2. We Build them up... Celebrities as demi-Gods We idolise celebrities, look up to them The mass media are more than happy to build a celebrity up, so long as it fits their needs. Tiger Woods – Superstar, first billionaire sportsmen, spokesperson for the black community in a traditionally white sport. LEGEND!
3. To knock them down... Celebs have a shelf life, and the mass media will jump on a bandwagon of destruction as quick as appreciation. Tiger Woods: cheating, philandering, sex addict and sex pest!
4. Tabloidisation of Culture There seems to be a focus on this kind of soft news, a focus on gossip, scandal, emotions, spectacle, stereotyping and simplification. The PR machine that is the media is constantly seeking and creating narrative disequilibrium to keep the celebrity in the spotlight.
5. Feminisation of our Culture This obsession with celebrity could be a signifier of the feminisation of the culture we live in. Rather than an interest in hard news (politics, the economy, international relations) the celebrity focuses on appearance, relationships, scandal and gossip. All traditionally aligned to feminine gender roles.
6. Narrativisation We are therefore encouraged to narrativise our own lives to the same degree as the media create narratives for celebrities. ‘Hermes’ – Suggests we create stories of people’s lives, and therefore this allows audiences to relate and identify with these celebrities.
7. Narratives of Self Giddens– To a further degree it could be argues that we are encouraged to use celebrities as ‘navigational points’ in the construction of our own identity. The narrativisation and tabloidisation of celebrity lives can be transferred to our understanding of our own lives.
