Celebrities, Asian film, and a name economy

Abstract

This chapter argues that the one characteristic common to all creative and cultural industries is their use of celebrities. Celebrities – variously known as ‘stars’, ‘talent’, ‘idols’, and ‘celetoids’ – form a ranking system (A list/B list in Caves’ terminology) achieved through appearance, behaviour, opportunity, and publicity. In the face of uncertain demand (Nobody knows), they organize markets and help industry organizations accumulate economic and cultural capital. Stardom thus becomes the sum of industrial relations of power in every field of cultural production. Two things make celebrities not just cultural intermediaries, but also active economic mediators: their ability to link production and consumption, on the one hand, and the economy and culture, on the other. All products coming out of the creative and cultural industries – be they films, fashion magazines, or pop songs – are simultaneously both cultural products and commodities. Consequently, in the film industry, studios, directors, actors, and other personnel necessarily play parts that are both cultural and commercial. Their names and reputations form the lynchpin in what is a fame or name economy.