Celebrity Worship

Celebrity Worship

Author: Pete Ward

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-11-21

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 0429994931

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Celebrity Worship provides an introduction to the fascinating study of celebrity culture and religion. The book argues for celebrity as a foundational component for any consideration of the relationship between religion, media and culture. Celebrity worship is seen as a vibrant and interactive discourse of the sacred self in contemporary society. Topics discussed include: Celebrity culture. Celebrity worship and project of the self as the new sacred. Social media and the democratisation of celebrity. Reactions to celebrity death. Celebrities as theologians of the self. Christian celebrity. Using contemporary case studies, such as lifestyle television, the religious vision of Oprah Winfrey and the death of David Bowie, this book is a gripping read for those with an interest in celebrity culture, cultural studies, media studies, religion in the media and the role of religion in society.


Book Synopsis Celebrity Worship by : Pete Ward

Download or read book Celebrity Worship written by Pete Ward and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-11-21 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Celebrity Worship provides an introduction to the fascinating study of celebrity culture and religion. The book argues for celebrity as a foundational component for any consideration of the relationship between religion, media and culture. Celebrity worship is seen as a vibrant and interactive discourse of the sacred self in contemporary society. Topics discussed include: Celebrity culture. Celebrity worship and project of the self as the new sacred. Social media and the democratisation of celebrity. Reactions to celebrity death. Celebrities as theologians of the self. Christian celebrity. Using contemporary case studies, such as lifestyle television, the religious vision of Oprah Winfrey and the death of David Bowie, this book is a gripping read for those with an interest in celebrity culture, cultural studies, media studies, religion in the media and the role of religion in society.


Celebrity and Entertainment Obsession

Celebrity and Entertainment Obsession

Author: Michael S. Levy

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2015-08-06

Total Pages: 251

ISBN-13: 1442243139

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Celebrity culture surrounds us. We are inundated with information about actors and actresses, athletes, musicians, and others who have become famous or infamous. Although we never will likely meet or get to know them, our interest in them seems boundless. We are literally obsessed with being entertained as well as with the people who entertain us. Who our celebrities are has also shifted; in the past, celebrity status was bestowed on men and women of great accomplishment, those who had given the world something to be proud of and to celebrate. Conversely, today’s celebrities are generally people involved in entertainment—from TV newscasters to people who appear on reality television programs, as well as some who are simply famous for being famous. What remains an enigma is why we, as a society, are so infatuated with being entertained, as well as with those who entertain us and appear in the media. This book makes sense of this spectacle by explaining the reasons for this obsession from a psychological, social, and historical perspective. It suggests that we have become addicted in much the same way that a person becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol. Finally, the author offers his observations on how to free our minds from this captivation. Anyone interested in understanding more about our need to live vicariously through the rich and famous will find answers in this book.


Book Synopsis Celebrity and Entertainment Obsession by : Michael S. Levy

Download or read book Celebrity and Entertainment Obsession written by Michael S. Levy and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2015-08-06 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Celebrity culture surrounds us. We are inundated with information about actors and actresses, athletes, musicians, and others who have become famous or infamous. Although we never will likely meet or get to know them, our interest in them seems boundless. We are literally obsessed with being entertained as well as with the people who entertain us. Who our celebrities are has also shifted; in the past, celebrity status was bestowed on men and women of great accomplishment, those who had given the world something to be proud of and to celebrate. Conversely, today’s celebrities are generally people involved in entertainment—from TV newscasters to people who appear on reality television programs, as well as some who are simply famous for being famous. What remains an enigma is why we, as a society, are so infatuated with being entertained, as well as with those who entertain us and appear in the media. This book makes sense of this spectacle by explaining the reasons for this obsession from a psychological, social, and historical perspective. It suggests that we have become addicted in much the same way that a person becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol. Finally, the author offers his observations on how to free our minds from this captivation. Anyone interested in understanding more about our need to live vicariously through the rich and famous will find answers in this book.


