Description
Book SynopsisAmerican Ideal: How American Idol Constructs Celebrity, Collective Identity, and American Discourses by Amanda Scheiner McClain provides an insightful analysis of the popular television show American Idol and explores contemporary notions of celebrity, American collective identity, and other American themes. American Idol depicts how a new star is constructed, supports American ideals such as individualism and archetypes, and reinforces an idealized American identity through verbal and visual discourse. The monstrous popularity of American Idol demands study of the program and the ideals contained within. This book consists of discourse analyses of the first seven seasons of the program, contextual press coverage, and of the official message boards. By amalgamating this research, it becomes clear that American Idol presents an idealistic vision of American life, where everyone is equal, democracy chooses the right winner, power is shared, and celebrity and success can be attained sim
Trade ReviewThis very well-researched, documented, and appropriately theory driven book is remarkable for its clarity.... For a reader who has never seen the show, I found this account of American Idol singularly engaging. I may now even turn it on. * Studies in American Culture *
Table of ContentsChapter 1. American Idol Chapter 2. Overview of Theory and Methods Chapter 3. Rags to Riches and the Discourse of Dreams Chapter 4. Contestant Archetypes Chapter 5. Narratives of Authenticity Chapter 6. Narratives of Transformation to Celebrity Chapter 7. Show Discourse and Collective Identity Chapter 8. Collective Identities on the American Idol Message Boards Chapter 9. American Idol Press Coverage: 2002 and 2008 Chapter 10. Conclusion
