their glamourous lives (Driessens). The discursive effect in the celebrity contemporary culture aligns close to religion, with some qualities credited to particular celebrities and religious figures. The way some fans admire their celebrity figures reflects a spiritual experience, as fans view their idol as a person with immortal talents and influential qualities. This phenomenon is linked to how the media glorifies the celebrity and thus, produces a celebrated figure with an astounding influence amongst the public (Turner Understanding Celebrity). As a result, the celebrity’s economic value is

As prominent leaders of the digital sphere, the value of the celebrity voice as a vehicle for political endorsement is rising. It is not the idea of celebrity endorsement that is new but the platforms and the reach that they afford has expanded. Wheeler (2012) has described this shift as the ‘interlinkage between political rhetoric and behaviour’ as ‘part of a historical continuum which offsets the modernist dismay directed to the

The first chapter of “Empire of Illusion” by Chris Hedges address the issue of celebrity culture and how media has created an illusion for life. Throughout the chapter, Chris Hedges makes many assumptions about the average person’s ability to read and think deeply about issues.

Why are people so fascinated with celebrities? What makes people want to be like them? What are celebrities actually like? Facing these tough questions, Ty Burr in his essay “The Faces in the Mirror” forces readers to question their own answers. By explaining the history of celebrities and the worship of them, he gives readers a wealth of knowledge. Wisely, Burr immediately establishes his credibility so that readers know they can trust his educated point of view. His essay is full of strong logic. However, it lacks a substantial amount of hardcore facts. Furthermore, Burr effortlessly snatches the reader’s attention by using dramatic statements and achieving a sense of pathos. Burr’s authority on the topic, along with his convincing logic, and dramatic statements allow his essay to achieve a remarkable persuasiveness to his essay.

There are many people who stretch the idea of our “obsessions” with celebrities. In Deborah King’s article, “The Impact of Celebrities”, she argues that people are obsessed with celebrities in an unhealthy way. However, in Palmer’s short essay response, he assumes that King exaggerates our “obsession” with celebrities. Although King’s argument is strong, I have to agree with Palmer that being obsessed with celebrities isn’t as bad as King suggests.

As America headed into the 1980s, two decades of social and political upheaval have left the nation rattled and the economy weakened. The Iran hostage crisis shook America's confidence and many looked for a new kind of leader to steer the country into the new decade. Ronald Reagan led America into a new era of prosperity leaving the soul-searching of the 60s and 70s behind. The nation was ready to enjoy itself and with plenty of new toys to play like VCRs and video games, Americans spent more time at home and soon something called cable TV would make it even harder to leave the living room. With the new innovation of the TV, one of the ideas for a channel was a marriage between music and television. This new idea for a channel devoted to something called music videos would end up revolutionizing and often scandalizing an industry that had no choice but to embrace the fact that music in the 1980s had to have a face with videos. By having these music videos, they would change the way we look at music and the way we look at the world. This cutting- edge idea was a new medium perfectly suited to a new generation and that idea was called, MTV. This leads to the question: How did MTV influence pop culture of the 1980’s? This topic is worthy of investigation because the coming of MTV has had a significant impact on the way people see pop culture. Before researching the topic, the writer had limited knowledge on MTV and only knew about the music itself. In the paper, the writer was

In the article, “ The Impact Celebrities Have On Our Lives,” Deborah King explores the issue of celebrities impacting our lives, both negatively and positively. To begin with, she mentions that, today, we are overly obsessed with celebrities, whether they are positive or not. The author demonstrates that negative celebrities are more well-known than positive celebrities since they are mentioned on the news due to their salacious actions. Furthermore, King mentions that there are many positive celebrities that are famous despite the negative ones. In addition, she emphasizes that even positive actions performed by celebrities can get on the news, not just negative actions are publicised. Finally, King concludes the article by mentioning that

When analyzing the social make up and the issues associated with celebrities having the power to influences the public, sociological concepts can be applied. Sociology has taught us to be curious and ask the question why. It also takes a scientific approach when answering the types of questions

