The Next Big Thing: Local Celebrity

Abstract

In this essay I observe that, as the field of celebrity studies established itself in the academy, there is a need for a distinctly sociological and interactional approach to celebrity. In particular, I argue for a focus on the experiential and relational dynamics of celebrity from the point of view of celebrities themselves, something which has so far been difficult for researchers to achieve. One way to accomplish this goal is to move in the direction celebrity itself seems to be headed: toward local or subcultural celebrities and their smaller, more segmented audiences. Empirical research on the lived experiences of local celebrities provides a practical way to generate celebrity-level data and makes an important sociological contribution to broader theorizing about the cultural phenomenon of celebrity.

Impacting Agriculture and Natural Resource Policy: County Commissioners’ Decision-Making Behaviors and Communication Preferences

“…It is recommended that farmers and ranchers be instructed on how to deliver their personal stories effectively to LEOs. Further, farmers and ranchers could be considered local celebrities (Ferris, 2010) and, therefore, have the potential to serve as a heuristic that expidites the decision-making process for LEOs. To prepare farmers or ranchers to communicate with county commissioners, they should be instructed on how to frame the information in a way that demonstrates how the proposed policy could negatively or positively impact them as a member of the ANR community.…”

Parasocial relationships with audiences’ favorite celebrities: The role of audience and celebrity characteristics in a representative Flemish sample

“…Celebrity preferences are further related to cultural proximity (Tian and Hoffner, 2010), here defined as "the tendency to prefer media products from one's own culture or the most similar possible culture" (Straubhaar, 2003, p. 85). This concept is relevant in a globalizing celebrity and media culture where audiences are faced with global and local celebrities (Ferris, 2010;Turner, 2004). De Backer, Nelissen, Vyncke, Braeckman, and McAndrew (2007) found that younger people prefer American celebrities, admiring their glamour, while older people connect to local celebrities.…”

Expanding celebrity studies’ research agenda: theoretical opportunities and methodological challenges in interviewing celebrities

“…The first is Kerry Ferris (2007), an American sociologist who specialises in ethnographic research on celebrity, including local celebrities (Ferris 2004(Ferris , 2010. She observed two dominant strands within the literature on celebrity: celebrity and celebrity worship as a pathology (e.g., McCutcheon et al 2002) and critical thinking on celebrity as a cultural commodity (King 2010, Marshall 1997.…”

“…Finally, Ferris (2010) suggested another approach to enhance the likelihood of gaining access to celebrity respondents. Instead of conducting research on the so-called A-list celebrities with international allure, she focused on local celebrities such as anchors of local TV news stations.…”