Celebrity Mad

Celebrity Mad

Author: Brett Kahr

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-08-28

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 0429798482

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This short book by Professor Brett Kahr provides a psychoanalytic understanding of fame and celebrity in the early twenty-first century, building upon the bedrock foundations of the Freudian corpus. The book is divided into six chapters. Chapter One explores the psychology of the celebrity, questioning narcissistic and exhibitionist psychopathology, while Chapter Two examines the psychological state of those of who revel in the fame of others and in celebrity culture more broadly, and offers a discussion of the "Celebrity Worship Syndrome". Chapter Three provides a very brief history of the concept of celebrity itself, arguing that, contrary to popular opinion, the culture of celebrification cannot be blamed on twenty-first-century media moguls, but, rather, that such a preoccupation with famous personalities can be traced back to ancient times and demonstrates the need to broaden our analysis to include the role of deep, unconscious psychological forces. In Chapter Four, Kahr reviews some important theoretical concepts advanced by Freud and Winnicott, which provide an important foundation for the psychoanalytic study of fame, while Chapter Five provides a more comprehensive theory of the unconscious psychological roots of the need to worship fame and to seek it, drawing upon a multitude of sources, ranging from psychoanalytic theory and developmental psychological research, to film, archaeology, and, perhaps surprisingly, the history of infanticide. The book concludes, in Chapter Six, by studying the psychodynamics of celebrity and fame, arguing that being recognised by one’s family and friends in the intimate context of home life may well be the very best way to become a celebrity. Celebrity Mad outlines a psychoanalytic theory of the roots of our obsession with fame. It will be of great interest to psychoanalytic practitioners and researchers, as well as to readers interested in the psychology of fame.


Book Synopsis Celebrity Mad by : Brett Kahr

Download or read book Celebrity Mad written by Brett Kahr and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-08-28 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This short book by Professor Brett Kahr provides a psychoanalytic understanding of fame and celebrity in the early twenty-first century, building upon the bedrock foundations of the Freudian corpus. The book is divided into six chapters. Chapter One explores the psychology of the celebrity, questioning narcissistic and exhibitionist psychopathology, while Chapter Two examines the psychological state of those of who revel in the fame of others and in celebrity culture more broadly, and offers a discussion of the "Celebrity Worship Syndrome". Chapter Three provides a very brief history of the concept of celebrity itself, arguing that, contrary to popular opinion, the culture of celebrification cannot be blamed on twenty-first-century media moguls, but, rather, that such a preoccupation with famous personalities can be traced back to ancient times and demonstrates the need to broaden our analysis to include the role of deep, unconscious psychological forces. In Chapter Four, Kahr reviews some important theoretical concepts advanced by Freud and Winnicott, which provide an important foundation for the psychoanalytic study of fame, while Chapter Five provides a more comprehensive theory of the unconscious psychological roots of the need to worship fame and to seek it, drawing upon a multitude of sources, ranging from psychoanalytic theory and developmental psychological research, to film, archaeology, and, perhaps surprisingly, the history of infanticide. The book concludes, in Chapter Six, by studying the psychodynamics of celebrity and fame, arguing that being recognised by one’s family and friends in the intimate context of home life may well be the very best way to become a celebrity. Celebrity Mad outlines a psychoanalytic theory of the roots of our obsession with fame. It will be of great interest to psychoanalytic practitioners and researchers, as well as to readers interested in the psychology of fame.


