Celebrity Morals and the Loss of Religious Authority

This book examines American popular culture to demonstrate that celebrities have superseded religious figures as moral authorities. As trust in religious institutions has waned over recent decades, the once frivolous entertainment fringe has become the moral center.

List of contents

Part One: Coveting; Introduction: The Rapid Rise of Celebrity Sovereignty 1 The Sin of Coveting: What (Supposedly) Makes Celebrity Watching Morally Dangerous 2 Stunning Stars: Celebrity Fascination 3 Why We Ogle: Reasons for Our Fascination Part Two: Moral Authority 4 Celebrity Moralism: When Stars Stand on Principle 5 Moral Credentials Part Three: The Ethics of Celebrity Watching (and Bashing) 6 Aging Anxiety and the Burden of Celebrity 7 Privacy: A Plea for Respect 8 Why We Mock: Revulsion to "Weak" Celebrities 9 Celebrity Deaths; Conclusion: A Race to the Bottom

About the author

John Portmann is Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia, USA. He has written seven previous monographs, including Women and Gay Men in the Postwar Period (2016), The Ethics of Sex and Alzheimer's (2013), and Catholic Culture in the USA (2009) and has also edited an anthology on sin.

Summary

This book examines American popular culture to demonstrate that celebrities have superseded religious figures as moral authorities. As trust in religious institutions has waned over recent decades, the once frivolous entertainment fringe has become the moral center.

Product details

• Authors: John Portmann, Portmann John
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.05.2019
• EAN: 9780367221386
• ISBN: 978-0-367-22138-6
• No. of pages: 168
• Series: Routledge Studies in Religion
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Religion/theology > General, dictionaries; Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Religion: general, reference works; Media Studies, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Popular Culture, RELIGION / General, RELIGION / Spirituality, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Sociology of Religion, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Media Studies, RELIGION / Religion, Politics & State, RELIGION / Ethics, RELIGION / Psychology of Religion, Religion: general