A group of people subject to continuous glamour and publicity has taken the spotlight, creating the American world of the “celebrity”. “It does not seem to matter what the man is the very best at; so long as he has won out in competition over all others, he is celebrated” (P. 74). Celebration is the basis of their existence. Propagated by the mass media, they have become part of the national prestige—shadow of money and power. This competition for attention is joined

Young people all around the world are unhappy with their looks because they see perfect skin, perfect hair, or other perfect facial features from pop icons splashed all over social media. These reminders that these celebrities are perfect, brings down the self esteem of the common young person. "Western beauty ideals — actually, man-made Western beauty ideals — have spread to the rest of the world through globalization and are now being upheld as models even in places like India and Japan," Rossini told Mic Network Inc. "And they have very dangerous consequences.” The Kardashians and Jenner’s are some of the most famous families on the earth, and the media never ceases to document every move they make. Many young people look up to the

Have you ever wondered what influences us to behave the way we do? Look a certain way? Or even looked for an explanation to what causes us to apply a certain perspective regarding personal and controversial issues? One of the answers to these questions may revolve around the influence we absorb from celebrities. A definitive term for celebrity is an iconic figure to a category or group who has achieved success in one or multiple aspects of their lives. As a result, these individuals have drawn in publicity and fame. Over the years with the advances in media and other forms of communication, celebrities have become topics of discussion worldwide, rather if it’s at school, with colleagues or at the dinner table, it is fair to say that

Most people have idolized a celebrity at one point in their life, yet how far are we willing to allow that idolization to control our life? Idolization of celebrities help to play a sizable role in the actions of the individuals that make up our society. Kim Kardashian is a well-known celebrity in today’s society, who has an extensive amount of fans. This particular photo is from a spread that Vogue did over “Kim Kardashian and Kayne West in their quest for world domination and the perfect wedding dress” (Bowles 208). Vogue’s cover over the multi-million-dollar couple offered a glimpse into their extravagant lifestyle. Kim shares these bona fide moments of her life in order to help preserve her an image as a genuine celebrity. This photograph of Kim Kardashian, shot for a Vogue spread, represents an image of authenticity as an integral component in the creation of a successful celebrity.

Celebrities are everywhere in the news, the latest gossip appears in the weekly magazines without fail. Whether they be an actor, athlete, dancer, designer, model, singer or just rich; there is someone out there who is watching that person like a hawk, not letting a single breath go unnoticed. Such is the life of the rich and famous, under the incessant gaze of journalists and the paparazzi. Lives that many people take a great interest in and admire to the point where others would liken this great interest and admiration to a cult-like worship of celebrities. This is a brief description of what I think to be celebrity culture.

Although celebrity culture is typically associated with actors and actress, consumers may also rely on the trustfulness and credibility of politicians and first wives when deciding fashion trends. In the 1960s, fashion icon Jackie Kennedy took over the fashion industry (Joel 1). She appealed to many stay-at-home women because she was commonly known to have a “sophisticated simplicity” (Joel 1) approach to fashion. Her successor, First Lady Michelle Obama has instantly become a fashion icon herself as well. She is commonly seen wearing American designers therefore pushing “the American fashion industry into the international spotlight” (Givhan 1). People are often so draw to her style because it gives a glance into her personal life. As Givhan states, “Obama’s clothes have connected with the public in contemporary terms, in the language of Hollywood’s glamour, Seventh Avenue’s bold entrepreneurship and the democracy of the mass market” (Givhan 1). In March 2009, Michelle Obama appeared on the cover of US Vogue which showcased her “dress, style, and poise” (Gibson 40). Brett Schenck, president of Hart Schaffner Marx states, “It’s usually the frenzy behind the first lady” (Jones), but in the some instances, President Obama has also made an impact on the fashion industry. In the summer of 2009, designer Donatella Versace created a runway show that was designed and dedicated to him. The clothes she created where inspired by President Obama because it showcased “a relaxed man