Stalking, Threatening, and Attacking Public Figures

Stalking, Threatening, and Attacking Public Figures

Author: J. Reid Meloy

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2008-06-12

Total Pages: 496

ISBN-13: 9780198043713

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Public figures require attention, whether from a constituency who votes them in or out of office, shareholders who decide their economic benefit to the corporation, or fans who judge their performances. However, on the periphery of this normal attention resides a very real risk; that of a much smaller group of individuals who lack the ability to discriminate between their own private fantasies and the figure's public behavior. They may be personally insulted by perceived betrayal, fanatically in love due to a perceived affectionate or sexual invitation, or simply preoccupied with the daily life of the public figure. Such individuals may fixate and do nothing more. Others communicate or approach in a disturbing way. A few will threaten. And on rare occasions, one will breach the public figure's security perimeter and attack. Stalking, Threatening, and Attacking Public Figures is a comprehensive survey of the current knowledge about stalking, violence risk, and threat management towards public figures. With contributions from forensic psychologists and psychiatrists, clinicians, researchers, attorneys, profilers, and current and former law enforcement professionals, this book is the first of its kind, international in scope, and rich in both depth and complexity. The book is divided into three sections which, in turn, focus upon defining, explaining, and risk managing this increasingly complex global reality. Chapters include detailed case studies, analyses of quantitative data, reflections from attachment theory and psychoanalytic thought, descriptions of law enforcement and protective organization activities, mental health and psychiatric categorizations and understandings, consideration of risk assessment models and variables, victim perspectives, and others.


Book Synopsis Stalking, Threatening, and Attacking Public Figures by : J. Reid Meloy

Download or read book Stalking, Threatening, and Attacking Public Figures written by J. Reid Meloy and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2008-06-12 with total page 496 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Public figures require attention, whether from a constituency who votes them in or out of office, shareholders who decide their economic benefit to the corporation, or fans who judge their performances. However, on the periphery of this normal attention resides a very real risk; that of a much smaller group of individuals who lack the ability to discriminate between their own private fantasies and the figure's public behavior. They may be personally insulted by perceived betrayal, fanatically in love due to a perceived affectionate or sexual invitation, or simply preoccupied with the daily life of the public figure. Such individuals may fixate and do nothing more. Others communicate or approach in a disturbing way. A few will threaten. And on rare occasions, one will breach the public figure's security perimeter and attack. Stalking, Threatening, and Attacking Public Figures is a comprehensive survey of the current knowledge about stalking, violence risk, and threat management towards public figures. With contributions from forensic psychologists and psychiatrists, clinicians, researchers, attorneys, profilers, and current and former law enforcement professionals, this book is the first of its kind, international in scope, and rich in both depth and complexity. The book is divided into three sections which, in turn, focus upon defining, explaining, and risk managing this increasingly complex global reality. Chapters include detailed case studies, analyses of quantitative data, reflections from attachment theory and psychoanalytic thought, descriptions of law enforcement and protective organization activities, mental health and psychiatric categorizations and understandings, consideration of risk assessment models and variables, victim perspectives, and others.


Sacred Matters

Sacred Matters

Author: Associate Professor of American Religious History and Culture Gary Laderman

Publisher: ReadHowYouWant.com

Published: 2011-02

Total Pages: 322

ISBN-13: 145873174X

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Widely praised in hardcover as a fascinating and important addition to religious and cultural studies, Sacred Matters reveals the remarkable ways that religious practices permeate American cultural life.In a country where references to God are as normal as proclaiming love of country, support for the military, or security for the nation's children, religion scholar Gary Laderman casts his eye over our deeply hidden spiritual landscape, questioning whether our conventional views even begin to capture the rich and strange diversity of religious life in America. A compelling read, Sacred Matters shows that genuinely religious practices and experiences can be found in the unlikeliest of places-in science laboratories and movie theaters, at the Super Bowl and Star Trek conventions, and in Americans' obsession with prescription drugs and pornography. When devoted fans make a pilgrimage to Graceland because of their love for Elvis, Laderman argues, their behavior doesn't just seem religious, it is religious-enacting a well-known ritual pattern toward saints in the history of Christianity. In a dramatic reframing of what is holy and secular, Sacred Matters makes a powerful and illuminating case that religion is everywhere-and that we have barely begun to reckon with its hold on our cultural life.


