2. OVERVIEW
Topic Introduction
Significance
Justification
Methodology
Cultural Studies
Literature Review themes
1. celebrity as culture
2. celebrity power
3. celebrity obligation
3. THE PURPOSE
Significance
Equal rights debate still
center of attention
Federal Marriage at
Supreme court
Fast public shift to
acceptance
More visibility
justification
When citizens try to grapple with
conceptualizing societal
shifts, “we use culturally
salient notions of marriage,
rights, and morality”
-McFarland, 2011, p. 256
4. 1. Are celebrities significant in bridging the
knowledge gap and lgbtq culture?
1. Who influences the cultural shift on lgbtq
rights?
5. CULTURAL STUDIES
An innovative and interdisciplinary field of teaching that investigates the way in
which culture creates and transforms:
individual experiences
everyday life
social relations
Power
“CULTURAL STUDIES SCHOLARS ARGUE THAT POPULAR CULTURE AND
SUB-CULTURE NEED TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY” - Macnamara, 2014, p. 80
6. “The fact is that no single, unproblematic
definition of ‘culture’ is to be found here. The
concept remains a complex one – a site of
convergent interests rather than a logically or
conceptually clarified idea”
– Hall (1980)
STUART HALL
02/03/1932 – 02/10/2014
7. Defined:
Celebrity status is desired
Entertainment is highly valued
Fame has economic, sociocultural,
and political impacts
“an aggregate of sense-making
practices whose main resources of
meaning are celebrity” – Driessens, 2014, p.
24
8. CELEBRITY POWER
Celebrity attachment = parasocial behavior
Defined as “the relationship a viewer or consumer has with
characters they interact with through some form of media” Laken,
2009, p. 6
One-sided, influential and “not susceptible of mutual
development” – HORTON & WOHl, 1956, P. 215
The higher the attachment level, the more influential a celebrity can be
attitudes, behavior, beliefs, and loyalty are adopted – elteren (2013), Lindenber, Joly,
stapel (2011), Horton & wohl (1956)
11. CELEBRITY POWER AND EQUAL RIGHTS
Hollywood has made homosexuality mainstream (Wilson,
2013)
Time is a relevant factor when observing celebrity discourse
The glass Closet
Symbols of hope
Celebrity subcultures
12. CELEBRITY POWER AND EQUAL RIGHTS
Hollywood mainstreamed
Critical acclaim for lgbtq roles and actors
Oscars
Accepting community
High visibility in tv and film (glaad 2014)
“celebrity culture and content has become fundamental to the news media in the twenty-
first century” (Turner, 2010, p. 11)
Cultural shift in celebrity career behavior
13. CELEBRITY POWER AND EQUAL RIGHTS
Time is relevant!
Chronological shift
1980-1990’s
• Ellen
• Mel gibson
• Donna Summer
• the glass closet
• doma
2000-2010’s
• ELLEN (AGAIN)
• 37 states have equal marriage laws
• 59% of americans support same-sex
marriage
• Tracy morgan & Tina fey (2011)
• Isiah washington & Shonda rhimes (2007)
14. CELEBRITY POWER AND EQUAL RIGHTS
Does it even matter?
Media perpetuates celebrity as cultural authority
Does the public have a say?
Yes, they do!
Inconsistent reactions for celebrity actions : celebrity
subcultures!
Business moguls
Celebrity subculture: THE AUTHORITY CELEBRITIES OWN DIFFERS
BASED ON THE cultural values, norms, and expected behavior OF TARGET
AUDIENCE
rappers
15. CELEBRITY POWER AND EQUAL RIGHTS
Lindenberg, joly, stapel (2011)
Normative expectations of culture
One must actively engage in cultural norm
Values are non static, DEPENDENT ON TIME AND CONTEXT
Lgbt youth
More at risk for loneliness, depression, anxiety, suicide
42% identify musician, actor, entertainer, or singer as role model
Celebrity as cultural authority is supported
16. DO LGBTQ CELEBRITIES HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO COME OUT
AND ADVOCATE FOR EQUAL RIGHTS?
“Celebrities like ellen degeneres and rosie o’donnel
came out and gave every American a face to attach to
homosexuality” – Wilson, 2013, para. 6
17. CONCLUSION
Celebrities do matter in cultural discourse
They help shape and change social norms and trends
The authority they hold changes depending on the norms of a subculture
Celebrities are shifting with public trends
Who is the agent of change?
Theory-based Research questions:
RQ1: What societal implications arise from the subcultures of celebrity authority?
RQ2: How does the public process the meaning of how and why celebrities communicate their
sexuality?
RQ3: Do celebrities have a social obligation to come out as a rhetorical cultural strategy?