Mathieu Deflem
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Published by Palgrave Macmillan, 2017 (paperback edition 2019)
ISBN: 978-1-137-58467-0 (hardback) | 978-1-349-95938-9 (paperback)
Scroll down for: Synopsis – Contents – Reviews – Publication (& free PDF download!)
© 2017
SYNOPSIS
"I want the fame." –Lady Gaga, May 2008
"The last three years I spent trying to erase fame from my mind." –Lady Gaga, September 2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. Popular Culture and the Sociology of Fame
3. The Life and Times of Lady Gaga
4. The Business of Lady Gaga
5. The Laws of Lady Gaga
6. Gaga Media: From Internet to Radio
7. The Audience of Lady Gaga: Beyond the Little Monsters
8. Gaga Activism: The New Ethics of Pop Culture
10. Art Pop: The Styles of Lady Gaga
11. Conclusion
12. Index
REVIEWS
As a scholar of fame, Mathieu Deflem knows whereof he speaks: his courses on Lady Gaga have garnered international media attention and a bit of controversy as well... If you are not already a Little Monster, there is much to learn about Gaga in this volume... Despite Lady Gaga’s orientation to maximizing her own fame, Deflem argues that social conditions—in the pop music business, in the relevant legal arenas, and in media and audience resources—must be right for her to succeed... The well-designed cover beckons, and Deflem provides advice for non-sociologists about how to navigate the book; still, there may be too much sociology here for most readers of popular literature. But given what I know about fame and its audiences, Lady Gaga’s fans will find this book, and Mathieu Deflem will hear from them. I suspect he already has.
– Kerry O. Ferris, American Journal of Sociology
Perhaps the most compelling event Deflem recounts is being sucked into the fame apparatus himself. When word got out that he was planning to offer a course called ‘‘Lady Gaga and the Sociology of Fame,’’ news organizations from around the world bombarded him with requests for interviews. He received countless email messages from both supporters and detractors, and his course blog went from receiving 800 to 40,000 views within a month. He was recognized by fans in Japan as the ‘‘Gaga professor’’ and was asked to pose for pictures.
– Karen Sternheimer, Contemporary Sociology
Aware of the long history of elitism in sociology, Deflem’s book defends
the need to research the popular in a manner that goes beyond the
economic...
Deflem theorizes the ways in which fame is created and given to
celebrities. Building on a constructionist framework, he uses Lady Gaga
as a case study in how to map the social conditions of fame...[His]
analysis of the social conditions that facilitated her fame amount to
much more than an ode. Deflem sketches a sociology of fame that is
especially thought-provoking in its disruption of the boundaries between
the academy and the popular realm.
– Annelot Prins, Cultural Sociology
Deflem’s work is suitable for a broad readership... Deflem pays careful attention to defining the theoretical perspectives he applies, and this contributes to the book’s accessibility. As a case study, Deflem’s project is a useful way to begin to make sense of the changing nature of fame in the twenty-first century. [more].
– Holly W. Holladay, Celebrity Studies
Pero Deflem defiende la necesidad de investigar lo popular de una manera que vaya más allá de lo económico y de los críticos que reducen la cultura popular a una mercancía vendida para distraer a los consumidores. En todo caso, él plantea que el suyo es un análisis académico, enfocado en las condiciones sociales de la fama de Lady Gaga: no en su música ni en su personaje. [more].
ADVANCE ENDORSEMENTS
The analysis of status is unique to sociology. Mathieu Deflem brilliantly confirms how the creation of Lady Gaga is part of a social process that creates celebrity against the backdrop of chaotic economic and moral conditions. Deflem methodically describes how fame can shape public attitudes toward controversial matters, leaving status embodied in traditional forms of professional expertise and institutional control less important than ever before.
There are celebrities and there are mega-celebrities and then there is Lady Gaga. The star’s fame is only in small part built upon her voice and eye-popping costumes. Far more, it is her attitude: a cheerleader to all and sundry who had ever felt broken or dissed. Grasping the fullness of Gaga’s appeal, Deflem’s book is as appealing to her fans as it is for theorists of celebrity.
In this notable book, through careful theoretical insight and an in-depth analysis of Lady Gaga’s fame, Mathieu Deflem illustrates a new form of pop icon defying the transient nature of the cultural industry in the postmodern age. Deflem offers valuable lessons on the importance of social conditions, which include not only the market but also factors facilitating the activism and diversity orientation of pop artists seeking to gain fame.
Professor Deflem’s study provides an intriguing and comprehensive exploration of the dynamics of Lady Gaga’s rise to fame. By the end, it is clear that there is no single one factor that serves as a predictor of future fame or commercial success. Those who work in or study the music industry should give this book a read.
This book delivers a stimulating sociological discussion of the mechanics behind fame and celebrity – aspects that have undoubtedly taken a stranglehold on American culture. Guiding the reader through the machinery for stardom using a lens focused on Lady Gaga’s determined path for fame, Professor Deflem’s book is an entertaining and educational read that provides a solid groundwork for further research in the area of celebrity.
PUBLICATION INFO
This book is available in softcover and ebook editions via:
A complete PDF copy of the book is available for free download!
– Patricio Tapia, Revista Santiago
ADVANCE ENDORSEMENTS
The analysis of status is unique to sociology. Mathieu Deflem brilliantly confirms how the creation of Lady Gaga is part of a social process that creates celebrity against the backdrop of chaotic economic and moral conditions. Deflem methodically describes how fame can shape public attitudes toward controversial matters, leaving status embodied in traditional forms of professional expertise and institutional control less important than ever before.
– Jonathan B. Imber, Jean Glasscock Professor of Sociology, Wellesley College
There are celebrities and there are mega-celebrities and then there is Lady Gaga. The star’s fame is only in small part built upon her voice and eye-popping costumes. Far more, it is her attitude: a cheerleader to all and sundry who had ever felt broken or dissed. Grasping the fullness of Gaga’s appeal, Deflem’s book is as appealing to her fans as it is for theorists of celebrity.
– Deena Weinstein, Professor of Sociology, DePaul University
In this notable book, through careful theoretical insight and an in-depth analysis of Lady Gaga’s fame, Mathieu Deflem illustrates a new form of pop icon defying the transient nature of the cultural industry in the postmodern age. Deflem offers valuable lessons on the importance of social conditions, which include not only the market but also factors facilitating the activism and diversity orientation of pop artists seeking to gain fame.
– Masaya Takahashi, Associate Professor, Saitama University
Professor Deflem’s study provides an intriguing and comprehensive exploration of the dynamics of Lady Gaga’s rise to fame. By the end, it is clear that there is no single one factor that serves as a predictor of future fame or commercial success. Those who work in or study the music industry should give this book a read.
– Serona Elton, Associate Professor and Chair, Frost School of Music, University of Miami
This book delivers a stimulating sociological discussion of the mechanics behind fame and celebrity – aspects that have undoubtedly taken a stranglehold on American culture. Guiding the reader through the machinery for stardom using a lens focused on Lady Gaga’s determined path for fame, Professor Deflem’s book is an entertaining and educational read that provides a solid groundwork for further research in the area of celebrity.
– Danwill D. Schwender, Attorney at Law
PUBLICATION INFO
- Paperback cheapest via Amazon (with free shipping).
- Publishers Palgrave and Springer (also via Springerlink)
A complete PDF copy of the book is available for free download!
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Check my online available articles on fame and Lady Gaga.
