 |
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.
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 are published in the Spring
2005 issue of The Hedgehog Review. |
