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CHANGINGUNDERSTANDINGSOFFAMEINSAWEEKLYMAGAZINESOVERTHE20THCENTURY:

FROMHUISGENOOTTOHEAT

ByJoeyKok

AdissertationsubmittedinpartialfulfilmentoftherequirementsforthedegreeDoctorofPhilosophybydissertationoftheUniversityoftheWitwatersrandinJournalismandMediaStudies.

Johannesburg,October2018

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DedicationToBernoandSebastian.Youaremystars.

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AcknowledgementsIcouldnothaveembarkedonorcompletedthisprojectwithoutthesupportandguidance

frommysupervisor,ProfessorSusanvanZyl.Abigthankyoualsotoeachandeveryperson

–family,friends,colleaguescurrentandformer,thelibraryandsupportstaffatWits–who

hashelpedmesearch,thinkandquestion,freeduptime,offeredadvice,extrareading

material,pointers,awillingear,ashouldertolean(orsometimescry)onandtheoddcupof

coffeeorglassofwine.Youallreallypulledmethrough,andIwillforeverbegratefulfor

suchacommunity.

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Contents

Introduction..............................................................................................................................7

Chapter1:TheEpicHeroinHuisgenootintheearly20thcentury........................................21

1.1EarlyHuisgenoot’sEpicHeroes.....................................................................................23

1.2PaulKruger:AfrikanerEpicHero...................................................................................40

Conclusion...........................................................................................................................50

Chapter2:TheStarrisesinSouthAfrica:Drummagazineinthe1950s................................56

2.1StardomtheDrumway.................................................................................................60

2.2DollyRathebe:“JustaboutAfrica’smostfamousandexcitingwoman”.....................75

Conclusion...........................................................................................................................82

Chapter3:EmergingCelebrity:Star,Celebrityandthespacebetween:PeopleSAinthelate1980s.......................................................................................................................................85

3.1EmergingCelebrityunpacked.......................................................................................95

3.2BarbraStreisanddoesEmergingCelebrity..................................................................116

Conclusion.........................................................................................................................120

Chapter4:CelebrityProper:heatSAintheearly21stcentury.............................................122

4.1UncoveringtheCelebrityProper.................................................................................129

4.2ProducingtheCelebrityProper...................................................................................140

Conclusion.........................................................................................................................157

Chapter5:TheFigureNow...................................................................................................161

5.1DispersalandhybridityinTheFigureNow..................................................................162

5.2Drawingthelineat‘real’illness..................................................................................174

5.3TheHeroreturns,butnotinepicform.......................................................................183

Conclusion.........................................................................................................................187

Concludingreflection............................................................................................................189

Bibliography..........................................................................................................................199

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Introduction

TheSouthAfricanversionofweeklyBritish‘celebrity’magazineheatwaslaunchedinMay

2004,andIjoinedtheteaminDecemberofthatyear,asthechiefcopyeditor.Iwasafull-

timeheatSAstaffmemberforthetitleforthreeyears,andalsoworkedthereinaregular

freelancecapacitythereafter.Iheldanumberofseniorpositions,includingactingdeputy

editorandmanagingeditor.IntheprocessIbecamefamiliarwiththenews-selection,or

‘copy-tasting’process,amongstotherthings,andultimatelybecameinterestedinwhat

appearedtometobeagrowingfocusonscandalandwhatwereportrayedasphysical

flaws.

Thescandalsincludedphotographicexposésofentertainers,mostlyfromtheHollywoodfilm

industry,behavingoutrageouslyintheirprivatecapacitybutofteninpublictoo,inmany

casesbecausetheyhadapparentlybeendrinkingtoomuchortaking‘illegalsubstances’.The

‘defects’themagazineregularlyrevealed,againthroughphotographicevidence,weremost

oftenphysicalones,includingcelluliteand‘badskin’,aswellasquestionablejudgment,

especiallyintermsoffashion.

Moreover,heathadaveryspecificanduniqueeditorialvoice,anironic,tongue-in-cheek,

irreverenttonethat,crucially,appearedtocelebrateitsownfocusonscandalandpersonal

imperfectioninrepresentingtheentertainer.

Itwasalsotheonlylocalmagazinethathada100-percententertainment-personalityfocus;

fromitsadvertisingandpromotionalpagestostaplemagazinefeaturessuchasnews,

fashion,beautyandevenhoroscopes:everysectionorelementofthemagazinehadsome

formofentertainment-personalitycoverageasitshook.

