CORE140 Celebrities in the 21st Century: Character and Functioning

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Šárka Jelínek Gmiterková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Bc. Romana Danková (assistant)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Šárka Jelínek Gmiterková, Ph.D.
Department of Film Studies and Audiovisual Culture – Faculty of Arts
Supplier department: Department of Film Studies and Audiovisual Culture – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites (in Czech)
TYP_STUDIA(BM) && FORMA(P) && !(PROGRAM(B-FAV_) || OBOR(FBFAVpV))
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
The capacity limit for the course is 100 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/100, only registered: 0/100, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/100
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to introduce students to the various forms and functions of modern Anglo-American celebrities. The overused term carries with it a mainly negative connotation, as a designation of something ephemeral, superficial, even pathological. However, celebrities are essential to the functioning of the modern entertainment, media and sports industries, and carry an important social function. Indeed, celebrities interest us not so much for their public merit or talent as for who they are, how they behave as private individuals, what values they embody, and what lifestyles they put on display. If we follow celebrities, talk about them, ironize or criticize them, then we are also refining our own opinions, attitudes and values. Even if it's "just" Harry Styles in a see-through shirt.

In this course we thus will not practice our intellectual domination over celebrities, but we will try our best to understand them. Concepts used to study various forms of mediated fame will be introduced and I will demonstrate their application through a series of case studies. These will cover the full range of socio-political domains in which celebrities are particularly prominent.
Learning outcomes
Graduates of the course:
- will be able to perceive contemporary popular culture in deeper contexts, historical contexts and broader value frameworks
- will be able to think critically and empathetically not only about the personalities presented
- Be introduced to concepts for academic research on celebrities, including their practical application
Syllabus
  • 1. Where did the celebrities come from?
  • In the first lesson we will have a closer look at the historical circumstances of the emergence of celebrity culture. Does the old saying "since the ancient times..." apply to them, or is it a completely new type of fame? Who can we consider as the first truly modern celebrity and why?
  • 2. Celebrity as a form of promotion
  • Celebrities are first and foremost a marketing tool. Far from just selling items, fashion or brands, they primarily sell themselves and their own lifestyle. Creating a coherent, engaging and sufficiently attractive image is the foundation for any celebrity who wants to shine for more than the proverbial 15 minutes. What does a functional and compelling celebrity image look like?
  • 3. Scandal as the kiss of death?
  • Although celebrities strive for a whole and harmonious image, these ambitions can be disrupted at any time by unauthorized publicity. Scandals are an integral part of celebrity culture and far from necessarily thwarting all efforts to maintain themselves in the public sphere. On the contrary, scandals can often revive, cleanse and give the necessary credibility to the image being built. Which scandals can be fatal, which beneficial and for whom?
  • 4. Celebrity as text
  • The existence of celebrities as first and foremost public private figures that span a range of fields, media channels, and pop culture sectors complicates the identification of primary sources for a more thorough analysis. We can often find ourselves being overwhelmed by the amount of material. Which sources have the main priority and how should we analyze it?
  • 5. Perspective of fans, followers and critics
  • Acceptance is crucial for a celebrity, whether it is negative reactions or unconditional devotion. Only sustained public attention will allow celebrities to remain in the limelight, or at least as easy targets for trolls, critics, and meme makers. By what means do celebrities build their fan bases and how are idols perceived by their followers?
  • 6. Movie star as celebrity?
  • Movie stars have a slightly easier position than lesser perceived celebrities because they are protected by the aura of talented artists. However, they too must regularly perform and function in the celebrity mode. Under what circumstances do stars neglect their talent and creative work in favor of presenting themselves as first and foremost as partners, parents, and children?
  • 7. Reality TV and "ordinary" celebrities
  • Not only has reality TV managed to create short-lived celebrities out of otherwise ordinary individuals with little aptitude for fame, it has even managed to breathe a second life into already extinct stars. One of the most followed but ethically questionable genres desperately needs famous faces. What celebrities, with what credentials and in what formats stand out in the densely populated landscape of reality TV?
  • 8. Music celebrities
  • In addition to movie stars, singers and music groups are also certain to find their place in the limelight. Whether as individuals or entire bands, they rarely remain confined to the realm of the music industry. What is more true for music celebrities than for other popular figures is the fact that they migrate across media and cultural industries. Which celebrities and why do they manage to exist between music and film in the long term, and which ones fail in this respect?
  • 9. Celebrity as a political thing
  • Far from belonging only to show business, celebrities are an integral part of the political world. This fact significantly influenced the 2016 election year, when Donald Trump became US president against all expectations and cultural consensus. However, it is far from the only one, as there are numerous examples in history and in various countries illustrating the intersection of politics and popular culture. Which celebrities are expected to enter politics and which factors can contribute significantly to electoral success?
  • 10. Sports to victory and/or fame?
