Beyond Black - Celebrity and Race in Obama's America (Paperback)

"Beyond Black" is Ellis Cashmores compelling appraisal of the impact of black celebrities on the cultural landscape of contemporary America. In recent years a new variety of African American celebrity has emerged: acquisitive, ambitious, flamboyantly successful and individualistic - more interested in channelling their energy into career development than into the political struggles that animated some of their predecessors. Bill Cosby and Oprah Winfrey were early examples; current A-listers include Beyonce and Tiger Woods.The most valuable product these celebrities sell, according to Cashmore, is a particular conception of America: as a nation where racism has been - if not banished - rendered insignificant. Does racism even matter when almost anyone can possess the commodities associated with the celebrities with whom they identify? Jargon-free but with scholarly attention to theory, evidence and logic, this is a riveting account of contemporary American society, from the minstrel shows of the nineteenth century, the Hollywood film industry of the 1930s to todays hip-hop culture. ""