Withitsidiosyncraticapproach,andthedistinctiveentertainerfigurethatemergedinthe

coverage,themagazinedidextremelywellinitsfledglingyears,sellingmorethan100000

copiesinaweekonoccasion,asignificantnumberforthelocalmarket.heatSA’sentryalso

causedaconsiderablefrissoninthelocalweekly-magazinemarket.PeopleSA,arguably

heat’sclosestcompetitor,switcheditsfrequencyfrombi-monthlytoweeklytocoincidewith

thelaunchofheatSA.Inaddition,followingtheheatlaunch,twonewlocalweekly

magazineswithentertainmentcontentwereestablished:Move!,in2005,andMense,an

Afrikaans-languageeditionofPeopleSA,in2006.

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Moreover,likeitsparentbrandintheUnitedKingdom,heatSAalsoappearedtobea

trendsetteramongtheweeklymagazinesintermsofitsstrongfocusonscandaland

imperfection.Besidesthealready-mentionedMove!,PeopleandMense,theotherweeklies

includedthealmostcentury-year-oldbrandHuisgenootanditstwoEnglish-languagestable-

mates,YOUandDrum.Badlybehavedentertainersstartedappearingmorefrequentlyandin

moreprominentpositionswithinthesetitles.Inkeepingwithinternationaltrendsatthe

time,scandalcouldbearguedtohaveconsiderablyboostedthesalesofSouthAfrican

weekliesintheearlyyearsofthe21stcentury.Alltheseapparentshiftsinentertainment

news,bothonthelocalandinternationalprint-medialandscape,wereinteresting,andcould

bereadasprovidinganindicationofthewayinwhichmagazinesapproachedor

representedfamewaschanging.

Yet,despiteageneralshiftintheweeklymagazineindustryinthefirstdecadeofthe21st

centurytowardsgreaterinclusionofnotionsofscandalandphysicalimperfectioninits

coverageofentertainmentpersonalities,cleardistinctionscouldstillbedrawnbetweenthe

natureofthecontentproducedbythemaincompetingtitlesorbrandsonthelocal

landscape.AsheatSAstaffmembers,wecriticallyexaminedandanalysedourlocal

competitiononaweeklybasisinanattempttoaccuratelypredicthowthesetitleswouldbe

coveringtheweek’sentertainment-personalitynews,inordertodistinguishourselvesby

meansofuniquecoverage,therebypiquingreaderinterestand,hopefully,sales.

Aswecomparedtitles,westartednoticinghowtheysetthemselvesapartbyfollowing

distinctiveformulas.Huisgenoot(thetitlecanlooselybetranslatedas‘homecompanion’),

theoldestandalsobiggestofthebrandsintermsofcirculation,forinstance,alwaysseemed

tohonouritsfamily-magazineheritagebytreatingscandalouscontentwithrestraint.Its

English-mediumstable-mates,YOUandDrum,aimedatmiddle-classwhiteandblack

readershipsrespectively,followedsuit.PeopleSAanditsAfrikaansedition,Mense,appeared

tomimicheatinsomewaysbydistinguishingthemselvesfromtheexclusivelypositive

entertainment-personalitynewsformulaoftheeponymousAmericanbrandbyincluding

elementsofscandalandalsoincreasinglyexposingphysical‘imperfection’inthesupposedly

beautiful.Aimedatanaspiringmiddle-classblackreadership,Move!’sentertainmentnews

sectionalsohadapreferenceforscandalstories.

Asweanalysedthevariousmagazines’distincteditorialofferingsandwitnessedwhat

appearedtobereaders’growingappetiteforentertainment-personalityscandal,Ibecame

curiousastohowithadallemergedandchangedtoculminateinheat’sspecific

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representationoffame.AndsotheideaforthisPhDtopicwasignited,aprojectfocusedon

tracingbackwhat,inweeklymagazines,camebeforethetypeoffigurethatemergedinheat

SA’scoverageduringtheearlyyearsofthe21stcenturyandondocumentingsubsequent

transformations.AllheatSA’scompetitorshadbeenonthemarketformorethanadecade,

andHuisgenootalmostacentury,andanopportunitywasidentifiedtofollowanypossible

shiftsinhowfamewasrepresentedinthesemagazinesovertime,reflectingonlocal

magazinehistorywhiletracingthepeoplecoveredinthesetitles.Ifoundmyselfinthe

position,notonlyofbeingpartoftheteamproducingthecoverageinheatSAandcritically

reflectingonwhatweandourcompetitorsweredoingatthetimeintermsofrepresenting

fame,butalsoofgoingbackalmostacenturyintothearchivesofHuisgenootandexamining

whichpeopletheyhadcoveredandhowtheyhadcoveredthem.

