Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Why the Celebrity Cult?

  • Symposium: Celebrity in America Today
  • Published:
Society Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The celebrity cult has to be sharply distinguished from hero worship as its precondition is to be well known, no matter for what reason. It has been a product of American culture and is closely associated with modernity, individualism, egalitarianism and a moral, cultural and aesthetic relativism. It is part of popular culture and is also stimulated by the pervasive entertainment orientation of American society. Celebrity worship may provide vicarious gratification to people who seek to escape anonymity and believe that they do not get sufficient amounts of attention.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 35 Vernon St., Northampton, MA, 01060, USA

    Paul Hollander

Authors
  1. Paul Hollander
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul Hollander.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hollander, P. Why the Celebrity Cult?. Soc 47, 388–391 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12115-010-9348-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12115-010-9348-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation