Anderson Cooper addressed his sexuality in a letter that demonstrates a new, old reason to come out: to break down invisibility and become a model for queer youth.
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Celebrity/Stardom
Outing Anderson: Our Cultural Coming Out Imperative
Which Direction?: The Homoerotic Masculinities of the Modern Boy Band
Whether you saw their performance on Saturday Night Live, heard the insanely catchy “What Makes You Beautiful” playing over a mall sound system, or just happen to know a 12-year-old girl, it’s possible you’ve already encountered One Direction, the first truly viable boy band of the current musical era.
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Imported by Justin Bieber: Carly Rae Jepsen and Transnational Stardom
Carly Rae Jepsen's Justin Bieber-supported breakthrough offers a case study for how difficult it is for stardom to remain transnational when moving into the U.S. market.
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The Brotherhood of NBC
When NBC aired its "Brotherhood of Man" promotion before the Super Bowl on Sunday, it provided a useful take on the network's biggest strength...and its potential weakness.
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Whatever Happened to the Devil’s Music?
Surely in the final minutes of the last day of the Glastonbury rock festival, people are supposed to look sick, bedraggled and filthy, following a weekend of unfettered debauchery, but those kids are just too clean!. Come to think of it, why is Beyonce headlining anyway?
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Sarah Palin, Anti-Fandom, and the Nature of Political Celebrity
With the release of the new documentary on Sarah Palin, the former governor takes umbrage at the "hate" directed toward her by Hollywood celebrities. She either doesn't understand celebrity culture or understands it all too well.
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Conan and the Warm Embrace of Narrowcasting
Basic cable might turn out to be the best thing to ever happen to Conan O'Brien.
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Rehabilitating the Investment in Sports Stardom
Nike tries to give LeBron James a chance to address his off-season controversy in a new 90-second ad while re-establishing the commodity of sports stardom.
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Open or Closed? Mad Men, Celebrity Gossip, and the Public/Private Divide
This week's Mad Men is all about gossip.
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Sheesh, What’s It Take to Make a Teenage Heartthrob These Days?
Robert Pattinson, like Brando and Dean before him, doesn't play by the star promotion rules and yet is a heartthrob because he appeals to heartthrob-hungry girls in unexpected ways.
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Being Gary Coleman
Friday, Gary Coleman passed away after what appeared to be, by most accounts, an incredibly difficult 42 years, many of which were spent in an unsuccessful attempt to stay out of the spotlight and live as normal a life as humanly possible.
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The New Reality of The Hills
It appears that in season six the world inside The Hills has effectively merged with the world outside The Hills. For this jaded fan, The Hills is once again must-see TV.
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The Rehabilitation of Russell Crowe
Crowe is consciously attempting to rebrand his image - illuminating the 'softer,' emotional side of the hard body - just in time for a massive publicity tour for Robin Hood.
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It’s a Bird! It’s GaGa! It’s…Miley?
Music videos are alive and well on the internet, and Miley Cyrus' latest - for her new single,"Can't Be Tamed" - represents a significant rhetorical moment in her star persona (and Disney's pockets).
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Transforming The Academy’s Female Winners into Losers
The proposition that the Academy’s female winners are in a more profound sense losers has emerged as a media talking point.
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