This revised and extended edition of Understanding Celebrity is an outstanding achievement. The book draws upon new transformations in celebrity - such as the deployment of the social media to create complex spaces of identification and agency - to assess its impact on all aspects of contemporary life. Graeme Turner writes with power and persuasion, and brilliantly explores what it is about celebrity today that should concern us all.
Accessibly written - and reinvigorated with reference to new case studies and trends - Understanding Celebrity remains a key touchstone for Celebrity Studies. Turner thoughtfully illuminates the variety of production and consumption practices through which celebrity circulates today, whilst remaining sensitive to the complexity of power relations in play. An essential read for students and scholars in the field.
Understanding Celebrity not only cements Turner’s status as the most important figure in celebrity studies, but also reminds us why the study of celebrity is so important. Providing a significant and compelling update, Turner’s gaze fixes on developments in digital, social and global mediascapes, drawing media and celebrity studies into complex critical, political and cultural debates in his indomitable style.
An extraordinary synthesis of research and theory, filled with original insights, the new edition of Understanding Celebrity remains the go-to text of celebrity studies. From Elvis to Kim Kardashian, from old Hollywood to the Twitterverse, from fandom to DIY stardom, Turner covers complex ground with smarts and erudition.
This is a timely and, given the meteoric emergence of social media, necessary update of Graeme Turner’s 2004 subject defining work Understanding Celebrity. Turner widens the frame of discussion and it is here that the value of the book is evident, not only as summative text on the academic study of celebrity but also as a compelling exploration of issues relating to consumerism and identity, Americanisation and the ‘battle’ between elite and popular culture.
A fantatsic and very current analysis of the celebrity culture. A must read for anyone, who is exploring the current culture and the importance of the celebrity on subject creation
Along with Barron's Celebrity Culture SAGE is setting the benchmark for titles that explore the increasing important and prevalent relationship between celebrities and social life. Turner's book questions what celebrity is and how it has come to be so important in the twenty-first century before exploring how celebrity society is produced and consumed. It offers an excellent theoretical introduction of celebrity culture and is recommended for anybody looking to explore the relationship between celebrity and contemporary social life.
This book lays the groundwork for understanding celebrity culture theoretically, and is another excellent book that crosses disciplines and is therefore relevant for political communication science students as well as film and television scholars. It is accessible and engaging.
The domain of 'celebrity' rears its pervasive head in a range of subjects and topic-areas. I was drawn to this book as a supplementary offering for students of business and management that are interested in the use of 'celebrities' in marketing, branding and whole host of aspects of business and management. It is proving an insightful and accessible account in such instances.
Excellent reference for students researching topic and understanding relevant theoretical paradigms
Likely to be of interest to our final year students studying celebrity.
The second edition of Turner's book is an essential for all those engaged in the filed of (celebrity) endorsers. The book addresses to practitioners as well as researchers and theorists.
This is an interesting and well-focused text around the celebrity culture. It should provide students with a good complementary resource.
An extremely valuable new edition of this seminal text.
This title is also available on SAGE Knowledge, the ultimate social sciences online library. If your library doesn’t have access, ask your librarian to start a trial.