The World Of Celebrity
My Blog does seem to concern itself with media matters for now, I have no doubt that it will branch out but today I am concentrating on the world of celebrity.
What is a celebrity? Many things to different people. Should the term just mean someone associated with showbiz such as an actor, a comedian, a singer or take in perhaps someone that is featured in some major news story such as a politician or someone such as a Song Writer, Author, Record Producer etc...
Are the so called celebs we have these days more or less important than those we see, hear or read from years gone by perhaps from a time before we were here? Who makes the decision for us? Is it due to the enormous amount of publicity that exists these days fuelled by all the magazines, gossip featured on television and radio programmes, the constant rounds celebs do by appearing on as many media outlets as possible or in as many newspapers and magazines...promoting their latest offering? The Agent, the large media companies that exist and often have a finger in every pie rather than a certain area of the business. The PR machine that arranges everything.
But hold on, once Hollywood started churning out its movies from Charlie Chaplin's time, stories were being placed and the public demanded to read about their favourite stars and were whipped up into a frenzy. Idolisation of some public figures was great and the reaction probably fuelled by the publicity these stars were given at the time, look what happened when Rudolph Valentino passed away. Or for scandal mongers who can forget how the incident involving Fatty Arbuckle which destroyed his career even though in hindsight the accuracy has been questioned.
Then of course we had the gossip columnists that had great power such as Hedda Hopper. How many stories were orchestrated? How many stories that could've destroyed celebs of the day were covered up?
So is it really any worse these days? Has it always gone on? Or because of the immediacy of media these days and many things being instant and so many outlets being available has this actually made things worse that most of the time any programme unless its an actual concert, film or play is one long advertisement?
Or that any story is one long promotion?
What is a celebrity these days? I can only speak about the UK media but more and more people who once would've just been a person introducing or presenting a programme capable of reading auto cue or being able to keep talking are no treated as "Stars" an example would be our breakfast television presenters often being brought onto a chat show or a variety type show where they will be interviewed. As I write this a female who presents "Pop Idol" is being interviewed and from what I can see its just an excuse to mention another programme that will be on the same channel in a few days time.
Usually, its an excuse for the television channel by bringing them on to cross advertise another programme on the same channel but the person is introduced and brought on as though they are a major star with the audience in the studio whooping and hollering as though they are seeing someone such as Lauren Bacall in the studio and often as the audience is not shown you do not know if the audience reaction is genuine or been technically enhanced.
Many of those who get celeb status these days I find myself asking but what are they famous for. They turn up at various functions and get seen on camera but what do they do? They often do not have any television programme or appear in a film, have a record out and yet become "Famous" At least many of those from the past did seem to have longevity and a reasonably large body of work but as fame today is so fleeting this is how its going to be.
Or am I just getting old? ;-)
Gildy
What is a celebrity? Many things to different people. Should the term just mean someone associated with showbiz such as an actor, a comedian, a singer or take in perhaps someone that is featured in some major news story such as a politician or someone such as a Song Writer, Author, Record Producer etc...
Are the so called celebs we have these days more or less important than those we see, hear or read from years gone by perhaps from a time before we were here? Who makes the decision for us? Is it due to the enormous amount of publicity that exists these days fuelled by all the magazines, gossip featured on television and radio programmes, the constant rounds celebs do by appearing on as many media outlets as possible or in as many newspapers and magazines...promoting their latest offering? The Agent, the large media companies that exist and often have a finger in every pie rather than a certain area of the business. The PR machine that arranges everything.
But hold on, once Hollywood started churning out its movies from Charlie Chaplin's time, stories were being placed and the public demanded to read about their favourite stars and were whipped up into a frenzy. Idolisation of some public figures was great and the reaction probably fuelled by the publicity these stars were given at the time, look what happened when Rudolph Valentino passed away. Or for scandal mongers who can forget how the incident involving Fatty Arbuckle which destroyed his career even though in hindsight the accuracy has been questioned.
Then of course we had the gossip columnists that had great power such as Hedda Hopper. How many stories were orchestrated? How many stories that could've destroyed celebs of the day were covered up?
So is it really any worse these days? Has it always gone on? Or because of the immediacy of media these days and many things being instant and so many outlets being available has this actually made things worse that most of the time any programme unless its an actual concert, film or play is one long advertisement?
Or that any story is one long promotion?
What is a celebrity these days? I can only speak about the UK media but more and more people who once would've just been a person introducing or presenting a programme capable of reading auto cue or being able to keep talking are no treated as "Stars" an example would be our breakfast television presenters often being brought onto a chat show or a variety type show where they will be interviewed. As I write this a female who presents "Pop Idol" is being interviewed and from what I can see its just an excuse to mention another programme that will be on the same channel in a few days time.
