Celebrity Culture

Spring Colloquium 2005

Entertainment and a prurient interest in the personal details of others’ lives have always been a part of American culture. What is noteworthy today is how many aspects of our lives and culture have taken on the form of entertainment — think of political debates, televised “arranged marriages,” the college classroom — and the extent to which celebrities now serve as our leaders, heroes, and topics of everyday conversation. In fact, celebrity culture turns out to be an illuminating lens through which to view the most significant cultural shifts taking place in America.

Some of the questions the speakers addressed are: What does it mean when politics, education, and our most intimate relationships become entertainment? What does it say about how we perceive ourselves or what it means to be human when lavishly rewarded movie stars, sports heroes, media gurus, rock stars, polished politicians, or television-circuit literary authors are our role models? Does the constant glare of the media spotlight on celebrities blind Americans to the meaning and value of their own lives? Are celebrities the cultural leaders of a country that believes that unbridled individualism is a virtue or are they commodities to be consumed, like other goods, by an entertainment-addicted public? Are we fascinated by their exploits, both public and private, because we identify with them or because they provide the excitement and glamour that we feel are missing from our lives?

Noted writers, social commentators, and scholars Joseph Epstein, Wendy Kaminer, and Loren Glass discussed the uniquely American character of celebrity culture and how it shapes the lives of “ordinary” Americans.

Papers from this colloquium were published in the Spring 2005 issue of The Hedgehog Review.