  • Celebrities are naturally found not only in the entertainment industries, but also in sports. Although it may seem that sport favours talent and results and there is no argument about winners, the opposite is usually true. If a sportsman or sportswoman is also a celebrity with a large following and a large fan base, this can ultimately benefit the entire sports arena. Which sports generate most celebrities and is there something specific about fame generated by sports?
  • 11. Celebrity as a family business
  • By no means all celebrities thrive in individual mode. Others shine in the long run as part of supra-personal units - couples, families, groups. The British royal family represents perhaps the most striking example of the functioning of a extended family as a kind of business, in which individuals must fulfill precise roles and adhere to a hierarchy. How is it possible that for years the British royal family has kept control of its image in its own hands, and what circumstances in recent years have contributed to the destabilization of this hitherto unshakable brand?
  • 12. Alternative celebrities
  • Yes, by the end of the course, we already know that every prominent celebrity carries with him or her an ideological paradox that he or she embodies and lives out in the public eye. But the most interesting celebrities are those who have managed to become famous despite the factors that can complicate global fame. This includes mainly race, sexual identity and the negation of fame, where the celebrity is unwilling or unable to work with their notoriety. What does fame look like despite predictions, circumstances and the status quo?
Literature
  • FREEMAN, Matthew - RAMAZZO GAMBARATO, Renira (eds.). The Routledge Companion to Transmedia Studies. London: Routledge, 2020.
  • CASHMORE, Ellis. Celebrity Culture. London: Routledge, 2014.
  • YORK, Lorraine- Reluctant Celebrity. Affect and priviledge in Contemporary Stardom. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2018.
  • COBB, Shelley - EWEN, Neill (eds.) First comes love. Power couples, celebrity kinship and cultural politics. London: Bloomsburry Academic, 2015.
  • DYER, Richard. Stars. London: BFI, 1998.
  • WRIGHT, Lauren A. American Democracy in the Age of the Celebrity Candidate. New York and London: Routledge, 2020.
  • A companion to celebrity. Edited by P. David Marshall - Sean Redmond. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell, 2016, xvii, 557. ISBN 9781118475010. info
  • TURNER, Graeme. Understanding celebrity. Second edition. Los Angeles: SAGE, 2014, vi, 171. ISBN 9781446253205. info
  • FERRIS, Kerry O. and Scott R. HARRIS. Stargazing : celebrity, fame, and social interaction. 1st pub. New York: Routledge, 2011, xvi, 158. ISBN 9780203831342. info
  • Stardom and celebrity a reader. Edited by Sean Redmond - Su. Holmes. London: SAGE, 2007, 1 online. ISBN 9781446269534. URL info
  • VINCENDEAU, Ginette. Stars and stardom in French cinema. 1st publ. London: Continuum, 2000, xii, 275 s. ISBN 0-8264-4730-9. info
Teaching methods
A total of 12 sessions will introduce both celebrities in various cultural, social and political spheres, and methodological concepts for analysing of other exposed personalities. Students will prepare for each lesson by reading one scholarly text or chapter and watching one audiovisual work (film or series episode). During the lecture, we will discuss key themes and questions present in students' preparation, and showing similar or contrasting cases.
Assessment methods
At the end of each lesson, students will be given the opportunity to complete a testing ROPOT. Each will consist of 12 questions, six of which will focus on reading and six on audiovisual content. Upon completion, the answer sheet will display all the correct answers along with an explanation. These ROPOTs can be opened and completed any time again in order to prepare for the live ROPOTs. There will be a total of three of live ROPOTs during the semester, after completing every four lessons. The "sharp" ROPOTs will contain 30 questions that the students have continuously practised in the practice ROPOTs. The live or sharp ROPOT cannot be returned to or corrected once it has been completed.
All three sharp ROPOTS must be completed in order to pass the course, and a minimum of 22 points must be earned in each.
Náhradní absolvování
It is also possible to take the course in an alternative form, in case of a an Erasmus stay abroad. Readings will be available in the interactive syllabi and AV materials in the IS study materials. The test answer sheets can be worked with at any time after completing the lecture. Students will be informed in due course of the launch of the sharp ROPOT.
Language of instruction
Czech
Study support
https://is.muni.cz/auth/el/phil/jaro2025/CORE140/index.qwarp
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
Teacher's information
Mgr. Šárka Jelínek Gmiterková, Ph.D. is an assistant professor at the Department of Film and Audiovisual Culture at the Faculty of Arts in Brno. In her research, she focuses on various forms of stardom, film acting and costume design; she cooperates with a number of domestic cultural institutions, Czech Broadcasting Company, Czech Television and the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. She has published both in the Czech Republic and abroad, for example in the journals Cinepur and Iluminace, and her studies have been published abroad by renowned journals such as the Journal of Celebrity Studies and NECSUS. At her home department she teaches courses focused on Czech New Wave (both to Czech and international students), melodrama, film stars and film acting.
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