CTCS 412: Stars + Celebrity

This is the blog for CTCS 412 at the University of Southern California. This course will examine the role of the star in contemporary U.S. culture by focusing on how stars are produced and consumed in the “machinery” of cinema. We will explore the complex and sometimes contradictory phenomenon of stardom by analyzing the films stars appear in; examining the way stars are used to market films and ancillary products; and reading the extra-cinematic texts stars are formed from and inspire.