Famous Leaves
Halloween is over, but neighbouring ‘Skeleton Park’ has not taken off its Fall costume made out of unstitched leaves. As Fame in Hollywood North points out, Canada is famous for its Fall maple leaves. In fact, we observe more maple leaves than talent in Canadian representations of fame. The leaves fall and ironically give rise to new thoughts. The irony in fame is present in the ironies of nature. After all, fame is a mediated construction of our authentic nature in life. And now, the vibrant, colourful leaves are like book pages scattered around – waiting to be written...
Read MoreCelebrity Chat
When it is time to give a voice, there is no time to spare! On behalf of the Centre for Media and Celebrity Studies (www.cmc-centre.com), I am pleased to announce that board member Dr Jackie Raphael and I are now producers of the brand new video series Celebrity Chat. Celebrity Chat is a ground-breaking video series on the CMCS YouTube channel that is based on scholarly discussions on celebrity culture. It was launched at the NYC conference “Bridging Gaps: Where is the Persona in Celebrity and Journalism?” last month. Videos are now uploaded as a reliable resource for scholars, students, and...
Read MoreActivists as Celebrities
Canadian Thanksgiving is over, but my sense of gratitude and awe continues to grow. Earlier this week, my dear friend, media spokesperson, and heroic figure Dr Anita Krajnc bravely went to court. She was charged for giving water to non-human animals and was featured on Huffington Post and Halton Insider for her fearless truth: “compassion is not a crime.” Read the Huffington Post article http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jacy-anthis/woman-charged-with-crimin_b_8299694.html and watch her video here: Her fearless truth reminds me of Malala Yousafzai, who also speaks from...
Read MoreThe Feminist and the Friend
Dear Readers, Last Sunday, host of Extraordinary Women TV Shannon Skinner and I had the honour to conduct a 3-hour media skills training workshop for the Feminist Art Conference (FAC) delegates at Ontario College of Arts and Design (OCAD) University. I also had the privilege to offer a pre-launch display of Fame in Hollywood North – the first ever history and theory of fame in Canadian popular culture. A special thanks to WaterHill Publishing, Ilene Sova at FAC, Carmen Wong, and Nalini Mohabir for being a part of this journey. The day of my Feminist Art Conference (FAC) media workshop...
Read MoreFame and the Cities
New York City is like a star. It is either hyped or criticized. My experience of NYC was nothing like I thought. It wasn’t the mediated version of Sex and the City which, by the way, I adore. I was fortunate to be in the Upper West Side in between Central Park and Riverside Park that was eclectic, charming, calm, and vibrant at the same time. And it was there that the exciting journey of my debut book Fame in Hollywood North started. After a pre-launch reading of the book at America’s first conference on celebrity culture, it is now being presented at exclusive media events in...
Read MoreAmerica’s First Conference on Celebrity Culture Presents Exclusive Readings
Greetings from New York City! It has been just over 2 weeks here and I have some great news to share! I am pleased to announce that I will be offering a pre-launch reading of my book Fame in Hollywood North at America’s first conference on celebrity culture. Joining me are authors Josh Nathan and Veronica Grey, who also directed the film Worst Shark Attack Ever featuring Leonardo DiCaprio. This is an exclusive event for attendees of the international media conference Bridging Gaps: Where is the Persona in Celebrity and Journalism? Josh Nathan is a broadcaster and communication professor at...
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