Abstract
In previous research the movie awards show has been characterized as Hollywoods ’global passion play’ (Kellner). However since 2017 the movie awards shows seem to work differently being both a film cultural platform for the Hollywood industry and legitimizing celebrity activism and explicit political statements. This include stars all dressed in black gowns at the Golden Globes and the BAFTA’s, wearing the #timesup-pin in solidarity and discussing ’systemic inequality’ on the red carpet. In addition several acceptance speeches and presenters addressed specific political issues relevant far beyond the movie industry.
The aim of this paper is to propose a theoretical framework for analysing how the cross-media movie awards shows work as a media genre and how it includes this new celebrity activism, in a sense conflating the cultural and the political public spheres within the realms of popular film culture, inspired in part perhaps by some of the more politically explicit film festivals (Wong, de Valck). The live movie awards show is providing mainstream connectivity (Couldry) as well as being a kind of mothership in a factual version of transmedia storytelling with spreadable segments that the audience can post, share and comment upon (Jenkins). The proposed framework is a combination of theories of media events (Dayan and Katz, Dayan, Couldry, Krotz & Hepp), and the authority of the award in the film industry (MacDonald, Wasko, de Valck), theories of stars in terms of image and power (Rojek, Dyer, Marshall), the stars functioning as role models and celebrity activists (Gamson, Stacey, Chouliaraki) as well as the stars’ performances on social media platforms (Marwick and boyd, Marwick, Marshall). The method is a case study with a qualitative textual analysis of three 2018 live movie awards shows (Academy Awards, BAFTA, Golden Globe). The awards show is regarded as a cross-media genre but focus is on three questions in particular: How celebrity activism is performed as part of a live media event, how the cultural critique and social issues are addressed and how the movie awards show is an example of crossing borders of different public spheres while being a global platform of popular film culture.
References
Dayan, D & Katz, E., 1992. Media Events: The Live Broadcasting of History, MA: Harvard University Press.
Dayan, D. , 2009. ”Beyond Media Events” in Couldry, N., Hepp, A. & Krotz, F. (eds.) Media Events in a Global Age. London & New York: Routledge.
Dyer, R., 1979. Stars. London: British Film Institute. Jenkins, H., 2009. ”The Revenge of the Origami Unicorn”:
http://henryjenkins.org/blog/2009/12/the_revenge_of_the_origami_uni.html
Kellner, D., 2003 Media Spectacle. New York: Psychology Press
Marwick, A., 2011. To See and be seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter. In: Covergence, Vol. 17 Issue 2.
Rojek, C., 2001. Celebrity. London: Reaktion Books.
Valck, M. De., 2007. Film Festivals: From European Geopolitics to Global Cinephilia. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.
Abstract Title
Popular film culture, celebrity activism & the live movie awards show: New forms of cultural critique
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication date | 2018 |
| Publication status | Published - 2018 |
| Event | ECREA 2018 - Lugano, Switzerland Duration: 31 Oct 2018 → 3 Nov 2018 |
Conference
| Conference | ECREA 2018 |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Switzerland |
| City | Lugano |
| Period | 31/10/2018 → 03/11/2018 |