Dramatic. That is how we might think about Kim Kardashian's recent glammy Instagram post, the latest feud between Kanye and Taylor Swift, or that catfight on this week's episode of The Bachelor. But, according to Sharon Marcus in her new book, The Drama of Celebrity, drama is also a process. It is a relationship between media producers, members of the public, and famous figures themselves, all of whom contribute to and benefit from celebrity culture. Through eight engaging chapters, Marcus guides us through the history and features of stardom, from the ways in which the famous are made to seem simultaneously extraordinary and “just like us” to the paradoxical power that celebrities have to both influence and defy social norms. The French actress and icon Sarah Bernhardt serves as a connective lens throughout, and Marcus uses a fascinating array of clippings, cartoons, and photographs to illustrate the fact that many of the tropes of celebrity culture that we now understand as staples of twenty-first century popular culture were actually established hundreds of years ago. The persistence and evolution of these themes is showcased through dozens of stories about celebrities of past and present, from Madonna and Davey Crockett to Rihanna and Donald Trump.

One of the most compelling aspects of Marcus's book is the way in which she critically considers the relationship between social norms past and present. Marcus deftly shows, for instance, how celebrity has long shaped gender roles, while simultaneously dubbing female audiences fanatic fools. Women, she notes, are both empowered and exploited by the celebrity system, and it is not just the actresses and models. We, as audiences, learn about which behaviors and aesthetics confer cultural capital through the actions of the stars. We see when the essence of an individual becomes synonymous with her appearance, and the consequences (154). Still, our judgment of the famous, which Marcus details through an exacting collection of scrapbooks and fan albums, can offer a sense of agency, even an escape from the stresses of an era.

In the chapter titled “Multiplication,” Marcus documents the ways in which technologies of image distribution work to expand, rather than dilute, the power of the star. Following Walter Benjamin's classic work on the power of mechanical reproduction, Marcus argues that reproduction creates a new aura of celebrity, one not based on uniqueness but rather on the “halo of the multiple” (127). It is the proliferation and circulation of the image that engenders power. “Copies,” as Marcus writes, “do not dim the celebrity's halo; they brighten it” (127). This chapter speaks to the influence of engraving and photography, but also the current ubiquity of celebrity gossip magazines, paparazzi, and social media. In addition, Marcus shows how celebrity culture's reliance on multiples has the potential to bolster stereotypes, and the ways in which we further these conventions when we don Halloween costumes or imitate Elvis or Marilyn Monroe. Tales of audience mimicry also call to mind the recent phenomenon of cosmetic surgery seekers requesting celebrity-inspired body parts.

While The Drama of Celebrity offers an entertaining and informative series of stories about the famous and fantastic, it also serves as an introduction to the disciplines of celebrity studies and, to an extent, cultural studies. Leo Lowenthal's idols of consumption, Erving Goffman's interpersonal performance, and the Frankfurt School's culture industries are all outlined here, along with numerous other key authors and theories. Individual chapters, written in clear and intelligible prose, would be useful resources for students in the field.

Marcus’ core thesis—that celebrity is a process rather than an individual—is a compelling one in that it challenges the reader to view fame as a social relationship, one in which we all play a role, regardless of whether or not we choose to engage with particular stars. This process is ceaseless and will continue its ebb and flow long after any one particular celebrity has come and gone. It exists because it both reflects and shapes our culture. “The history and theory of celebrity teach us,” as Marcus writes in the concluding chapter, “that we get the celebrities we deserve” (219). The drama of celebrity is about what we value, how we see ourselves, and our aspirations for the future.