Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Jordan Alcala
Emily Litle
ENG 121.001
11 March 2019
Celebrity Celetoids
In the article called “The Mass Production of Celebrity: ‘Celetoids, Reality TV and the
‘Demotic Turn’ ”, is about celebrities, celetoids, reality tv, and demotic run that was written by
Graeme Turner. Turner is “…one of the leading figures in cultural and media studies in Australia
and Internationally.” (Queensland1). He is arguing about how much media has mutated in the
construction of cultural identity. Turner really focuses on ‘Celetoids’ and ‘Demotic Turn’ when
giving his arguments about the media/celebrity world. He explains how a lot of people can be
famous one day and be forgotten the next. I agree with turner on what he is arguing. I believe a
lot of people are blind and don’t know what it takes to be a celebrity.
What is the definition of ‘Demotic Turn’? It can be defined as a type of language used by
‘ordinary people’. Graeme Turner argues the fact that media has covered up its content with
‘ordinary people’. Turner talks about demotic run in most of the article. He explains what he
means when he says, ‘Demotic run’ by, “…referring to the increasing visibility of the ‘ordinary
person’ as they turn themselves into media content through celebrity culture, reality TV, DIY
websites, talk radio and the like.” (Turner153). There is a difference between ‘Ordinary vs ‘Elite’
people on TV. Turner explains how you are starting to see more ‘ordinary people’ on tv a lot
more often. The reason being is because you like to see people that look ‘ordinary’ become
famous. This gives the audience comfort toward the medias because it is showing us the average
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person can become famous as well. Demotic run plays a big part because it helps people relate or
Celetoids meet the demand of the public. Celetoids are people who are famous for a short
period time and then nothing the next period time. Turner believes the media uses these types of
people to pull off that the, ‘Ordinary Type’ person can be famous also. The media shows this by
making reality tv, talk shows, and commercials etc. Turner knows that media is smart and knows
how to show us what you want to see. He defines celetoids by, “… media attention one day, and
are forgotten the next.” (Turner156). He argues that we need to ask questions about the media.
Reason why he thinks that is because as mentioned in the article, “… we do so give its wholesale
intervention into the formations of cultural identity, particularly towards the young…”
(Turner161). They say the media isn’t the same as it was back in the day. It has changed a lot and
not in a good way. “… the media was thought to operate as a medium or a carrier rather than
itself a motivating ideological force; its activities were the product of the interests of other
locations of power…” (Turner159). Now the media shows you what you want to see. The media
changed and evolves with our culture. The evolving allows you to be interested on what they
show you. Not everything stays the same and some people don’t evolve with the generation but,
With everything Graeme Turner is saying about the media, I agree with all of it. I do
believe there is a lot that we do not know about the media. The media is really good at covering
up their dirt. There are things I personally would like to know as far as, what does the average
person have to do to become famous? I do know that the media can cover up a lot of things and
can be bias on certain topics also. They like to show us what we want to see and not what we
need to know. The viewers always see these random people blow up on social media and have
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their fame for a certain amount of time. They blow up and then blow down the next short amount
of time. It’s crazy how a lot of us can be blind to the media at times but it happens. We can’t
really control on what we like. I do believe that there are a lot of celetoids and believe they are
good to have. It gives hope to people who wish to become famous one day. But, programs
“mask” of becoming a celebrity because not everyone can do it. The media has ensured that
‘reality TV’ is performed by ‘ordinary people’. A lot of people know that reality TV is just made
up and getting masked like if we don’t know that it isn’t real. People don’t just sign up to be on a
realty tv. People must try out or audition to get on a show or act. The media try’s everything they
can to try and relate to the public. The social media world, there are a lot of celetoids. People
always hear about a person and then forget about them within a couple days. An example of a
celebrity that fits the celetoid criteria is a rapper named “Lil Pump”. When he first blew up in the
music industry (2017-2018), he came up hot. His style was perfect with the generation but, now
that the generation is getting a little older his music is somewhat going on a downhill. He will
eventually wash out because he’s not evolving with the rap game and the style. He influenced a
lot of high school kids that I went to school with, to make money. All Lil Pumps music talks
about is money, girls, and drugs. He will eventually go downhill soon and get washed out.
Coming into conclusion with all of this, I do agree with Graeme Turner on the media.
Turner argues the fact that media has covered up its content with ‘ordinary people’ instead of the
‘elite people’. Turner gave facts in his argument on what the media does to get us to watch what
we want to watch. There are many people who fit into the celetoid category. They get famous
one day and then people forget about them the next day; or in other words “15 minutes of fame”.
The media also shows us ‘Demotic run’ witch a type of style the ordinary person talks. The
media does this to help the viewers catch on and relate with the content they are giving us. This
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world is crazy, and we can be controlled by the media and other networking programs. We don’t
like to know the truth of things and we try to brush the negative things out the way. This allows
the media and celetoids to shine by showing us viewers on what we want to see and not what we
need to know. You can’t believe everything you see in the media world. Turner couldn’t have
argued and explained in a better way. What do you think about ‘Demotic run’ and ‘Celetoids’?
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Turner, G. (2006). The mass production of celebrity: ‘Celetoids’, reality TV and the ‘demotic
https://doi.org/10.1177/1367877906064028
Queensland, The University of. “Emeritus Professor Graeme Turner, FAHA.” Institute for
turner-faha.