Stars, Celebrities and Personalities

Stars, Celebrities and Personalities

Media institutions and audiences - Nick Lacey

Stars, celebrities and personalities are very important aspect of both the content and promotion of media texts. Stars are most evident in film whilst celebrities can come from any walk of life as long as they have achieved something; personalities on the other hand, are only famous for being famous. All three require the mass media to circulate their images.

In early Hollywood, performers were anonymous and often not even actors - the film's technicians would play parts. When stage actors began performing in front of cameras the producers refused to name them, fearing they would demand more money. The creation of a star requires the mass media. It is insufficient for stars merely to appear in films, or a star persona, details of their own lives need to be circulated within the public domain.

Key ideas in Media - Edwards

Film stars are less significant in people's lives than they were. Developments in modern media production where there are more competing sources of entertainment mean that films are only a part of the wide-ranging media experience of audiences. They still have significance but share this with stars drawn from the worlds of television, music, sport and fashion. The central concern present is being famous across a whole range of entertainment formats. This means more exposure to allow the full exploitation of their qualities.

They need to sustain their star image to be in the public eye for longer and hence the sense of 'mystique' can be lost. The exploration of their private lives in magazines, videos, photography, interviews and appearance become the focus of concern.