"An outstanding achievement... Graeme Turner writes with power and persuasion, and brilliantly explores what it is about celebrity today that should concern us all"
- Sean Redmond, Deakin University
"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"
- Sue Holmes, University of East Anglia
"Cements Turner's status as the most important figure in celebrity studies... 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"
- James Bennett, Royal Holloway, University of London
"An extraordinary synthesis of research and theory... Understanding Celebrity remains the go-to text of celebrity studies"
- Joshua Gamsom, University of San Francisco
Where does the production of celebrity end and its consumption begin?
Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and reality TV allow us a previously unimagined engagement with the manufactured 'persona' of celebrity.
Understanding Celebrity has become the go-to text for understanding the connection between the production and consumption of this 'persona'. The long-awaited second edition assesses the changing nature of this pivotal relationship in celebrity studies.
The book:
- Explains how social media is key in establishing an online presence for celebrities
- Critically analyses the changing nature of fan culture within the online environment
- Delves into a richer and more detailed account of the history of celebrity
- Examines in greater depth the increased role of reality TV
- Incorporates recent contributions from feminist scholars to the field
Enriched with new examples drawn from popular culture, this is a contemporary and incisive look at celebrity studies.
Understanding Celebrity is not only an essential text, but a stimulating read for students studying celebrity and popular culture across media studies, cultural studies and sociology.
Industry Reviews
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. -- Sean Redmond 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. -- Su Holmes 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. -- James Bennett 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. -- Joshua Gamson 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. -- Dr Thomas Thurnell-Read, Coventry University