Usually, its an excuse for the television channel by bringing them on to cross advertise another programme on the same channel but the person is introduced and brought on as though they are a major star with the audience in the studio whooping and hollering as though they are seeing someone such as Lauren Bacall in the studio and often as the audience is not shown you do not know if the audience reaction is genuine or been technically enhanced.
Many of those who get celeb status these days I find myself asking but what are they famous for. They turn up at various functions and get seen on camera but what do they do? They often do not have any television programme or appear in a film, have a record out and yet become "Famous" At least many of those from the past did seem to have longevity and a reasonably large body of work but as fame today is so fleeting this is how its going to be.
Or am I just getting old? ;-)
Gildy
posted by The Great Gildersleeve | 2:29 pm
8 Comments:
For God's sake! There you are!!!!
I have now added you rlink (well give me 5 minutes) to my R5L posters blogs...I'll put ypou at the top see if you can attract some more traffic...;-)
Celebs are wankers...until you become one...end of....unless you're an old celeb (Michael Caine-ish): anyone who has become famous in the last decade or so is a complete tosser...unless they're gorgeous.
Sorted...you're top of the list
Thanks Span...
Left you a comment at your place...so much to learn but I'll stick with it.
One thing is learning where to leave comments ;-)
I suppose in general you do so where the subject has been posted so it relates...
I agree, its difficult to say anyone in the last number of years are truly special and deserve to be where they are. I certainly could not imagine waiting in the street in a crowd to say I've see anyone.
Years ago I could remember sometimes being annoyed if I was going to miss a programme or rushing home to see something but now I'm not sure I can think of any.
You can just leave invective on mine if you like. I get some quality stuff...
Alternatively you can be measured and thoughtful, which would be a first! Do visit. I'll link you!
A few months ago I had a rant on the radio 5 live boards about the Robbie Willaims website. He launched his site with the promise that if you subscribed you got to see him naked.
Which got me thinking, basically one of britain's biggest stars is basically hawking his willy around for a bit of cash.
I think the problm with celebrities today is that they spend far too much time just doing the rounds and never really touch real life, so when you hear them talk about their life it invariably involves some awards dinner they were at or a party held by another non-famous celebrity. So much navel gazing goes on that they just become boring.
Compare that to one of the greatest pieces of television I ever watched. A few years back they ran reruns of some classic Parkinson's. The particualr one I remember was broadcast around the time I was born in 1973 and was an hour long interview with Orson Wells, he had nothing to prmote, no book, no new DVD, he was just there to reveal a little of himself.
Here was a man who was taught how to bullfight by Ernest hemmingway, went on shooting parties with J Edgar Hoover and spent much of his life travelling, oh yes and he also made one of the classic films of all time.
I think the problem with celebrity today is there is too much exposure, we know everything about the new starlet before they've even made it, so they simply can't hold anything back. They become completely uninteresting because we know all the boring stuff, like whether they were eating a pot noodle as they left their house having not brushed there hair. I mean who cares.
I want a bit of mystique I don't want to know everything. Iwant my stars to be untouchable not accessible celebrities.
Sorry for he spelling, I always forget i can't edit on here.
Oh dear
Hi Six Years,
I've been locked out of my own blog(Yikes!)
Now can I remember what I said to you here before the problem?
Today celebrity is like you say all promotion. What is a celeb, if tv is anything to go by anyone who has been on a media course of which there are many, those who believe they have talent when they clearly do not but want their 15 minutes of fame and believe that they will be paid mega bucks.
When in reality most people can at best read auto cue or manage to talk to camera whilst saying little.
People such as Orson Welles were special but there is a list of great stars as long as your arm from the Golden Days of Hollywood.
You do not necessarily have to like someone to still see that they have talent.
I missed it but one of the most moving interviews on television on a Parkinson show was when lifelong friends James Cagney and Edmund O'Brien appeared and both them and the audience were in tears. As far as I know it has never been repeated.
People are classed as Celebs when they are clearly only presenters yet the audiences applaud and scream wildly when they are told that someone are coming on to chat and usually its just to mention another programme they'll be hosting.
The other night we had Vernon Kay And Tess Daily(sp)on a "Chat Show" Why? Because another celeb singing competition is happening later this week over 8 nights and they are presenting it(Yawn!)
I rarely watch any interview programme these days and am not sucked in by the hype.
Good to see your comment.
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