CALL FOR PAPERS
“Myths of Stardom: Cultivating Star Identities”
An area of multiple panels for the Film & History Conference on “Film and Myth”
September 26-30, 2012
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
www.filmandhistory.org
Deadline: June 1, 2012


Stars and celebrities have long served as objects of fascination; their fashions and possessions, triumphs and tragedies, idiosyncrasies and lifestyles, all garner attention from fans and detractors, alike. During the Star System, Hollywood sought to control and shape the images of their stars by carefully placing certain stories in fan magazines and other public venues, manipulating information on intimate relationships, sexual orientation, and personal struggles in an effort to garner and maintain fan appeal and increase box office sales.  The Studio Era may have passed, but contemporary fan magazines, along with their counterparts on television and in digital media, continue the tradition of shaping the way we view stars.  

How does the media represent stars, and how do we respond to these representations?  What, if any, are the benefits of this kind of shaping, and to whom?  In what ways do the crafted images of stars (mis)represent their off-screen identities?  How effective are stars at crafting their own images, independent of the media outlets (such as well-known efforts by Mae West, Cary Grant, and others)?  How have the roles of star personas shifted from the Studio Era to present day?    

This area, comprised of multiple panels, seeks papers on the myths and influences of star culture in film, television, and other related forms of media.  Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

Alternate Identities: dividing the public from the private
“Selling” Stars: how stars are promoted, “bought,” and “sold” to the public
Identification with Celebrity: our own identities as influenced by the stars
Star Powered Advertising: are you buying what product they’re selling?
Fan Magazines: implications, history, and impacts
From Luella Parsons to Parez Hilton: the gossip columnist
Fan Culture: the importance of having “followers”

Proposals for complete panels (three related presentations) are also welcome, but they must include an abstract and contact information, including an e-mail address, for each presenter.  Please email your 200-word proposal by June 1, 2012:


Emily Schwartz 
Area Chair 2012 Film & History Conference
“Myths of Stardom: Cultivating Star Identities”
Oakland University
Email: [log in to unmask]

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