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MEP315 SPORT, MEDIA AND CELEBRITY

MEP315 SPORT, MEDIA AND CELEBRITY. 5. MEDIA SPORTS STARS. Origins of celebrity (Rojek 2001) (1). THREE historical processes: The democratisation of society (POLITICAL CHANGE) The decline of organised religion (RELIGIOUS CHANGE) The commodification of everyday life (ECONOMIC CHANGE).

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MEP315 SPORT, MEDIA AND CELEBRITY

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  1. MEP315 SPORT, MEDIA AND CELEBRITY 5. MEDIA SPORTS STARS

  2. Origins of celebrity (Rojek 2001) (1) THREE historical processes: • The democratisation of society (POLITICAL CHANGE) • The decline of organised religion (RELIGIOUS CHANGE) • The commodification of everyday life (ECONOMIC CHANGE)

  3. Meanings of celebrity (Rojek 2001) (2) THREE types of celebrity status: • ASCRIBED CELEBRITY: lineage (status predetermined; gained at birth) • ACHIEVED CELEBRITY: individual accomplishment (status gained through own actions/abilities/talent) • ATTRIBUTED CELEBRITY: endowed on individuals by others (status gained through public recognition/media exposure)

  4. Sports stars and narrativity (Whannel 2002; 2007) (1) Whannel’s narrative functions: emergence of a striking talent; extraordinary feats accomplished; public celebration; secondary circulation of star image; displays of arrogance; a failure to deliver; public doubts; erratic behaviour; public scandal; failure; hero redeemed by performance; forgiveness; the power wanes

  5. Sports stars and narrativity (Whannel 2002; 2007) (2) • Biographies: “the past, far from being fixed, is constantly being reinvented” (Whannel 2002: 56) • ‘Golden success story’: released shortly after a famous victory (e.g. player biogs after the 2003 Rugby World Cup win) • ‘Ups and downs’: ‘flawed genius’, ‘rise-and-fall’, ‘critical’ narratives (e.g. Ali accounts)

  6. Cricket v. football (Smart 2005) • British sports press allocated greater coverage to cricket pre-1960s • The first media sports stars in Britain were cricketers (e.g. W. G. Grace) • Cricket journalists like John Arlott were better known than football journalists • Unlike cricketers, footballers remained local, w-class heroes and media coverage remained local / regional until the television age

  7. Football’s labour relations (Giulianotti 1999) • Pre-20thC – amateur status of footballers • Pre-1960s players were ‘slaves’ to their clubs and had little career mobility • 1960 – Maximum wage abolished • 1963 – ‘Retain and transfer’ system abolished • 1977 – ‘Freedom of contract’ principle (out-of-contract players can negotiate their transfer) • 1995 – Bosman case – clubs no longer receive financial compensation for out-of-contract player transfers

  8. Gender construction of sports personalities (Lines 2002) • Under-representation of female sports stars in the British press • In many cases “Photographic space prioritised glamorised, sexualised images of them” (p. 200) • “Glamour girl Mary [Pierce] was a sensation at the French Open with her all black dress” (The Sun, 25/6/96, p.27)

  9. Sport stars versus other stars (Andrews and Jackson 2001 p.7-9) • Status is achieved through meritocracy • Sport is a universally valued, cross-cultural practice • Stars contribute explicitly to a sense of local or national identity • Realist figures, relatively short playing/ performing careers, unpredictable situations • Sports stardom is insecure – PR, agents, etc. have limited impact on managing of success

  10. Sporting stardom today – postmodern characteristics? • Style over substance – the top stars often earn more income through image (e.g. advertising work) than performance • The ‘wild men’ in a hostile world (modernity figures like Clough and Best) replaced by PR-constructed, media-trained personalities fit for global consumption • Clough as charismatic ‘socialist’ authoritarian • ‘Retro culture’ – nostalgic representations of bygone eras fostered by players-turned-pundits

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