NotonlydidIlookback,however.Asubstantialpartofthisthesishadalreadybeenwritten

whenheatSAcloseddown,andsuddenlytherewasnolongeraweekly,pure‘celebrity’-

newsmagazineinthecountry.Thispresentedanopportunityto‘gazeahead’byfurther

extendingtheanalysistoincludeanypossibleshiftsinunderstandingsoffamethatcouldbe

tracedintheremainingmagazinesfollowingtheclosureofheatSA.

Thethesistookshapeasresearchintocoverage,focusingonhowweeklymagazines

conceivedofthefigurestheycovered,howtheircoverageofpeoplechangedovertime,and

asaresulthowtheideaof‘fame’,asrepresentedinmagazines,seemedtoshift–asdidthe

typeoffigurethatwasrepresented.

Intracingtheshiftsincoverage,attentionwaspaidtothechangesinthenature,content

andstyleofweeklymagazines’formulaearoundfamousfiguresacrossthe20thcentury.

Whilelookingthroughthecoverage,anumberofspecificelementsweretakeninto

consideration.Firstly,therewastheselectionofcharacters,thuslookingatwhowascovered

andalsowhytheywerecovered.Itwasdifficulttofindanappropriatetermforwhypeople

werecovered,fortheir‘representation-worthiness’.Mostoften,thesepeoplewarranted

coverageonaccountofwhatitwasthattheydidforalivingortheirpublicactions.The

changesinthereasonsforbeingfamousinthefirstplace,interestingorworthyof

representationintheeditorialofferingorthemagazine’sselectionofcharacterstocover,

formedthebasisofthediscussion.

Crucially,shiftswerealsotracedintermsofthechangesincharacteristicsortraitsthe

magazinesemphasisedand/orchosetoignoreintheircoverageofpeoplewhowere

selectedforinclusion.Thisselectionoftraitsorcharacteristicsispartofhowmagazines

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couldbesaidtocoverorre-presentthegroupofalreadyknownpersonalitiesselectedfor

inclusion.

Thirdly,therewassomeconsiderationofthewayinwhichthecoveragewasexecuted

changedovertime.Changeswerenotedinhowthemagazinesseemedtorepresent‘well-

knownness’intermsofpageandwordcountsdedicatedtocoverageofanindividualperson.

Notonlydiditconcernpagecounts,wordsandimages,howtheseindividualelementswere

usedintherepresentationwasalsoexamined.Inotherwords,theparticularstyleof

coveragewasobservedandalsohowthischangedovertime.Theseobservationswereused

tosupportthedifferentunderstandingsoffamethatseemedtoemergefromthetextual

evidence.

Thisisessentiallywhattranspiredduringtheanalysisofthematerialgatheredforthis

project.Changesincoverageorrepresentationovertimeweresometimessubtleand

sometimesmorepronounced.Buttheyweresignificantenoughtomakeitpossibleto

convincinglyargueforvariedunderstandingsoffametosurface,ordifferentkindsof

dominantfamousfigurestoemerge.HenceIsawmyself,inaway,answeringtothe

followingchallenge:settingouta‘taxonomy’ofunderstandingsoffame,acategorisationof

sorts,basedprimarilyonweeklymagazinecoverage.

Thisisnotthefirstproposedcategorisationoffame.However,asthisisinpartamedia

studiesproject,thehopeisthatitwillcontributetotheexistingbodyofknowledgeinterms

ofaspecialisedfocusonSouthAfricanweeklymagazines,andinparticularthebroad

understandingsofwell-knownnesssuggestedbytheircoverage,ofpeopleoverthe20th

century.Itmightseemsomewhatsingulartospecificallyfocusondefinitionsoffamein

readingthecoverage,buttheshiftsinnotionsofwell-knownnessthatseemtojustifya

categorisationareadmittedlysystematic,fittingintointernationalmagazinepublishing

trends,whichinturnformpartoftheconstantlychangingsocio-culturallandscape,and

generalunderstandingsoffame.

Itisimportanttoemphasisethisprojectasbeinganexaminationofchangingnotionsof

fameasapparentinweeklymagazinesinSouthAfricaoverthe20thcenturyandintothe

21st.Ispecificallyreiteratethispointaboutthefocusofthisprojectbeingfameaswitnessed

inmagazinecoverage,andinSouthAfrica,asthegeneralhistoryoffameofcoursestretches

backmuchfurtherthanthe20thcentury.Thishistoryalsoencompassesorreliesona

varietyofmedia;comparedtooldermediasuchascoins,bustsandportraits,magazinesare

arelativelynewmediumtodisseminateandcirculateindividualfame.

