X-chromosomes within The X-Files: An Examination of Celebrity Role Models Agent Scullyand Gillian Anderson

Employing feminist media theory and fan-star theory,this analysis qualitatively examines the variouscomponents and potential social significance ofcontemporary celebrity role models by way of AgentScully of the television series The X-Files. Sincefirst entering popular culture consciousness in 1993,Agent Scully has been widely lauded as a role modelfor women. Appeal of the groundbreaking character asa smart, courageous, professional woman issupplemented by the charisma of actor GillianAnderson, who is correspondingly admired. Anintegrated methodology is applied to study these dualpositive female images, including textual analysis,historical treatment of popular press discourse, apersonal interview with Gillian Anderson, andanalysis of fan tertiary texts. Inquiry into theonline identificatory practices of certain engagedfemale fans shows that elements of text, context,star, and fandom coalesce to produce a celebrity rolemodel construct that fosters viewer activity beyondindividual circumstances and into engagement withlarger social issues.