Call for Chapters: The Political Economy of Celebrity Activism
Call for Chapters: The Political Economy of Celebrity Activism From Dr Nathan Farrell (NFarrell@bournemouth.ac.uk) In early 2014, Hollywood actor Scarlet Johansson provoked a critical response from the UK charity Oxfam, for whom she functioned as an ambassador. The star had recently signed a promotional deal with SodaStream, the manufacturer of a carbonated drinks machine, with headquarters in Israel and a factory situated in a controversial settlement in the West Bank. Such settlements, Oxfam asserted, have been linked to the ongoing poverty of the location’s Palestinian inhabitants....
Read MoreMoving Forward in May
Dear Readers, Hope May is going well for all! If you are in Canada, where I am based, you must be loving the warmer weather now! On behalf of the Centre for Media and Celebrity Studies (CMCS), I have been excited in organizing the second part of our public seminar series Moving Forward: An Intimate Evening on Media, Diversity and Social Justice. While the first seminar on March 29 focussed on individual change, the second one looks at social change, particularly cultural diversity and social justice movements in media and celebrity culture on May 30. Here, celebrity activism will be...
Read MoreFrom International Women’s Day to Celebration of All
Dear Readers, I hope you had a wonderful weekend! My weekend started off with precious moments that I never planned. The moments unfolded within my serendipitous learning practices that I will always remember. On Friday night, I met with friend Jo-Anne McArthur, who is an award-winning photojournalist and author. I was finally able to attend readings of her book We Animals (http://www.weanimals.org/) at University of Western Ontario in London. Jo-Anne’s work has been featured in Liz Marshall’s award-winning documentary The Ghosts in Our Machine...
Read MoreInterview on Celebrities and Journalism
Dear Readers, After I posted my last blog on Ellen’s ‘selfie’ at the 86th Academy Awards, I had the pleasure to meet Toronto-based journalist Jeanie Tran. Jeanie organized an interview with me to examine representation of celebrities in journalism. On behalf of the Centre for Media and Celebrity Studies (CMCS), I offer interviews, media commentaries, research and training in media and celebrity studies. I also use research and media skills to support students, creative practitioners, and journalists to succeed in ethical ways. What I really liked about Jeanie’s...
Read MoreOscar Selfies: Authenticity at the 86th Academy Awards
Dear Readers, In the last 12 hours, I had a fascinating conversation with Toronto-based American historian Jarret Ruminski. On my Facebook page, I shared how Ellen DeGeneres’ ‘selfie’ at the 86th Academy Awards got re-tweeted more than 3 million times. The re-tweet of the ‘star-studded selfie’ led to Samsung donating a total of $3 million to two of her favorite charities: the Humane Society and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. More on http://www.ecorazzi.com/2014/03/04/ellens-oscar-selfie-earns-millions-for-charity/ Ruminski makes an excellent...
Read MoreMoving Forward: An Intimate Evening on Paths, Success and Love
Dear Celebrity Culture Readers, In my last post, I mentioned a rare and intimate evening that is coming up end of this month! On behalf of The Centre for Media and Celebrity Studies(CMCS), I am proud to introduce our second location The IndustReal Arts Room (688 Richmond Street, Toronto, ON) with premiere event Moving Forward on Saturday, March 29, 2013. A Canadian and Australian joint production, Moving Forward applies media, social justice, and science to empower individual and social change in a cross-disciplinary and intimate setting. Dr. Louis Massey opens the series with his...
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