The Shattered Glass of Celebrity
by Michael MandavilleThe Hollywood star system: Rest in Peace.
Nowadays, when I trawl through Blockbuster aisles, I find films with major stars that never saw the dark light of a theater. I’ve never even heard of some films. And I wonder about the parallel between society and film. History may be defined as the intersection of amazing events with amazing people. Will Mallory make the climb up the cliffs of Navarone? People created history by their choices, hesitations, fears, desires, whimsy, obsessions and visions. Will the Colonel give in to Saito’s brutality? Great films, anchored by magnetic personalities, cast wide nets across our consciousness. Will Lawrence survive the Devil’s Anvil?
“Epic,”film producer Frank McCarthy (“Patton”) once told me, “is defined as a man who changes himself, his community and his world.” In short, all the great character arcs in a movie script have driven the creation of events and epics which, in turn, are pushpins in World History. A noted script consultant, Chris Vogler, distilled and explained the work of Joseph Campbell, an expert on tribal storytelling and myth. Vogler explains the hero’s journey through the Ordinary World, the Call to Adventure, the Refusal of the Call, Mentor, Threshold, Tests by Allies and Enemies, Approach, Ordeal, Reward and The Road Back.
I recently watched “JCVD,” a feature about action actor Jean Claude Van Damme’s downward spiral and its intersection with a bank robbery. The film was fascinating, awash with the celebrity-spin culture and its detritus. Jean Claude plays himself in a confessional return to his hometown of Brussels and speaks of celebrity, inadequacy and his impotence against drugs and hype. I believe that the film will become a noted sociocultural marker in the decline of Hollywood’s celebrity-driven culture.
The Great Epic World will always survive because the human attraction to its form is too resonant and deeply embedded in our humanity. Anchoring the Great Story on a ‘Star System’ is like giving an old drunk uncle with a key to the liquor cabinet and the keys to your prized Mustang. The rise of the celebrity culture is shattering our present film industry model. Perhaps this is good.
The industry was initially only feature films, shown with newsreels, cartoons, a B-picture and then the “A” film. Aside from rallies and religious gatherings, the movie experience was our common cultural touchstone. Then TV came into our living rooms where the binding involved “I Love Lucy” and Walter Cronkite. You saw both or shut your mouth around the water cooler the next day. Jump forward with VHS, DVD, Blue-Ray, Netflix downloads, blogs, internet, Twitter, texting and cheap cell phones. We have the news burst cycle of seconds in an ADD mediacentric world. As individuals strive to establish their celebrity to become Stars, we experience the banality of the personal expose’ for the sake of fame, or worse, infamy.
This sensibility is confirmed by the misuse of ‘fame’ and ‘infamy.’ People don’t know the difference because, in a morally relativistic world, meaning doesn’t matter. Only the end result. Infamy is an “extremely bad reputation, public reproach, or strong condemnation as the result of a shameful, criminal, or outrageous act.” Fame is gained through merit. Infamy through shame. Fame and shame. But both lead to celebrity and, so it is thought, to Stardom.
With the assault of posts on Twitter, Facebook, Digg and more, we have lost not only our ability to focus, but on the meaning and stature of hard work, merit and heroic ordeal. One must ask onself: In today’s world, would Ulyssess feel obliged to Twitter his bathroom breaks?
We have lost the distant mystery of the stage. Looking up at our heroes, we sought their thoughts and inner secrets, their interests an tod experiences. Mysteries that we wanted to unravel, discover, and unravel again and again. But no more. My friend’s grandfather laments the downfall of newspapers due to the Internet, but I remind him that the crushing of the candlemakers by light bulb manufacturers was equally tragic. Both are the forward rush of innovation. We cannot turn back the clock to the past’s delivery of the epic but we can adjust our targets for the new media world.
Story.
When all is said and done, the story makes the star. The Journey of a thousand leagues gives them the adventure, ordeal, the mettle of a tested battle. And it is within our grasp once again. The cameras, equipment and computers available now to the filmmaker are creative, inexpensive and flexible. The early cameras were no more than a box with a lense, requiring a sunny day to get exposure on film with an ASA of 8. And as Chaplin once said for writing a movie scene, ‘Give me a pretty girl and a policeman.’ Drama ensues.
So as the Stars plummet to earth, the Creator may once again become a King of storytelling. Forget the Stars. Concept is key. Heed the Call to Adventure. Accept the Ordeal.
Return with Your Reward.
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41 Comments
Your intellectual mettle has been honed only to please yourself and those close to you. If others are desperate to find the perfect chemistry of romance, drama, and action and you have a story to tell, then by all means tell it.
