Star Power

Stars do have real power, but not all of them wield it wisely. This work explores how a variety of celebrities developed their brands and how celebrity can become a jumping-off point to entirely unrelated activities.

Over the past century, a new breed of entertainer has arisen—one where the old division between on-camera talent and the suits behind the scenes has largely eroded. From Mabel Normand and Charlie Chaplin to Lady Gaga and Quentin Tarantino, entertainers have attempted to cross specialties and platforms to new arenas, from politics to philanthropy and more. An ideal resource for general readers as well as students of American popular culture and media at the undergraduate through scholar level, Star Power: The Impact of Branded Celebrity details the new ways entertainers are working in expanded environments to broaden their brands while also providing the history behind this recent trend.

The two-volume set comprises four main sections: one that provides historical background, a second on entertainers moving beyond stardom, a third focused on commerce and education, and a final section on cultural missions. The work documents how earlier entertainers "set the stage" for todays stars by exploiting their celebrity to take greater artistic control of their projects and provides articles that depict each artist from a number of perspectives. Readers will understand what motivates the most important contemporary entertainers working today and better grasp the business of entertainment as a whole—how Hollywood works, and who is really in control.