Celebrity Culture and the American Dream: Stardom and Social Mobility by Karen Sternheimer

Author:Karen Sternheimer [Sternheimer, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Published: 2011-04-11T14:00:00+00:00

7

Is That All There Is?

CHALLENGING THE SUBURBAN FANTASY IN THE SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES

The American Dream might not have turned out to be as utopian as promised in the heady postwar years. Just as many young Americans ques - tioned the goals of materialism and suburban prosperity, celebrity stories focused on tales of unhappy, suffering celebrities during the 1960s and early 1970s. The magazines no longer described fame and fortune as a shortcut to happiness. Marriage would not necessarily bring a lifetime of bliss either, as celebrity divorces and rumors of unhappy relationships became a regular feature. Cohabitation, bearing children outside of marriage, and interracial relationships all challenged the accepted social order at a time when shifts in the racial and gender order took place. At the very same time these major changes occurred, the studio system also collapsed, seriously altering the production of celebrity culture. The sym- biotic relationship between movies and fan magazines faded, and coverage of other kinds of celebrities widened: television stars, athletes, and political figures became more common subjects in the magazines. Celebrity coverage also included more information the studios might have previously prevented from running, such as news of drug use and arrests. Gossip and more invasive stories became more common, and the coverage became much more similar to the no-holds-barred coverage we have today.

This chapter explores how the celebrity culture of the sixties and seventies reflects both criticism of the postwar version of the American Dream, as well as the uncertainty about what would follow in an era of social change. The celebrity stories of this era reflect both a sense of alienation—the feeling of disconnection from one’s true sense of purpose amidst the pressures of consumer capitalism—as well as anomie—a lack of certainty about social norms during a period of flux, leading to feelings of disconnection to the broader society. In addition, this chapter addresses the following questions: How did celebrity coverage reflect the social changes taking place in the 1960s and 1970s? What led to the changes in tone in stories about women, relationships, and families? How did these changes lead to the start of a conservative backlash and a return to more traditional values?

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.