Routledge Handbook of Celebrity Studies (Routledge International Handbooks)

Ours is the age of celebrity. An inescapable aspect of daily life in our media-saturated societies of the twenty-first century, celebrity is celebrated for its infinite plasticity and glossy seductions. But there is also a darker side. Celebrity culture is littered from end to end with addictions, pathologies, neuroses, even suicides. Why, as a society, are we held in thrall to celebrity? What is the power of celebrity in a world of increasing consumerism, individualism and globalization? Routledge Handbook of Celebrity Studies, edited by acclaimed social theorist Anthony Elliott, offers a remarkably clear overview of the analysis of celebrity in the social sciences and humanities, and in so doing seeks to develop a new agenda for celebrity studies. The key theories of celebrity, ranging from classical sociological accounts to critical theory, and from media studies to postmodern approaches, are drawn together and critically appraised. There are substantive chapters looking at fame, renown and celebrity in terms of the media industries, pop music, the makeover industries, soap stars, fans and fandom as well as the rise of non-Western forms of celebrity. The Handbook also explores in detail the institutional aspects of celebrity, and especially new forms of mediated action and interaction. From Web 3.0 to social media, the culture of celebrity is fast redefining the public political sphere. Throughout this volume, there is a strong emphasis on interdisciplinarity with chapters covering sociology, cultural studies, psychology, politics and history. Written in a clear and direct style, this handbook will appeal to a wide undergraduate audience. The extensive references and sources will direct students to areas of further study. Routledge Handbook of Celebrity Studies 2 Contents 6 Contributors 9 Acknowledgements 12 Part I Theories and Concepts of Celebrity 14 1 Celebrity and contemporary culture: 16 2 Celebrity’s histories 39 3 Celebrity in the contemporary era 57 4 Postmodern theories of celebrity 71 5 Cultural studies and the politics of celebrity 86 6 Celebrity and religion 106 Part II The Culture of Celebrity 120 7 The death of celebrity: global grief, manufactured mourning 122 8 Soap stars 137 9 Celebrity, fans and fandom 154 10 Celebrity in the social media age 170 Part III Non- Western Celebrity 188 11 Victims, Bollywood and the construction of a cele- meme 190 12 Kpop idols, artifi cial beauty and affective fan relationships in South Korea 203 13 ‘Idols’ in Japan, Asia and the world 215 14 Celebrity and power in South America 228 15 Celebrity philanthropy in China 240 16 Celebrity in the age of global communication networks 258 Part IV The Conduits of Celebrity 256 17 Celebrity involvement: parasocial interaction, identification 268 18 Celebrity, reputational capital and the media industries 284 19 Human rights, democracy and celebrity 298 20 Drastic plastic: identity in the age of makeover 314 21 The Great Gomez 327 Index 335 Routledge,Handbook,of,Celebrity,Studies