Exercise 2:
For this exercise, you'll need to focus
on a star. Who is your
favorite star? Answer this question to begin. Don't labor over
trying to think up someone; don't try to be original. To do so
is to fight the assignment. What do you already know about this
star? Start a journal in which you write down what you already
know as well as what you learn about this star when researching
the popular archive. Where have you seen this star? In movies,
on TV, in magazines? What do you remember about what you've
seen? In each instance, chronicle what you saw and why you liked
it. Initially, you'll probably remember the positive things, but
also try to remember and look at negative things about the star
(or roles the star may have played) that remind you of yourself
-- either experiences you've had or ways you've felt. The point
of this assignment is to get you to start thinking about how your
fandom tells you something about who you are. To make sure the
study is interesting, you should focus on both the positive and
negative ways you relate to your star. Try to think about and
explain why certain aspects of a star's identity appeal to you.
Ideally, this journal should be a record of both your identity
and the star's; try to divide your attention equally between the
two.
Readings:
"Gone With the Wind," Valerie Sayers
"The Emergence of the Star System in America," De Cordova
excerpts from Dyer's The Star System
excerpts from Textual Poaching
"Madonna," Fiske