From Manhattan to Mumbai
It has been just over nine weeks since I came back from Manhattan, where I hosted the last Centre for Media and Celebrity Studies (CMCS) conference on journalists, personas, and celebrity culture. We received such a phenomenal response that I am now sponsoring the next conference Bridging Gaps: What are the media, publicists & celebrities selling? in Barcelona. A huge thanks to my co-chairs Dr Jackie Raphael and Dr Celia Lam for organizing this exciting conference series. I will be working on the conference as I travel – flying to Mumbai and Kolkata today. I am also excited to...
Read MoreBarcelona CFP 2016 Bridging Gaps: What are the media, publicists & celebrities selling?
Public personalities hold the power to draw attention to products, services, and charities through their endorsement. Celebrity activists, for example, can help to change the world. From Elizabeth Taylor to George Clooney, celebrities have proven that their status can help raise awareness and funds for issues such as aids, poverty and global warming. However, many activists have also gained fame by standing up for their beliefs such as Harvey Milk, Dian Fossey, Malala Yousafzai, and Rosa Parks, thereby bridging gaps between celebrity activists and activists as celebrities. Thanks to social...
Read MoreFamous 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...
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