CULTURAL_FOCUS1

CULTURAL FOCUS.

Fame, Fortune and Other Foolishness Scott Ross CBN

Part I

Task 1 Read Part I of the article and comment on the underlined parts.

The Grammys are over, and now it's on to the next big parade of celebrities -- the Oscars. Few people in this world are granted the fame and fortune of a Grammy or Oscar winner. Those who are, often get more than they bargained for. Those who aren't, gaze in awe at these so-called cultural icons, often granting them an undue measure of respect and admiration. The glamorous world of fame and fortune has an enormous impact on each of us. The following are several conversations I have had with popular culture experts Richard Schickel, of Time Magazine, TV/radio/USA Today commentator, Michael Medved, boxer Evander Holyfield. I talk to them about the ups and downs of their experiences with celebrity. Each year thousands of pilgrims from all over the nation and the world come to Hollywood, California, seeking fame or seeking the famous. Celebrity has become a national obsession. So, why this obsession with celebrity? And what is it that makes us feel like we know people we have never actually met? Time Magazine film reviewer Richard Schickel refers to the famous as Intimate Strangers. In his book of the same name, he blames much of this familiarity on the pervasive medium of television.

Schickel: A movie star say of the 30s and 40s was in no way in close relationship with his fans when there was no television. They might make a personal appearance tour from stage to stage, (= THEY MIGHT TRAVEL FROM CITY TO CITY TO BECOME POPULAR) you know. But television changes that whole balance because first of all the screen is small. We actually dominate the screen. Many people have the illusion that they have an intimate relationship with these people when they appear on the news or on David Letterman or Jay Leno. Sometimes that confusion between the realms of illusion and reality can have deadly consequences.

It was John Hinckley, Jr.'s obsession with actress Jodie Foster that led to his attempted assassination of President Reagan. His warped mind believed he could win the actress' love through what he called an "historic deed." Ironically, while it did not win her love, it did make Hinckley into a celebrity himself. Another obsession with perhaps less harmful effects is the immortalizing of dead celebrities, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, JFK, and of course, "The King." Believe it or not, there is now even a church of Elvis.

Scott: Why? Why? What's the fascination?

Schickel: It's the cutting off untimely (DYING EARLY). It would be true of Presley, you know, drugged out as he was by the end of his career, the fact is that he was still a relatively young man. There's some sense among the worshipful that even though he has been taken from us physically, that he will not be taken from them in an untimely fashion, if that makes sense. It was untimely in the world, but as far as they are concerned, he is immortal and he will stay immortal; they make sure he stays immortal by their reverence (= HE STILL LIVES IN THE HEARTS OF HIS FANS).

Scott: The world of politics is not immune to this cult of celebrity. Since the election of 1960, the first election year in which television was fully in place, a subtle change has taken place in our minds that has made celebrity symbols or images more important to us than ideas or substance.

Schickel: What does it say about this image business of what's presented on screen and what is in fact a substantive leader. We're looking for leadership. People are looking for real leaders. Are there any real leaders left anymore? They say they are looking for real leaders but, in fact, they have been so seduced by television (SO INFLUENCED BY TELEVISION) and by television's standards of self-presentation (= BY THE TRICKS OF SELF-MARKETING THEY'RE USED TO SEEING ON THE SCREEN) that they are not looking for leaders, they are looking for a person that they can comfortably welcome into their living rooms for the next four years (= THEY CHOOSE SOMEONE THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE DAILY ON THE SCREEN OF THEIR TV - SOMEONE GOOD-LOOKING, WELL-MANNERED, AND WELL-SPOKEN).

Task 2 Underline the names of celebrities/famous figures/popular events. Answer the questions below.

1) What significance do the names/events above have from the US culture? What do you know about them?

The Grammys - are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the music industry worldwide. They were originally called the Gramophone Awards, as the trophy depicts a gilded gramophone.

The Oscar - The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the film industry. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), in recognition of excellence in cinematic achievements as assessed by the Academy's voting membership.

David Letterman - is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known for hosting late night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the Late Night with David Letterman on NBC in 1982 and ending with the Late Show with David Letterman on CBS in 2015. He has also produced and written for several television series, including Everybody Loves Raymond and The Late Show with David Letterman. He is one of the most recognizable figures in show business and was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2012.

Jay Leno - is a television personality, comedian, and author based in the United States. After years of stand-up comedy, he was named host of NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 1992. 

In September 2009, he launched The Jay Leno Program, a primetime chat show that aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ET on NBC. When The Tonight Show with Jay Leno was suspended in January 2010 due to scheduling and host controversy, Leno returned to host on March 1, 2010. 

On February 6, 2014, he concluded his second term as host. He was placed into the Television Hall of Fame the next year. In 2014, he hosted Jay Leno’s Garage and the You Bet Your Life comeback in 2021. His real and full name is James Douglas Muir Leno.

John Hinckley – John Hinckley Jr attempted to assassinate then-president Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981. He shot six bullets at the president and his entourage, wounding Reagan, his press secretary, and two others. He was arrested immediately and tried in court. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity and was subsequently committed to the St. Elizabeth’s mental institution in Washington, D.C.

