Task 4 - Essay Ideas

For my essay, I want to look at the the relatinship between celebrity culture and religion, and whether or not, one has replaced gthe other.

In my argument, I intend to:

• Explore the social functions of religion

• Apply these to celebrity culture

• How has celebrity culture integrated religion?

• How celebrity culture functions, and celebrity obsessives

Foucault, M (1977) Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. ST. Ives: Penguin Books

I feel that many of Foucault ideas can be applied clearly to religion, and intend to examind how it can be applied to celebrity culture

Marcuse, H (1964) One-Dimensional Man. London: Routledge

In particular, looking closely at Marcuse’s concept of “repressive desublimination:” can this be applied to the relationship between celebrity culture and religion?

Rojek, C (2001) Celebrity. London: Reaktion Books

Provides a critical reading on celebrity culture, looking particularly at celebrity obsession, from a range of sources.

Marshall,D,P (1997) Celebrity and Power: Fame in Contemporary Culture. Minneapolis: The University of Minnesota Press

Provides ideas from a range of theorists, looking at celebrity culture in a much broader sense.