Celebrity Take Over

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When the word 'celebrity' is heard there are a lot of faces that come to mind across different industries. Majority of the celebrities that I identify are not Australian or Australian based, some of whom are not even from western cultures. It is through globalisation through means of media outlets that this awareness across countries has occurred. Celebrities are an entertainment factor for audiences and are now defined as newsworthy in journalistic terms. As a result the media is becoming a platform for celebrities to shape their own identity and become a type of role model for audiences. This is what David Marshall (2010, p.489) defines as 'specular mirror', 'a two-way mirror of projection on to the screen and the circulation of and interaction with those images and texts into the wider world'. 

The specular mirror allows for celebrities to brand themselves and create their own image. Victoria Secrets model, Candice Swanepoel, has become a world reknowned model as a result of being associated with not Victoria Secrets, for one, but also Vogue. The South African model has appeared on the front cover of the Australian, Greek, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese and Italian versions of Vogue and has a whole list of other magazine covers to follow. This relationship between the companies has resulted in her being able brand herself as a high-end fashion model.

 

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Celebrities are also a tactic used in product promotion. This is what Marshall refers to as a specular economy, as consumers are influenced to buy products that celebrities are advertising to 'mirror' the image of the idolised celebrity. Candice herself endorses several brands including, but not limited to, Guess, Nike, Diesel, TopShop, Ralph Lauren 'Big Pony' Fragrance and Versace Eyewear. Her status allows for consumer interest in the brand.

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Due to the celebrities being a topic of interest in the news, magazines, and even on celebrity gossip television programs celebrities are under constant surveillance to generate a high profile story. The surveillance society, as based on Foucault's panopticon prison, allows for constant unknown monitoring by authoritive figures. In this case the surveillance society, or specular surveillance is what generates news of celebrities and therefore creates the specular economy. Hence, celebrity status globally is established.  

  

References:

Candice Swanepoel.com 2013, 'Biography', retrieved 25 September 2013, <http://www.candice-swanepoel.com/biography.html>

Marshall, D 2010, 'The Specular Economy', Symposium: Celebrity Around The World, vol. 47, p. 489, retrieved 25 September 2013, <https://d2l.deakin.edu.au/d2l/le/content/143750/viewContent/1985498/View>

Lyon, D 2008, Surveillance Society, Queens University, retrieved 25 September 2013, <http://www.festivaldeldiritto.it/2008/pdf/interventi/david_lyon.pdf>