Dead Celebrities, Living Icons : Tragedy and Fame in the Age of the Multimedia Superstar

Introduction: Saints in the age of electronic stained glass -- pt. 1. Birth and rise (the 1930s) -- Howard Hughes, the world's first serial crash artist -- Walt Disney builds the cosmos electric -- pt. 2. Classics (the 1950s) -- The weird and fantastic tale of the pixellation and disintegration of Elvis Presley -- James Dean's death by car crash : an autopsy -- The strange tale of the wondrous life and curious death of Marilyn Monroe -- pt. 3. Tribes (the 1960s) -- The assassination of J.F.K. considered as a case of media warfare -- Andy Warhol's cult of the dead celebrity -- The Beatles, their muse, a car crash, five bullets, and some flowers from the dead -- Jim Morrison awoke one morning to find himself transformed -- pt. 4. Sunset (the 1980s) -- Ronald Reagan : the celluloid man who nearly died -- The passion of Gianni Versace -- Princess Diana's media metamorphoses -- pt. 5. The myth today (2008) -- The multiple selves of Heath Ledger -- Michael Jackson's macrosphere : genesis, evolution, disintegration -- Afterword: On the otherworldly nature of electronic culture. The Book Covers The Epoch Of The Celebrity Beginning In The 1930s With Howard Hughes And Walt Disney And Continues To The Present Day With The Life And Death Of Michael Jackson. Dead Celebrities, Living Icons Documents The Philosophical Importance And Significance Of The Contemporary Cult Of The Celebrity And Analyzes The Tragic Consequences Of A Human Life Lived In The Glare Of The Media Spotlight. --from Publisher Description. Introduction: Saints In The Age Of Electronic Stained Glass -- Pt. 1. Birth And Rise (the 1930s) -- Howard Hughes, The World's First Serial Crash Artist -- Walt Disney Builds The Cosmos Electric -- Pt. 2. Classics (the 1950s) -- The Weird And Fantastic Tale Of The Pixellation And Disintegration Of Elvis Presley -- James Dean's Death By Car Crash : An Analysis -- The Strange Tale Of The Wondrous Life And Curious Death Of Marilyn Monroe -- Pt. 3. Tribes (the 1960s) -- The Assassination Of John F. Kennedy Considered As A Case Of Media Warfare -- Andy Warhol's Cult Of The Dead Celebrity -- The Beatles, Their Muse, A Car Crash, Five Bullets, And Some Flowers From The Dead -- Jim Morrison Awoke One Morning To Find Himself Transformed -- Pt. 4. Sunset (the 1980s) -- Ronald Reagan : The Celluloid Man Made Flesh -- The Passion Of Gianni Versace -- Princess Diana's Media Metamorphoses -- Pt. 5. The Myth Today (2000s) -- The Multiple Selves Of Heath Ledger -- Michael Jackson's Macrosphere : Genesis, Evolution, Disintegration -- Afterword: On The Otherworldly Nature Of Electronic Culture. John David Ebert. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Dead Celebrities, Living Icons 4 Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 Introduction: Saints in the Age of Electronic Stained Glass 12 I Birth and Rise (The 1930s) 26 1. Howard Hughes, the World’s First Serial Crash Artist 28 2. Walt Disney Builds the Cosmos Electric 44 II Classics (The 1950s) 60 3. The Weird and Fantastic Tale of the Pixellation and Disintegration of Elvis Presley 62 4. James Dean’s Death by Car Crash: An Analysis 74 5. The Strange Tale of the Wondrous Life and Curious Death of Marilyn Monroe 82 III Tribes (The 1960s) 96 6. The Assassination of John F. Kennedy Considered as a Case of Media Warfare 98 7. Andy Warhol’s Cult of the Dead Celebrity 108 8. The Beatles, Their Muse, a Car Crash, Five Bullets, and Some Flowers from the Dead 120 9. Jim Morrison Awoke One Morning Transformed 138 IV Sunset (The 1980s) 152 10. Ronald Reagan: The Celluloid Man Made Flesh 156 11. The Passion of Gianni Versace 170 12. Princess Diana’s Media Metamorphoses 186 V The Myth Today (The 2000s) 198 13. The Multiple Selves of Heath Ledger 200 14. Michael Jackson’s Macrosphere: Genesis, Evolution, Disintegration 214 Afterword: On the Otherworldly Nature of Electronic Culture 232 Notes 236 Index 242 This in-depth series of literary portraits studies celebrities who died in famous and tragic ways—ways that still resonate as archetypal death scenarios in present day.We know their likes and dislikes, admire their talents, envy them for daring to be what we can't or what we won't. When they are snatched from us, we feel a personal loss and an unwillingness to let go. And so we transform these mere human beings into icons whose stars often shine in death even more brilliantly than in life.Dead Celebrities, Living Icons: Tragedy and Fame in the Age of the Multimedia Superstar explores this phenomenon through a series of essays on 14 men and women who are, arguably, the most famous people of the 20th and early 21st centuries. The book covers the epoch of the celebrity beginning in the 1930s with Howard Hughes and Walt Disney and continues to the present day with the life and death of Michael Jackson. Far more than just a collection of biographies, Dead Celebrities, Living Icons documents the philosophical importance and significance of the contemporary cult of the celebrity and analyzes the tragic consequences of a human life lived in the glare of the media spotlight. This in-depth series of literary portraits studies celebrities who died in famous and tragic waysways that still resonate as archetypal death scenarios in present day. We know their likes and dislikes, admire their talents, envy them for daring to be what we can't or what we won't. When they are snatched from us, we feel a personal loss and an unwillingness to let go. And so we transform these mere human beings into icons whose stars often shine in death even more brilliantly than in life. Dead Celebrities, Living Tragedy and Fame in the Age of the Multimedia Superstar explores this phenomenon through a series of essays on 14 men and women who are, arguably, the most famous people of the 20th and early 21st centuries. The book covers the epoch of the celebrity beginning in the 1930s with Howard Hughes and Walt Disney and continues to the present day with the life and death of Michael Jackson. Far more than just a collection of biographies, Dead Celebrities, Living Icons documents the philosophical importance and significance of the contemporary cult of the celebrity and analyzes the tragic consequences of a human life lived in the glare of the media spotlight.