Jodie Foster – is an American actress and filmmaker. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. For her work as a producer and director, she has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.

President Reagan – was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. A member of the Republican Party, his presidency constituted the Reagan era, and he is considered one of the most prominent conservative figures in American history.

Marilyn Monroe – one of the earliest and most enduring sex symbols of Hollywood, Marilyn Monroe was a talented actress who began a career as a model before foraying into films. The product of a broken home, she did not even know the identity of her biological father. Named as Norma Jeane Mortenson at birth, she spent most of her childhood in foster homes as her mother was mentally unstable and incapable of raising her daughter on her own. The little girl endured a harsh childhood marked by abuse and apathy due to which she suffered from several mental problems later in her life. 

James Dean – was an American actor with a career that lasted five years. He is regarded as a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment and social estrangement, as expressed in the title of his most celebrated film Rebel Without a Cause (1955), in which he starred as troubled teenager Jim Stark.

JFK – John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the youngest person to assume the presidency by election and the youngest president at the end of his tenure. Kennedy served at the height of the Cold War, and the majority of his foreign policy concerned relations with the Soviet Union and Cuba.

Elvis Presley – was a noted American singer and actor. He is most acknowledged for his contribution to the Rock and Roll genre of Western music. Also known as ‘The king of Rock and Roll’, Presley popularized rockabilly, which was a blend of rhythm and blues and Country music. His performance style was a combination of energy and erotic sensuousness. He was greatly influenced by the African-American singers like Arthur Crudup and his music cut across racial prejudices. This made him quite a controversial figure. 

2) Why are they mentioned in the article? What events are they connected with?

3) What is ‘a cultural icon’?

Is a person or an artifact that is identified by members of a culture as representative of that culture. The process of identification is subjective, and "icons" are judged by the extent to which they can be seen as an authentic symbol of that culture. When individuals perceive a cultural icon, they relate it to their general perceptions of the cultural identity represented. Cultural icons can also be identified as an authentic representation of the practices of one culture by another. In popular culture and elsewhere, the term "iconic" is used to describe a wide range of people, places, and things. Some commentators believe that the word "iconic" is overused.

4) What is ‘the cult of celebrity’?

Is defined as the tendency of young people to idolise and imitate the actions of the famous. This is typically ascribed to actors, musicians and reality stars who all fit the bill in influencing the outlook of those around them, both positively and negatively with regards to the audience they undoubtedly inspire. Nowadays, it feels like an impossible task to escape the culture which surrounds celebrities.

Task 3 Read the statements below and say whether Scott Ross would agree or disagree with them. Find evidence in the article.

1) Most fame is undeserved.

2) Many famous people have not expected becoming entangled in what is called ‘the cult of celebrity’.

3) The Americans have developed a bulimic appetite for fame.

4) The smaller a TV screen is, the closer a person is to a celebrity.

5) Stalkers follow their icons, which very often ends up tragically.

6) Some celebs are transformed by death into a sort of iconic status.

7) Politics is struggling to stay clear of the obsession.

8) A real leader is a person who you feel comfortable with.

Task 4 Explain the meaning of the phrases from the article. Take account of the context. Give Russian equivalents.

a. to be granted something

• To be given something from someone, often as an award.

• удостоиться

b. to bargain for something

• to plan for something; to expect something. 

• Рассчитывать на

c. the ups and downs;

• Positive and negative events or experiences, considered collectively.

• Превратности судьбы, взлёты и падения

d. to seek something;

• To want something; to desire; to look for

• Желать чего-либо, хотеть, искать, стремиться к чему-то

• Sought after – быть востребованным

e. to blame something on something;

• To foist or assign responsibility or guilt for something on someone or something.

• Обвинять кого-то в чём-то, перекладывать вину, возлагать вину

f. the medium of television;

• Sphere of television/ TV as a means of spreading information

• Телевидение/

g. the realms of illusion and reality;

• Your dreams and real word

• Реальный мир и фантазии/ожидания и реальность

h. to win something through something;

• To get something with something/to gain

• Добиться

i. to be in place;

• To exist

• Присутствовать

j. a subtle change

• A minor change

• незначительное изменение

Task 5 Choose the best definitions for the words from the article. Give Russian equivalents. Give your own context with each word (a) – e).

a. awe

respect and fear [ͻ:] благоговение

They were all in awe of Sconner, who was rumoured to do positive-thinking exercises.

b. undue

3. excessive чрезмерный

This point is used to bolster a third argument: large institutions have undue political influence and thus "capture" their regulators.

c. pervasive

3. spreading gradually

распространяющийся, проникающий, пропитывающий, заполняющий

Violence against women was an old and highly pervasive phenomenon.

d. warped искаженный strange and unpleasant

I got him to the sidewalk, and in the augmented light I saw that his face was seared and lined and warped by a sadness almost incredibly the product of a single lifetime.

e. substantive независимый, влиятельный influental

Upon completion of the self-evaluation period a substantive report had been prepared.

HOMEWORK:

PART 2, 3 ALL TASKS