The sudden departure of Jian Ghomeshi from Q illustrates that the CBC's once innovative radio division needs to focus on developing new personalities and formats if it is to adapt to a rapidly evolving mediascape.
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Celebrity/Stardom
A National Icon Deficit: What the Ghomeshi Scandal Illustrates About the State of CBC Radio One
Kollecting Kim K. Skills: Kardashianized Celebrity in Kim Kardashian: Hollywood
In the mobile game Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, the celebrity legitimizes her image while also propagating her brand by redefining fame as an accumulation of skills.
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Casey Kasem Signs Off (1932-2014)
Casey Kasem helped put pop music in a context. In so doing, he provided a resource for listeners to recontextualize that music for themselves.
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On Kale, Transmedia, and Winning GISHWHES
On winning GISHWHES (Greatest Scavenger Hunt the World Has Ever Seen), which enacts the fannish/digital ethos of playful creativity, experimentation, and community awareness in the world.
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Colbert’s Move to the Late Show
Risks, rewards, and a pair of empty shoes; how much can his political edge can he retain?
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Johnny Weir’s Divorce and the Burden of Representation
Johnny Weir's divorce challenges his status as one of the few openly gay American athletes, as well as the popular image of gay marriage and divorce in America.
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Inspiring Fans at LeakyCon Portland
Part 5 of a 7 part series on LeakyCon explores the ways fans and their creative labors influence the work of stars and producers of source texts.
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Fans and Stars and Starkids (LeakyCon Portland)
Part 3 of a 7 part series on LeakyCon focuses on the production of fandom by the "Starkids" theater troupe as well as those fans who call themselves simply "Starkids."
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On Wearing Two Badges: Indifference and Discomfort of a Scholar Fan (LeakyCon Portland)
Part 2 of a 7 part series on LeakyCon focuses on the struggles of being both an academic and a fan.
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Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vices?
Casting news on Paul Thomas Anderson's 'Inherent Vice' leads to a reflection on his past work, authorship, and his own inherent vices.
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What Are You Missing? Apr 28 – May 11
Ten (or more) media industry news items you might have missed recently.
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The Power of Women’s Voices in The Great Gatsby
The female voices on The Great Gatsby's soundtrack channel the hard-won feminist power of past generations.
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The Deanna Durbin Cult
The figure of the recently passed Deanna Durbin (1921-2013) is fascinating today because of how it embodies a sensibility within stardom: the cult of the child star.
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“We Saw Your Misogyny”: The Oscars & Seth MacFarlane
The controversy surrounding Seth MacFarlane's hosting of the 2013 Oscars offers an opportunity to have productive discussions about the role of the media in shaping ideology.
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The Face (and Laugh) that Launched a Thousand Bits
A farewell to Phyllis Diller from a reverent scholar-fan.
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