This book offers a critical look at celebrity and celebrities throughout history, emphasizing the development of celebrity as a concept, its relevance to individuals, and the role of the public and celebrities in popular culture.
• Data and documents highlight the depth of the public's involvement with celebrities, including attendance at celebrity performances, online celebrity connections, tables about salaries, and letters to celebrities
• Presents a chronological view of the phenomenon of celebrity in the United States, the expansion of which parallels the development of media in America
• The bibliography provides information for additional reading and research as well as information relating to citations in the text
• A glossary defines terms important to a full understanding of celebrity, for example, "Jung's collective unconscious"