‘Although the idea of a celebrity has been
around for a long time, its mutation into an important cultural force is a
relatively recent development,’ (Furedi, 2010)
One reason celebrity culture is changing is because the lines between private and public lives are becoming blurred.
Celebrity magazines that contain gossip and
a range of photos shot by the paparazzi have been popular because they reveal
the private lives of celebrities.
However, celebrities are taking back some
of the power these publications yield. Marshall states ‘through new media
forms, greater portions of the populace are now constructing online personas,’
(2010, p. 498).
I completely agree with this, and
celebrities are taking advantage of these new media technologies to construct a
view of their private lives they want the public to see.
The Kardashians are a family who seem to
thrive on turning their most intimate moments into a public event.
Not only are they in their seventh season
of reality TV show Keeping up with the Kardashians (along with other reality shows - 1, 2, 3), they also use a range of
social media to construct a public image of their private lives.
As Marshall explains, ‘we are inhabiting
spaces where we are not only on display but we think about our mediated
construction of ourselves,’ (2010).
And this is exactly how the Kardashians
have become famous, by allowing the public to view a version of their private
lives, making people believe they are getting to know the ‘real’ Kardashians,
when they are only viewing their self-produced personas.
 |
| Source: Daily Mail |
This self produced celebrity culture is
contributing to what Marshall describes as the specular economy – an idea that society is becoming more aware of their appearance and the way
others perceive them (Marshall, 2010).
References
Marshall, P D 2010, ‘The promotion and
presentation of the self: celebrity as a marker of presentational media’, Celebrity Studies, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 35-48.
Marshall, P D 2010, ‘The Specular Economy’,
Symposium: Celebrity Around the World, Springer Science & Business
Media, pp. 498-502
