Starstruck The Business of Celebrity Author:Elizabeth Currid-Halkett Our modern culture is obsessed with celebrity. We follow every move of our favorite stars in the tabloids and on gossip sites. We know not only about their career highs and lows but also about the highs and lows of their personal lives; we absorb with rapt attention the details of who they are (alleged to be) dating or breaking up with; we even ... more »care about their children, assistants, dogs, and what they ordered this morning at Starbucks. But what exactly is celebrity, and how does it function?
In Starstruck, Elizabeth Currid-Halkett presents the first systematic exploration of stardom, showing how it works and how it came to be. She looks at celebrity as an expression of economics, geography (both real and virtual), and our increasing obsession with social networks. She traces the phenomenon from the high school football star to the Star Trek convention favorite, and from the YouTube idol to the megastar, while bringing together extensive research and analysis, along with interviews with major Hollywood players and the people behind the scenes.« less