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Start Date
23-6-2022 12:00 AM
End Date
23-6-2022 12:00 AM
Abstract
This project analyzes the celebrity feminist activism that grew out of the 2017 iteration of #MeToo through a qualitative analysis of the launch of the Time’s Up legal defense fund and its publicization via the “Blackout,” or celebrities’ decision to wear all black in solidarity, at the 2018 Golden Globe Awards. Through an analysis of celebrities’ social media posts, red carpet appearances, and news and commentary about the Golden Globes, I demonstrate that the self-promotional, hyper-individualized norms of celebrity culture subverted the intersectional, collective goals of the initiative by amplifying celebrity voices, identities, and brands. Moreover, the newsworthiness of (mostly white) stars further exacerbated those power imbalances as news and commentary about the Blackout amplified white celebrities as saviors at the expense of more nuanced discussions. Overall, the launch of Time’s Up and the many scandals that have plagued the organization in the ensuing years crystallize and lay bare the multilayered problems that can arise when wealthy, powerful, privileged individuals posit solutions for communities to which they may only be tangentially connected - issues that can be amplified and made hypervisible by celebrities’ involvement but are endemic to large-scale, high-profile non-profit organizations. By deeply analyzing one of the few recent examples of sustained feminist mobilization within celebrity circles, this project adds nuance to our understandings of the complex entanglements of neoliberal individualism and feminist collectivity that characterizes modern celebrity feminism.
Time's Up: Celebrity Feminism After #MeToo
This project analyzes the celebrity feminist activism that grew out of the 2017 iteration of #MeToo through a qualitative analysis of the launch of the Time’s Up legal defense fund and its publicization via the “Blackout,” or celebrities’ decision to wear all black in solidarity, at the 2018 Golden Globe Awards. Through an analysis of celebrities’ social media posts, red carpet appearances, and news and commentary about the Golden Globes, I demonstrate that the self-promotional, hyper-individualized norms of celebrity culture subverted the intersectional, collective goals of the initiative by amplifying celebrity voices, identities, and brands. Moreover, the newsworthiness of (mostly white) stars further exacerbated those power imbalances as news and commentary about the Blackout amplified white celebrities as saviors at the expense of more nuanced discussions. Overall, the launch of Time’s Up and the many scandals that have plagued the organization in the ensuing years crystallize and lay bare the multilayered problems that can arise when wealthy, powerful, privileged individuals posit solutions for communities to which they may only be tangentially connected - issues that can be amplified and made hypervisible by celebrities’ involvement but are endemic to large-scale, high-profile non-profit organizations. By deeply analyzing one of the few recent examples of sustained feminist mobilization within celebrity circles, this project adds nuance to our understandings of the complex entanglements of neoliberal individualism and feminist collectivity that characterizes modern celebrity feminism.
Bio
Caitlin E. Lawson is an Assistant Professor of Communication and Media at Emmanuel College. She is a feminist media studies scholar whose research explores the ways in which pop culture and social media intersect to provide everyday opportunities to negotiate social justice and equity. Her first book, Celebrity Feminism in the Digital Age, is under contract with Rutgers University Press.
Caitlin holds a Ph.D. in Communication and Media from the University of Michigan, an M.A. in Film Studies from the University of Central Oklahoma, and a B.A. in Literary and Cultural Studies from the University of Oklahoma.