Very perspicacious and thank you for mentioning the theatre. I agree 100% with what you have said and feel compelled to add the advice of my Grandmother, Nonie, "The only thing we can expect is change."
Therein lies the essence of the hero and the hero's journey: they all face destiny but how he endures with virtue as opposed to arrogance mirrors our own troubles. Joseph Campbell continues a dialogue that goes back as far farther than 525 BC but is most notably Artistotle in 345 BC who's POETICA is still a formula used today.
The arrogance of Hollywood now is to dismiss the audience as either too ADD, too stupid or too apathetic. Everyone wants a good story, well told. "When we return to the works of the past, it is not the past that awakens, but we ourselves who cast our shadows into the past…."
There is a reason we still have Homer and Shakespeare. No, I doubt that Odysseus would have twittered his bathroom breaks but Thucydides might have twittered; especially, the Old Oligarch.
Thank you for this great article!
In pursuit of celebrity, there are no standards; there are no ethics; there are no morals.
Which is pretty much the code of conduct for liberals………….
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Gregory Peck didn't look anything like Gary Cooper and their acting styles were different, but both could play cowboys or businessmen. Joan Crawford and Bette Davis played many of the same kinds of roles but no one mistook one for the other. Nowadays, who can tell Jennifer Aniston from Meg Ryan from Kate Hudson from Sarah Jessica (except for the long face). My point is that today film stars (with the exception of the Brits) are all clones of each other. I like Brad Pitt, but how many Brad Pitt lookalikes are out there?
Casting is dismal these days. I just saw "The Asphalt Jungle" for the first time (all the way through) and though dated, the casting was superb. Nowadays, we have a handful of stars who are "bankable" and they're put in vehicles they have no talent for (think "Troy" starring Pitt, "Alexander" starring Colin Farrell). Now imagine Gerard Butler or Clive Owen as Achilles. Works better, doesn't it. Colin Farrell in that stupid blond wig (at least I hope it was a wig) was laughable. Why not cast a young Rupert Everette in the role. I'm sure there's one out there.
Story: Never mind the flowers, where have all the writers gone? Nowadays, Barbara Boxer "writes" a novel. In the old days, writers wrote novels. Many moved on to write screenplays (Ayn Rand, Scott Fitzgerald). Now screenplays are written by committee and they have no consistency. When the thing goes horribly awry, a "script doctor" is called in to operate. The result is usually moribund.
So, we've lost the magic of movies? With clones for actors, no script and lousy casting, where's the surprise?
Beautiful. Great article.
The death of literacy, and cohesive plot in fiilm is merely reflective of current cultural vacity. We have see that there is no Wizard behind the mirror in Oz.
It is interesting that there is an article at the top about "WaPo: Hollywood and adults agree to go their separate ways…" It assumes a lot, but never asks the question exactly how adult are these movies they are calling adult? Could it be because the adults feel the politics behind the pictures are getting force-fed to them like children? when you can already guess the viewpoint and how its going to end, why even care about the characters or story? Hollywood needs to return to what it used to do best – make movies for audiences. Stop trying to be far more propaganda or one sided than entertainment.
Got out the thesaurus, did you?
You need a story editor, NHA.
The stars have a new epic vehicle -> their lives. We are exposed to every gritty detail and that just makes it all the harder to separate them from their dirty laundry when it comes time to suspend disbelief and buy into the characters and stories they are hired to portray. Modern day celebrity culture is killing the star as surely as the approach Hollywood takes to making movies. I expect to see "reality films" soon enough.
agreed, it seems the simple point that people don't want to see these movies, was lost on the author.
Lots of introspective posts. Some bordering on pathos. Knock off the intellectualism and speak plainly.
I am absolutely looking forward to JCVD. Here's a guy who has decided to SHOW how all the pressures of being a "public figure" can combine and become a downward spiral. My heart ACHED as the little girl explained how Daddy's "Hollywood" hurts her personally, and she wanted out.
Van Damme's film will hold up a mirror to the Hollywood culture. Unfortunately, the vampiric celebrity machine won't see its reflection…
James Cameron has been wanting to get rid of actors for years and with Avatar coming up, he's one step closer to doing so.
I don't care about JCVD, his movies, his initials or his life.
Reality films have already arrived. What do you think "Jackass" and "Borat" are? There is even a movie, I can't remember the name, where two actors follow their own love lives while also pretending to make a movie about romance. Not that reality films are really real.
I would not get too upset that the current crop of celebrities are mediocre. Rock music went through a similar phase between the death of Buddy Holly and the coming of the Beatles. And a lot of the problems with the story mentioned in the article sounds like a discussion among studio suits meant to justify their salaries.
