| Abstrakt: |
The transformation of celebrities into cultural icons, objects of adulation, and mass consumption turns one’s attention to the Israeli gossip discourse accompanying this industry. Indeed, celebrity culture and its contribution to the cultural construction of meaning encourage the exposure of celebrities’ private lives in order to attract public attention to their professional careers. However, at the same time, the celebrity industry often addresses stars in a disparaging, contemptuous manner, and adopts a shaming discourse that challenges the very icons it has created. The result is a “Janus-faced” gossip discourse, which glorifies and applauds local celebrities and attempts to put them on a pedestal, yet also humiliates them and challenges their cultural uniqueness. To demonstrate this duality, the present article examines the Israel Celeb Awards presented annually to Israeli celebrities by Ynet’s gossip and entertainment column. The findings of the study indicate that celebrities’ loss of shame on their road to stardom results in an ultimate lack of respect towards those celebs. A vicious circle cultivates stars and feeds the celebrity industry: The stars are glorified in the gossip columns, but the moment they “arrive,” the discourse shifts to one aimed at disparaging and humiliating them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
