Celebrating Life with Grief – The Talent of Deep Living
In his seminal work Stars, Richard Dyer appropriately argues that “talent is historically and culturally specific. Even if one simply meant talent as skill, one would have to ask, skill at what?” Stephen Jenkinson’s words on loving and living with grief are probably the least mentioned skills in celebrity culture. Yet, many heroic public personalities and fellow human beings achieve deep living and celebrate life through the wisdom of death that Jenkinson shares. I received Jenkinson’s knowledge of ‘Orphan Wisdom’ during my latest writing retreat near Kawartha Lakes in Ontario, Canada. ...
Read MoreWriting Fame: Defining the Celebrity
Dear Celebrity Culture Readers, Last week, I had the pleasure of being at the 13th Annual FILMI industrial party and film festival in Toronto. FILMI supports independent as well as mainstream film talent within and beyond standard frameworks of the entertainment industry. Questions on fame kept coming up in many conversations and industrial panel talks with friends and associates (below). There is no one single meaning of popular recognition, just like there is no one single kind of talent. Unique qualities of talent, however, play a key role in connecting with viewers and creating...
Read MoreWhy Fame?
Dear Readers, I am writing from my beautiful summer home in Barcelona where I took up a post-PhD thesis writing retreat. The home has an arts library where I find myself reading, writing, and connecting with creative souls. After I read and write, I often seek new paths among Roman ruins, Medieval Gothic architecture, and contemporary art spaces where many heroes and artists received fame. In my last post, I mentioned my focus on celebrity culture. I have been often asked: what is it about fame that appeals me and calls my attention in cultural studies? Let us address this question with a...
Read MoreWelcome to Celebrity Cultural Critic’s Blog
Writing from my home in the Greater Toronto Area of Canada and sending a warm welcome to this new blog! It has been 8 weeks since I submitted my PhD dissertation at Curtin University in Australia. My research and practice examine construction of celebrities within social discourses, cultural meanings of fame, and how stardom is shifted and articulated through various cultural sites. These sites include film festivals, award ceremonies, gala film premieres, entertainment magazines, reality TV shows, and the Internet among many others. As a Celebrity Cultural Critic, I offer critical...
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