Celebritization and Kitsch
Correlated Phenomena Shaping Aesthetic Values in Contemporary Mass Culture
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21836935Keywords:
Celebritization, Kitsch, Aesthetic Superficiality, Consumption Culture, Social IntegrationAbstract
The paper presents the common characteristics and aesthetic implications of two correlated phenomena, celebritization and kitsch, in contemporary society. While celebritization refers to the process of transforming individuals into public figures through intense media attention, kitsch pertains to mass-produced objects and themes often considered unoriginal or aesthetically void. Both phenomena are rooted in contemporary mass culture and are closely linked to commercialization, media, and market values. The study examines how celebritization and kitsch influence aesthetic perception, aesthetic norms, and values in society, particularly through mechanisms of emotional simplification, repetition, and media-driven visibility. At the same time, the research highlights their socially integrative functions: celebritization shapes collective ideals and social aspirations, while kitsch democratizes aesthetic enjoyment, fosters cultural solidarity, and generates accessible emotional engagement across diverse groups. These findings suggest that both phenomena are not only markers of superficiality but also active agents in shaping cultural participation, public taste, and aesthetic sensibilities in modern society.
References
Ahmed, A. and Faiq, S. (2022) Understanding celebrity culture in the digital age. Routledge.
Baudrillard, J. (1998) The consumer society: Myths and structures. London: SAGE Publications.
Călinescu, M. (1987) Five faces of modernity: Modernism, avant-garde, decadence, kitsch, postmodernism. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Dorfles, G. (ed.) (1969) Kitsch: The world of bad taste. New York: Universe Books.
Driessens, O. (2013) ‘The celebritization of society and culture: Understanding the structural dynamics of celebrity culture’, International Journal of Cultural Studies, 16(6), pp. 641–657. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1367877912459140 (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
Eco, U. (1986) Travels in hyperreality. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Gabler, N. (1998) Life the movie: How entertainment conquered reality. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Giles, D. (2000) Illusions of immortality: A psychology of fame and celebrity. London: Macmillan.
Holmwood, J., Sulkunen, P., Radner, H. and Schulze, G. (eds.) (1997) Constructing the new consumer society. Basingstoke: Macmillan.
Inglis, F. (2000) A short history of celebrity. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Jacobus, R. and Martin, T. (2018) Kitsch and culture in consumer society. New York: Routledge.
Kulka, T. (1996) Kitsch and art. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press.
Kundera, M. (1984) The unbearable lightness of being. Translated by M.H. Heim. New York: Harper & Row.
Marshall, P.D. (1997) Celebrity and power: Fame in contemporary culture. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
Marshall, P.D. (2010) ‘The promotion and presentation of the self: Celebrity as marker of presentational media’, Celebrity Studies, 1(1), pp. 35–48. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/19392390903519057 (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
Mihăilescu, C.-A. (1997a) ‘Ritual at the birth of kitsch’, The Comparatist, 21, pp. 49–67.
Mihăilescu, V. (1997b) Kitsch as cultural commodity: Sociology and aesthetics. Bucharest: Humanitas.
Oxford Art Dictionary (n.d.) ‘Kitsch’, Oxford Art Online. Available at: https://www.oxfordartonline.com (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
Özler, H. and Kızılelma, S. (2023) ‘Symbolic design and kitsch production in architecture in a hyperreal postmodern context’, Digital International Journal of Architecture, Art and Heritage, 2(1), pp. 30–49.
Petrovic, F., Murgas, F. and Kralik, R. (2023) ‘Food, exercise and lifestyle are predictors of a hedonic or eudaimonic quality of life in university students’, Acta Missiologica, 17(2), pp. 99–114.
Postman, N. (1985) Amusing ourselves to death: Public discourse in the age of show business. New York: Viking Penguin.
Rončáková, T. (2023) ‘Predslov’, in T. Rončáková (ed.) Prominent – celebrita – outsider: Premeny mediálneho obrazu známych ľudí vo verejnom priestore. Ružomberok: Verbum, pp. 3–4.
Rončáková, T. and Sámelová, A. (eds.) (2023) Sláva a tieň: Mediálna cesta Mariana Kočnera k statusu „toxickej celebrity“. Ružomberok: Verbum.
Rusnák, J. (2010) Textúry elektronických médií: Vývoj a súčasný stav. Prešov: Prešovská univerzita.
Ryynänen, M. and Barragán, P. (eds.) (2023) The changing meaning of kitsch: From rejection to acceptance. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-16632-7 (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
Schroeder, J.E. (2005) ‘The artist and the brand’, European Journal of Marketing, 39(11/12), pp. 1291–1305. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/03090560510623262 (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
Scitovsky, T. (1976) The joyless economy: An inquiry into human satisfaction and consumer dissatisfaction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Shakespeare, W. (n.d.) King Lear, Act 1, Scene 1. Folger Shakespeare Library. Available at: https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/king-lear/read/1/1/ (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
Marcus, S. (2019) The drama of celebrity. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Stańska, Z. (2023) ‘The story of Damien Hirst’s famous shark’, DailyArt Magazine. Available at: https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/story-damien-hirst-shark/ (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
Stever, G.S. (2009) Fan/celebrity interaction: A social and psychological perspective. Routledge.
Stewart, S. and Giles, D.C. (2020) ‘Celebrity status and the attribution of value’, European Journal of Cultural Studies, 23(1), pp. 3–17. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1367549419861618 (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
Street, J. (2004) ‘Celebrity politicians: Popular culture and political representation’, The British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 6(4), pp. 435–452. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-856X.2004.00153.x (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
Turner, G. (2014) Understanding celebrity. 2nd edn. London: SAGE Publications.