Book Synopsis Sacred Matters by : Associate Professor of American Religious History and Culture Gary Laderman

Download or read book Sacred Matters written by Associate Professor of American Religious History and Culture Gary Laderman and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2011-02 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Widely praised in hardcover as a fascinating and important addition to religious and cultural studies, Sacred Matters reveals the remarkable ways that religious practices permeate American cultural life.In a country where references to God are as normal as proclaiming love of country, support for the military, or security for the nation's children, religion scholar Gary Laderman casts his eye over our deeply hidden spiritual landscape, questioning whether our conventional views even begin to capture the rich and strange diversity of religious life in America. A compelling read, Sacred Matters shows that genuinely religious practices and experiences can be found in the unlikeliest of places-in science laboratories and movie theaters, at the Super Bowl and Star Trek conventions, and in Americans' obsession with prescription drugs and pornography. When devoted fans make a pilgrimage to Graceland because of their love for Elvis, Laderman argues, their behavior doesn't just seem religious, it is religious-enacting a well-known ritual pattern toward saints in the history of Christianity. In a dramatic reframing of what is holy and secular, Sacred Matters makes a powerful and illuminating case that religion is everywhere-and that we have barely begun to reckon with its hold on our cultural life.


Celebrity Worshippers

Celebrity Worshippers

Author: Lynn Ellis McCutcheon

Publisher: Publishamerica Incorporated

Published: 2004-07

Total Pages: 190

ISBN-13: 9781413732306

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Celebrities are treated like modern religious icons within our media - and entertainment-saturated society. Why? This unprecedented book examines the historical, psychological, and sociological roots of our culture's fascination with famous personalities. The authors are a team of interdisciplinary researchers who have launched the only systematic study of the worldwide phenomenon known as "celebrity worship." They have spent the last four years trying to learn more about how and why some people become celebrity worshippers. Their work has been published in some of the most prestigious psychology journals. Now they have summarized and integrated their findings with classic works on the topic. Written to be accessible to professionals, students, and the general public, this text provides a thoughtful and provocative analysis of why society feeds upon and reinforces the fantasy of celebrities and what variables may turn a healthy respect for celebrities into an unhealthy preoccupation.


Book Synopsis Celebrity Worshippers by : Lynn Ellis McCutcheon

Download or read book Celebrity Worshippers written by Lynn Ellis McCutcheon and published by Publishamerica Incorporated. This book was released on 2004-07 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Celebrities are treated like modern religious icons within our media - and entertainment-saturated society. Why? This unprecedented book examines the historical, psychological, and sociological roots of our culture's fascination with famous personalities. The authors are a team of interdisciplinary researchers who have launched the only systematic study of the worldwide phenomenon known as "celebrity worship." They have spent the last four years trying to learn more about how and why some people become celebrity worshippers. Their work has been published in some of the most prestigious psychology journals. Now they have summarized and integrated their findings with classic works on the topic. Written to be accessible to professionals, students, and the general public, this text provides a thoughtful and provocative analysis of why society feeds upon and reinforces the fantasy of celebrities and what variables may turn a healthy respect for celebrities into an unhealthy preoccupation.


Overcoming Celebrity Obsession

Overcoming Celebrity Obsession

Author: Diane Saks

Publisher: iUniverse

Published: 2011-08-01

Total Pages: 484

ISBN-13: 1450228488

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OVERCOMING CELEBRITY OBSESSIONis a star-studded journey from celebrity obsession to fulfilling life in three easy phases. When a fan is obsessed, a story character version of the celebrity is created. It is through the fans celebrity characterization that guides the fan through Phase 1. Upon understanding why the fan was obsessed in the first place, the journey through Phase 2 begins. This is the dark part of the fans life that the fan used the favorite celebrity to escape from. Professional counseling is not recommended in Phase 1, but can begin in Phase 2. In order to get the most from Phase 3, the fan must be able to look at parts of his or her real life and pull out the celebrity obsession. For example, every time someone couldnt communicate or understand me, I saw that as my John Travolta obsession. If I was not given a chance to help out during a particular event, that was my David Cassidy obsession. It is in Phase 3 where we discuss personal behavior and set goals both professional and personal. The typical celebrity obsession theory is, the obsession is because of hero worship. Until now, celebrity obsession therapy has been in the hands of professionals who have never lived through celebrity obsession. Typical celebrity obsession studies state, that obsessed people need to stop obsessing over celebrities and get on with life. Diane knows better than that. She believes the fan needs to take some time to celebrity obsess while inOVERCOMING CELEBRITY OBSESSIONin order to work through what is stopping the fan from getting the most out of life. Why would you want to put your celebrity obsession into the hands of someone with an advanced college degree or two, who has never been celebrity obsessed?


