The Performance of Celebrity: Creating, Maintaining and Controlling Fame

Book excerpt: This volume was first published by Inter-Disciplinary Press in 2013. In recent years the study of celebrity, of what constitutes fame, and how that fame is controlled and performed, has become an area of intense scholarly interest. This is due in part to the increased emphasis on social and cultural history and the presence of new and innovative sources, both of which have created new and exciting areas of study. The growing importance and recognition of the celebrity phenomenon has created a field that is both currently rich in literature and has the room for continued scholarship. The works in this volume address debates on the concept of celebrity, including the modernity of celebrity, the importance of the celebrity-audience relationship and the question of who controls celebrity personas. How, in essence, do celebrities “do fame?” This question is at the centre of this book, with the pieces included addressing this idea across a variety of academic disciplines, time periods, and methodological approaches.