by Julie Klam
First published 2017
Julie Klam believed celebrities could rescue her when she was young. Now she investigates our collective obsession with famous people in this witty personal examination. Klam applies her sharp curiosity to understanding celebrity culture, from movie stars and baseball players to Instagram influencers and teenage social media creators. She explores how a Korean rapper posting videos or a woman doing nude yoga can amass millions of followers. Klam digs into what transforms someone into a celebrity and why our fascination with them grows stronger each year. She reveals the complex agreements celebrities make with their audiences and examines the costs of maintaining public status. Through her infectious humor and keen observations, Klam uncovers why celebrities represent the versions of ourselves we wish we could become.
Genres: american-fiction, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, cultural-studies
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: personal-journey, social-commentary
Period: 21st-century
240 pages · Hardcover · Riverhead Books