Category Archives: Television
April 26, 2011 Are we Really Royal Crazy?
Ever since I started doing research on celebrity culture, reporters have been asking me a variation of this question: why are we so obsessed with [insert any celebrity who is all over the news at the time]? Most of the time I politely suggest that is not us who are obsessed, but celebrities provide the [...]
Tags: celebrity culture, karen sternheimer, new york times/cbs news poll, royal wedding, television
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- Posted under Television
April 20, 2011 The First Reality Stars
Did you know that PBS was a pioneer in the reality television business? An American Family first aired in 1973, featuring a Santa Barbara family and their five children. In addition to offering an inside glimpse into family life, the family experienced major turmoil during the filming. Wife Pat tells her husband she wants a [...]
Tags: an american family, baudrillard, celebrity culture, cinema verite, karen sternheimer, postmodernity, reality stars
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- Posted under History, Television
April 7, 2011 Reality for Sale
Would you pay to see reality show participants in person? Promoters of “Reality Rocks Expo” are hoping fans will pay $35 to meet people who have appeared on shows like Celebrity Rehab, The Real Housewives, Survivor, and a variety of other programs this weekend at the Los Angeles Convention Center. There’s nothing new about paying [...]
Tags: celebrity, celebrity culture and the american dream, karen sternheimer, reality stars
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February 24, 2011 Celebrity Culture and the Decline of The Oscars
The Academy Awards ceremony will be held this Sunday—will you be watching? You don’t have to be an industry insider to know that ratings for the Academy Awards telecast are much lower now compared with past decades. Before the widespread availability of cable television in the early 1980s, typically two-thirds of people watching TV tuned [...]
Tags: academy awards, celebrity, celebrity culture, karen sternheimer, oscars, television
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- Posted under Television