But film, as opposed to entertainment, is influenced by great directors. Hitchcock and many other directors have said that the plot is secondary. What a great director adds to a film as far beyond the scope of this article.
I would have to agree with others, who assert that the buffet of options, specifically the near zero cost of watching movies on streaming video (i.e Netflix) have changed the playing field. We now have quality television productions, that have the complexity, time and breadth to develop interesting characters. These have watered down the celebrity magnetism and appeal of the main studio productions. It also means that the interests of audience will be better served. I think it's the kind of market competition that has benefited many consumers. You can now watch a couple of foreign films, partially if you like, with little or no opportunity cost. You can start a series and move about, without penalty. The studio movies are going to need to entertain more and preach less, to keep our attentions.
Frankly, there are a few of these people I would not miss if they retired tomorrow. Julia Roberts? You used to be ok before you became so self-involved and potty-mouthed. Jennifer Aniston – unwatchable. Her movies seem to imitate her life, or vice-versa. I must say I did enjoy Meg Ryan back in the day, especially in "When Harry Met Sally", but she fell for Crowe, botoxed her lips, and I haven't seem much of her since. I agree that we know way too much about these people's personal lives. It interferes with the character. There's no glamor, no mystery, for the most part.
For too many years "gimmick" has been the name of the game in Hollywood. Some gimmicks have been incredible like the CGI explosion over the past 5-10 years and some have been "okay" like the graphic content/language and bodily noise gimmicks of more recent comedies. I laughed– the first 10 times. But "Story" has sadly been lacking in many movies, I agree.
I will admit to being a "story" snob. I like a good story.
I can only hope that there is an American film renaissance that, once again, honors the story in a decent budget way. In some ways that is happening in the Indies which is a good thing.
What about "Entourage"? The "movies" in the show are just props for the story, which is all about the Star…
Oh, wait! Is that too "Meta"?
All I think off when BS is mentioned is that pathetic coochie pic.
When you see a pop culture icon's boo-boo and just get repulsed, that is a good sign Celebrity has gone too far….
Just when did the "screenplay by committie" paradigm become dominant?
I think we can trace the downfall of good cinema to that point in time.
You know where to find good Story nowadays?
ANIME.
Yes I'm serious.
But if these brilliant celebs with more worldly knowledge than anyone short of Prez Obama are not allowed to show us their private lives and speak to us as one, how will I know how to vote in an election!?
Agreed, to a degree. The problem is there's also a lot of junk in that field too, so you have to root around and sift through it to find series that float your boat.
This post reminds me of Singin' in the Rain.
The Ulysses on twitter comment got me to thinking….how very different the Trojan War might have been….
0d3551u5: OMG IT BURNS! HOW DID THEY KNOW?#HELEN # TrojanWar 3190 Years ago from Tweetamemnon
0d3551u5: TROJANS NOT BRINGING HORSE INTO CITY WTF #Helen #TrojanWar 3190 Years ago from Tweetamemnon
0d3551u5: BUILDING WOOD HORSE 2 FOOL TROJANS, LOL #Helen # TrojanWar 3190 Years ago from Tweetamemnon
I used to be heavily into anime, but these days there's just too much James Lovelock-esque "Gaia"-theory eco-bulls__t in the field to make it worth my while to look for something new…
And too much we-ism; I'm no Objectivist, but there's a frightening level of obsession with the difference between acting in your own individual interest and serving the greater good — fortunately, some titles display a certain recognition that the needs of the many derive from the needs of the one.
Yeah. All part of the reason the only series I'm following at the moment is Valkyria; which is basically an alternate universe's WWII from a lowlands European country's militia perspective. It's not as good as the game it's based on though…
SOMEtimes PPV comes through (despite it usually making available 90% of real drech). I purchased OUTLANDER the other day (stars Jim Caviezel in a great performance, also a supporting role by Ron Perelman, whose performance is also wonderful, as are the characters these two both perform). Now I'm gonna' buy the DVD if I can find a copy.
One-sheet for OUTLANDER…
<a href=”http://outlander.solsector.net/images/US_Poster_G…” target=”_blank”>http://outlander.solsector.net/images/US_Poster_G…
International One-Sheet for OUTLANDER…
<a href=”http://outlander.solsector.net/images/outlander_x…” target=”_blank”>http://outlander.solsector.net/images/outlander_x…
A few scenes from the film:
http://outlander.solsector.net/scenes.htm
When I was a boy I read in some account of Ulysses that when Ulysses was permitted to go to Hades and speak to the dead. He met amongst others his old comrade the great warrior Achilles. Ulysses said to Achilles surly you have found your place here and are greatly Celebrated. Achilles answered " Better to Be the Slave of Barbarians than to Be King of All the Dead " So in that context I say better to live a real everyday life, what some would deem ordinary, with all it's struggles and ups and downs than be one of these lost Celebrities. The price can be very high and for what, for some great love affair with yourself. You can keep it. Better and healthier to be who you are and go for yourself.