Book Synopsis Overcoming Celebrity Obsession by : Diane Saks

Download or read book Overcoming Celebrity Obsession written by Diane Saks and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2011-08-01 with total page 484 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: OVERCOMING CELEBRITY OBSESSIONis a star-studded journey from celebrity obsession to fulfilling life in three easy phases. When a fan is obsessed, a story character version of the celebrity is created. It is through the fans celebrity characterization that guides the fan through Phase 1. Upon understanding why the fan was obsessed in the first place, the journey through Phase 2 begins. This is the dark part of the fans life that the fan used the favorite celebrity to escape from. Professional counseling is not recommended in Phase 1, but can begin in Phase 2. In order to get the most from Phase 3, the fan must be able to look at parts of his or her real life and pull out the celebrity obsession. For example, every time someone couldnt communicate or understand me, I saw that as my John Travolta obsession. If I was not given a chance to help out during a particular event, that was my David Cassidy obsession. It is in Phase 3 where we discuss personal behavior and set goals both professional and personal. The typical celebrity obsession theory is, the obsession is because of hero worship. Until now, celebrity obsession therapy has been in the hands of professionals who have never lived through celebrity obsession. Typical celebrity obsession studies state, that obsessed people need to stop obsessing over celebrities and get on with life. Diane knows better than that. She believes the fan needs to take some time to celebrity obsess while inOVERCOMING CELEBRITY OBSESSIONin order to work through what is stopping the fan from getting the most out of life. Why would you want to put your celebrity obsession into the hands of someone with an advanced college degree or two, who has never been celebrity obsessed?


Cult of Celebrity

Cult of Celebrity

Author: Cooper Lawrence

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2009-01-20

Total Pages: 267

ISBN-13: 1599217163

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Book Synopsis Cult of Celebrity by : Cooper Lawrence

Download or read book Cult of Celebrity written by Cooper Lawrence and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2009-01-20 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Notes on Fame

Notes on Fame

Author: Tom Payne

Publisher: Picador

Published: 2011-01-18

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 1429991720

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A free preview collection of essays from Tom Payne, author of FAME We may regard celebrities as deities, but that does not mean we worship them with deference. From prehistory to the present, humanity has possessed a primal urge first to exalt the famous but then to cut them down (Michael Jackson, anyone?). Why do we treat the ones we love like burnt offerings in a ritual of human sacrifice? Perhaps because that is exactly what they are. In this collection of essays, Tom Payne -- of the website Popcropolis and the "trenchant, unsettling, and darkly hilarious" Fame (New York Times Book Review) -- draws the narratives of the past and the immediate present into one intriguing story. INCLUDES AN EXCERPT FROM FAME!


Book Synopsis Notes on Fame by : Tom Payne

Download or read book Notes on Fame written by Tom Payne and published by Picador. This book was released on 2011-01-18 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A free preview collection of essays from Tom Payne, author of FAME We may regard celebrities as deities, but that does not mean we worship them with deference. From prehistory to the present, humanity has possessed a primal urge first to exalt the famous but then to cut them down (Michael Jackson, anyone?). Why do we treat the ones we love like burnt offerings in a ritual of human sacrifice? Perhaps because that is exactly what they are. In this collection of essays, Tom Payne -- of the website Popcropolis and the "trenchant, unsettling, and darkly hilarious" Fame (New York Times Book Review) -- draws the narratives of the past and the immediate present into one intriguing story. INCLUDES AN EXCERPT FROM FAME!


Routledge Handbook of Celebrity Studies

Routledge Handbook of Celebrity Studies

Author: Anthony Elliott

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2018-03-05

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 1317691474

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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.


Book Synopsis Routledge Handbook of Celebrity Studies by : Anthony Elliott

Download or read book Routledge Handbook of Celebrity Studies written by Anthony Elliott and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-03-05 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.