THE
PERFORMANCE AND MEDIA GROUP
To order any of the following publications, contact us at:
performanceandmedia (at) gmail (dot) com
The Secrets of Musical Confidence
Author: Andy
Evans ~ Publisher: HarperCollins, UK 1994
The indispensable handbook for musicians, covering:
Maximising performance potential
Dealing with Stage Fright
Creativity and Songwriting
Assertiveness, negotiating skills and succeeding
in the profession
Peak Performance and "the zone"
Price
£8 inc. UK postage and packing
Secrets of Performing Confidence
Author: Andy
Evans Publisher:
A&C Black, London, UK 2003
The indispensable handbook for actors, dancers and
musicians, covering:
Maximising performance potential
Career
confidence
Dealing with Stage Fright
Creativity and Improvisation
Dealing with Fame
Transition, burnout and leaving
the profession
Peak Performance and "the
zone"
Special
Price £10 inc. UK postage and packing
This Virtual Life
Author: Andy
Evans Publisher:
Fusion Paperbacks, London, UK 2000
Price
£9.99 inc. UK postage and packing
Fame: The Psychology of Stardom
Authors: Andy
Evans and Dr Glenn D.
Wilson
Publisher: Vision Paperbacks,
London, UK 1999
Price
£9.99 inc. UK postage and packing (Presently out of print)
BOOK REVIEW - Fame: The Psychology of Stardom
Philip J Corr - to be
published in "Personality and Individual Differences"
Andrew Evans and Glenn D. Wilson. Fame: The Psychology of Stardom. London:
Vision (1999). Paperback: pp. x+178. ISBN 1-901250-24-5. £9.99.
Stardom is a fascinating psychological phenomenon,
providing a window through which we witness basic emotional processes; as such,
it is a topic worthy of serious scientific attention. Although history is
punctuated with the famous, the 20th century saw the full-scale manufacture of
stars and celebrities; and the fantasy world of the movie idol and soap
character is now interwoven into the fabric of popular culture and today
represents an important element of our social environment. Popular culture –
often disparaged as lacking in theoretical substance – is central to
psychology: its contents may be transient, but the underlying realities that it
reflects are not. As Evans and Wilson point out, in the Selfish Gene (1976),
Richard Dawkins states: "The evolution of the capacity to simulate seems
to have culminated in subjective consciousness. Why this should have happened is,
to me, the most profound mystery facing modern biology. Perhaps consciousness
arises when the brain’s simulation of the world becomes so complete that it
must include a model of itself". One technological expression of this
fundamental biological drive is the creation of the artificial psychological
realms that the cinema and television brings to us daily; earlier, Shakespeare
served a similar function, providing us with characters and events through
which we could vicariously model perennial psychological dilemmas. Evans and
Wilson’s highly readable book tackles this difficult topic in a way that is
sure to inform and delight in equal measure. The book covers a number of
themes.
Chapter 1 (Whence Fame) discusses the historical development of fame,
from the Kings of the Old Testament to the soap stars of today.
Chapter 2 (Fame and the Media), discusses the nature of the
communication of fame via music, photographs, product names (e.g., Mercedes,
the daughter of Benz) and awards (e.g., Nobel/Pulitzer), as well as the
manipulation of the media by celebrities.
Chapter 3 (Stars and their Audiences) covers the commercial creation of
audiences by the building of theatres and cinemas and the creation of stars.
Evans and Wilson survey the psychological ties to stars that involve emotional
affinity (usually same sex; e.g., for a man having the confidence and raw
energy of Brando; for a women the feminine allure of Munroe);
self-identification (to be in the star’s role); imitation (role modelling), and
projection (the assignment of unconscious emotions to others who act out our
desires on the screen).
Chapter 4 (Factors in Fame) traces the sources of fame (i.e., born,
made, serendipity/notoriety), including the factors that promote fame in the
aspirant, e.g., name changes (Frances Gumm became Judy Garland; Archie Leach,
Cary Grant; Marion Morrison, John Wayne), motivation and high psychoticism
(tough mindedness), reflecting the pursuit of pleasure (high dopamine levels)
and the absence of behavioural restraint (low serotonin; associated with this
neurotransmitter, depression is not uncommon among stars, and alcohol/drug
abuse seems almost a requirement of the job).
Chapter 5 (Becoming Famous) discusses the dubious pleasures of fame,
often leading to the highlighting of psychological weaknesses (many stars seek
psychiatric help).
Chapter 6 (Fame in the Family) focuses on child stars and the influence
of parents on their careers, including the pathological problems that
frequently develop when the child star hits adulthood.
Chapter 7 (Fans and Fan Behaviour) addresses the behaviour of fans,
including how they imitate their idols and the psychological dynamics behind
their devotion, including discussion of stalkers and actual murders of idols
(e.g., Mark Chapman’s killing of John Lennon).
Chapter 8 (The Social Context of Fame) presents the phenomenon of the
"star environment", i.e., the social realms of interrelations that
are constructed by and for stars.
Chapter 9 (The Downside of Fame) looks into the frequently found slide
into self-centredness, narcissism and grandiosity, as well as the phenomenon of
stage fright that afflicts many famous actors (e.g., Lawrence Olivier and
Richard Burton); and, more disturbing, the blurring of the line between actors
and their fictional characters (the most extreme example involved a soap star
in Brazil who actually murdered his female co-star following a soap scene in
which she rejected him!).
Chapter 10 (Coping with Fame) examines the pressures on the famous (e.g.,
dealing with inevitable failure in a world dominated by success); and the
strategies and therapies for coping with such maladies as stage fright,
burnout, fear of other famous people, career setbacks, etc. To be sure, all
that glisters is not gold!
Evans and Wilson’s book is an excellent introduction to fame and
stardom; and it should prove an indispensable text for specialised courses in
media and communication studies. Also, as it provides a rich source of everyday
examples of human behaviour, in conjunction with standard psychology texts it
may be utilised by undergraduate psychology students to explore psychological
theories of behaviour. Why do people so closely identify with the personal
lives of actors? Why are we attracted to horror films? Why are we so interested
in the make-believe, fictional dilemmas of soap characters? Why are successful
stars so often unhappy? Are personality traits important in success? What are
the implications of this form of popular culture for scientific theories of consciousness?
Is genius 99 percent perspiration, 1 percent inspiration? Are creativity and
emotional instability cut from the same cloth? All human science libraries
should purchase a copy of this inexpensive and fun book.
Philip J. Corr