JOUR 3745 1st Edition Lecture 19 Outline of Last Lecture I Celebrities a Perspectives b Characteristics II Stars vs Celebrities III Political Economy of Stars IV Productions of Stars V Manufacturing of Stars VI Endorsements Outline of Current Lecture I II III Fascination with celebrities a Parasocial interactions b Audience types Tabloids Paparazzi a Mendelson Current Lecture Entertainment News Our Fascination with celebrities Celeb Fans Appreciate their skills Want to know more about their personal lives Want to be like them Parasocial interactions hotron and wohl Perception that one knows a celebrity or character intimately Past research focused on traditional media but what effect do you think social media has on parasocial interactions and relationships 2 important changes o relationships more intimate and direct These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute o normalize parasocial perception 5 Audience Types Joshua Gamsa 1 Traditionalist believe what they see and read 2 Second order traditionalists believe what they see read was placed by someone but is still true 3 Post modernists know about celeb manufacturer and seek out its evidence and its details rejecting most stories as false 4 Gossipers 5 Detectives Function of Journalism in a democracy 1 Inform citizens news 2 Voice for Voiceless 3 Watchdog function making sure government and corporations do not abuse power Why has the line between traditional news and celeb gossip been blurred Trends in newsrooms leading to change in content News owners focus on economic bottom line profit motive Secure advertising dollars Focus on increasing ratings Public interested in celebrities and scandal news shows integrate celebrity entertainment stories scandal in with regular news Stories come from tabloids TMZ etc Have tabloids like TMZ become legitimate news sources for mainstream media Ray Rice and Janay Palmer elevator Donald Sterling LA clippers owner National Enquirer Pulitzer Prize U S senator John Edwards Paparazzi o o o o buzzing insects Immortalized in film Le Dolce Vita After film the paparazzi became known as intrusive photographers Freelance photographers willing to go to any length to get a picture of a celebrity o Now traditional media outlets get pictures from the paparazzi rather then sending out their own photographers o Some paparazzi try to fight or say mean things to celebrities o Blamed for princess Diana s death Mendelson Right to Privacy Frame Paparazzi as Menace Self Presentation and Image Frame Paparazzi as investigative journalist using watchdog function to make sure that celebrities are not abusing power Specific distinctions between Photojournalists and Paparazzi Content Photojournalist more important issues paparazzi is more focused on celebrities Motivations Photojournalist feel they have a duty passion to serve people paparazzi is more about money Composition and aesthetics Photojournalists more concerned with quality of photo paparazzi more concerned with who is in it Another important distinction Legitimate Celeb Photographers work with celebrities make sure they are taking pictures that end up in magazines invited in to events Paparazzi wants to just snipe pictures of celebrities in vulnerable positions Goffman s Image and Self Presentation Performance all activities of a given participant on given occasion which serves to influence in any way any of the other participants 2 areas that comprise performance o 1 Front region what they make public under control o 2 Back region what they keep public Protective practices Destructive information Information control Consistent vs inconsistent information Celebrities vs paparazzi Mendelson s Argument Celebrities and image brand image Paparazzi challenges this Mendelson empathetic lens regarding privacy not relevant Privacy not important Celebrities hold significant form of cultural political and or economic power