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Who wants to be a celebrity? With this question, Pramod K. Nayar sets the tone of Seeing Stars : Spectacle, Society and Celebrity Culture--a study of the popular phenomenon of celebrity razzmatazz. Nayar delves into various aspects of celebrity culture--from the making of celebrity charisma to celebrity scandals and the consumption of celebrities by the masses. Beginning with Indian film celebrities of the early 1990s, the book demonstrates how celebrities are manufactured, packaged and sold to adoring audiences that are always thirsty for spectacles that pique their imagination and dazzle their lives.

A first-of-its-kind study of celebrity and 'Page 3' culture in India, the book explores 'celebrity ecology' in order to understand the processes that transform a celebrity into a 'consumer product'. Drawing upon examples from sports, Bollywood, TV contests, politics, as well as global stars, the book deals with issues of power, ideology and economy, the role of media, fans and fandom, audience psyche, audience--celebrity relations and celebrity iconography.

Written in an engaging style and covering a wide variety of media forms and sources, Nayar's book is in-depth as well as accessible, academic as well as entertaining. It will appeal to researchers and students of culture studies, sociology, mass communication, film studies and media studies and, at the same time, find resonance with the general audience.

Contents: Preface. 1. Who wants to be a celebrity? 2. A star is born: constructing celebrity. 3. Star power: the celebrity as spectacle. 4. Star spotting: celebrity and scandal. 5. With stars in our eyes: consuming celebrity. Conclusion: the new cool of celebrity culture. Bibliography. Index.