Celebrity: A Cultural Study of the Celebrity Phenomenon

Author: Luo Jike
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-11-01
Features: Without a doubt, celebrities have become the backbone of the secular society. Entertainment worship not only masks the emptiness of modern life but also enhances the allure of commodity culture. Hate and worship are just a step apart, because fans are destined to be unable to engage in intimate communication with celebrities. Celebrity culture is a culture of obsession, its passion coming from the stage rather than genuine understanding and belonging. In real life, people are strongly inclined to imitate the ways and styles of celebrities rather than delve into the complexities and challenges of life. Look at the table of contents to know that this is a rare, interesting, and thought-provoking book.
"With the departure of God and the decline of churches, the sacred props people sought for salvation were destroyed. Celebrities and spectacles filled the void, leading to entertainment worship and, consequently, the dominance of a shallow and superficial commodity culture. Thus, entertainment worship masks cultural disintegration. Commodity culture cannot create a complete culture because it stamps each commodity with the marks of fleeting and utterly irreplaceable value. Similarly, celebrity culture cannot produce outstanding value because any effort toward excellence is stifled in its cradle by commodity culture."
Although everyone knows that our lives are filled with celebrity phenomena, without celebrities, our newspapers, magazines, television, commodities, news, daily routines, and even our social structures would instantly collapse. Yet so far, we have not fully grasped the true state of humanity in the age of celebrities.