Down with celebrity!
In the average person's quest for being famous, we have moved into an "indecent exposure" phase. We lay everything out for public consumption. the minutae becomes the focus.
It seems to me that when film stars remained inaccessable, a mistique was maintained. Now? if i want to i can see some one's mug shot, or crotch shot or see their will or read their diary. and in some cases these folks put it out there on purpose.
it is sad in so many ways.
I'll throw my two cents into the mix…
I think this can be attirubted to a variety of things, including but not limited to:
-the (I hate this term) celebrity/media industrial complex – by that, I mean your tabloids, your paparazzi, your programs like Access Hollywood and Entertainment Tonight, ad nauseam… there have always been gossip rags but it's gotten completely out of hand in the last few years and will only get worse before it gets better
-the studios are simply small parts of huge international corporations – now that doesn't totally excuse crappy movies but it does mean that the money men are more focused on the bottom line which means more movies based on existing properties (toys, cartoons, comics, etc.)
-actors making way too much money – no one person is worth $20 million unless they've cured cancer… and while I'll give the benefit of the doubt and say some actors might be willing to reduce their fees for certain projects, no agent would allow this to happen… if I were an agent, the last thing I'd want to do is "devalue" my client
-the Internet, Facebook, Netflix, Twitter, video games, shortened turnaround time between theater and home video, etc. – movies are no longer the only source of entertainment these days… while there's nothing like the shared experience of watching something like Star Wars or The Dark Knight in a theater full of people, why spend $10 when I can simply wait three months and invite friends over to my house to watch the rented Blu-Ray disc on my 42" LCD?
-TV – dare I say it, there are way more good shows on TV than movies in the theater, all with great production values, from 24 and the CSI franchise to NCIS, Monk, Burn Notice, Psych, True Blood, Lost, etc.
-a performer's politics won't stop me from watching their films but it is a bit off-putting and it points to a lack of manners… I imagine most people would prefer not to talk politics in mixed company (I sure wouldn't)… on the other hand, they go on talk shows where the hosts feel the need to ask, "So who are you voting for?"… maybe it's the whole "sitting at the cool kids' table" mentality, I don't know…
Death Note is pretty good. It's got minimal Gaia lip service and only one outright jab at W., but his actions are far more like those of our current president. It's an entertaining, logic-puzzle mystery that is ultimately satisfying.
What is the deal with the Japanese and Gaia theory? It seems universally accepted and it's absurd. Do they lack any dangerous wild animals in Japan? I challenge anybody to believe in the benevolent forces of nature after they've had to stare down a grizzly in the wild, or spend a long period of time outside in Quebec in the winter. If I could force the whole country to watch Grizzly Man, I would.
They hunted down a lot of their bigger (bigger relatively anyway) dangerous predators a long time ago. For example, the Japanese wolves were smaller than our wolves, but one subspecies was hunted to extinction in the late 1880's and the other died out around 1905. I think they still have some black and brown bears though… Their population is more urbanized than a lot of countries too, so they're probably not as up on the whole large mauling animals thing as US and Canada; or even their mainland counterparts.
Combine those factors with the view of everything having some sort of spirit typical of a lot of oriental heritage and I could see the whole Gaia complex forming like it did.
It would be an interesting exercise to list all the movie acters on the cusp of "stardom" but didn't/couldn't pick the right scripts. It's the writers and directors who make the "stars".
Of course in the old days before 1960s the studios protected their images and they achieved some cult-like status. But not any more.
Sorry, every time I see a picture of Brittany Spears I think of this bald-headed maniac wielding a hammer at her husband's car. Maybe she isn't a movie star but you know where I am going.
We know too much about them now.
Well said, Michael! The truth is, STORY has always been the star. It just doesn't look good on the cover of People Magazine — and that's a GOOD thing. What goes around comes around.
Celebrity is shallow. Story is deep.
To give the Japanese credit, they seem to be skeptical about their own desire for utopia. Over and over again, their fictional villains turn out to be well-intentioned (or at least originally well-intentioned) extremists who think that the best way to create a world without war or hatred is to kickstart some sort of catastrophic change.
lulz
That what was so great about Death Note – the protagonist is the ultimate social engineer gone wrong.
Well said. I appreciate you adding the Poetica reference.
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