New Book - Celebrity and Power: Fame in Contemporary Culture

Celebrity and Power: Fame in Contemporary Culture / by P. David Marshall
University of Minnesota Press, c1997
Call Number: E169.04 M366 1997 (Main Collection)

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My ramblings on Tom Cruise in a previous post led me to the discovery of this book, which I subsequently ordered for the library. I'm fascinated by the apparent power many celebrities hold over the public (or think they hold) and was delighted to see that even back in 1997 the author thought it important to include Tom Cruise in his book.

From a description by the publisher:

"Through detailed analysis of figures from Tom Cruise to Oprah Winfrey to the commercial pop music sensation New Kids on the Block, author and cultural critic P. David Marshall investigates the general public's desire to associate with celebrity...Marshall asks why enigmatic, distant stars populate the silver screen while television constructs approachable "everyman" figures and popular music features audience-identified celebrity personalities. He looks at the significance of stars who amass cultlike followings as well as those who appear to prompt outright rejection."

If you're interested in reading a companion to this book, try:

What Price Fame? / by Tyler Cowen
Harvard University Press, 2000
Call Number: BJ1470.5 C69 2000 (Main Collection)