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Yetalthoughitisrelativelynewasafame-disseminatingmedium,themagazineingeneral

canbesaidtosubscribeinitscoveragetounderstandingsoffamethatprecedeits

commercialisation;inotherwords,magazinesselectpeoplewhomightalreadybefamous

forcoverage,orcoverpeopleforthesamecharacteristicsforwhichtheymighthavegained

fameinprecedingcenturies.

Inadditionitiscrucialtonotethatsomeofthedefiningcharacteristicsofthekeyfiguresin

thecategorisationIamproposinghereemergeinearlierrepresentationsoffame;theidea

ofscandal,forinstance,mightarguablyonlystartappearinginmagazinecoveragefromthe

middleofthe20thcenturyonwards,andonlybecomedominantinthismediumtowardsthe

endofthecentury,butthatisnottosaythatscandalandtransgressionareabsentfromthe

generalhistoryoffame.Onthecontrary,fromgreatloverstobrazentrainrobbers,thereare

countlessexamplesofpeoplewhobecamefamouswellbeforethe20thcenturyspecifically

forbehaviourthatwasconsideredtobeonthecontinuumoftransgressionandcouldbe

describedasanythingfromrisquétocriminal.

SouthAfricaseemstofollowthebroadinternationalmagazinetrends,yettheevidencethat

wasgatheredrevealedcertainSouthAfricanidiosyncrasies.Subsequently,therewasan

examinationofhowtheprocessoflocalisingcoverage,adaptingittosuitthetastesand

preferencesofthetargeteddomesticreadership,seemedtotakeadvantageofspecific

notionsthattheliteratureidentifiesasunderlyingconstructionsoffame.

Whilethemainfocusoftheresearchisonthecoverageitself,theanalysishasalso

attemptedtocontextualisetheshiftsintermsoflocalandglobalmediaandpublishing

trendsaswellasrelevantsocial,culturalandhistoricalfactorsinfluencingmagazine

coverageandrepresentationsoffame,particularlyinSouthAfrica.

Inpickingoutthedominantformsoffameforanalysisfromthemagazinecoverageover

time,theaimistogobeyondamerecategorisationbyarguingthatthereissomekindof

continuityof‘personalitytraits’,anotionofcumulativenessandlineageinthesuccessive

understandingsoffame.Withnooneunderstandingoffamefallingcompletelyaway,the

projectcouldbedescribedasakindofgenealogyoffameoverthe20thcenturyandintothe

21st.

Asetofquestionsguidedtheoriginalprocessofgatheringtheevidence.Specifically,there

wasanattemptattracingtheemergenceofthefirstunderstandingoffameinSouthAfrican

magazinecoverageandanalysetheformthiscoveragetook.Consequently,theshiftsin

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coverageovertimecouldbetraced,identifiedandanalysed,resultinginatimelineor

trajectoryofsuccessivemagazineunderstandingsoffame,andakindofline-upoffigures

embodyingthesechangingunderstandings.

Putdifferently,theanalysisseemedtorevealrelativelydistinctiveordominant

understandingsoffamethatbroadlyappearedtocorrespondwithspecifictimeperiods

stretchingacrossafewdecadeseachoverthe20thcentury.Inotherwords,theprocess

involvedperiodisation.Althoughitgreatlyfacilitatesanalysis,itshould,ofcourse,benoted

thatperiodisation,astheideaofcategorisingthepastintodistinctandmeasured‘chunks’of

time,isariskyenterprisethatconstantlyinvitesredefinition,asthereareoftenexceptions,

andtheperiodsoverlap.Similarly,therewerealsoexceptionsandoverlappingbetweenthe

identifiedcategoriesasthecenturyprogressed.Thesepitfallsofcategorisationand

periodisationare,tosomeextent,mitigatedbythefactthattheresearchfocusedonthe

dominantunderstandingsoffameduringbroadtimeperiodsandtookintoaccountother

understandingsthatarethere,butdonotemergeasstrongly.

Thetextualevidencewasdrawnfromweeklymagazines(ortitlesthatwouldeventually

becomeweeklies),partlybecausethispublishingfrequencyhadbecomesoclosely

associatedwiththeideaofentertainmentnewsbythe21stcentury.Allthelocalweekly

magazineswithrelevantcontentwereinitiallyconsideredforinclusion.‘Relevantcontent’

referstoapreferenceforcoverageofpeopleandpersonalitiesinsteadofspecificsubject

matter,hencetheexclusionofmagazinesincludingFarmer’sWeekly,Landbouweekblad,

Scopeandtheweeklyfinancialtitles.Theselectionofmagazineseventuallyconsultedwas,

inpart,influencedbytheavailabilityofarchivalcopies.Accesstoarchivalcopiesofweeklies

thatwerenolongerpublished,suchasOutspananditssuccessorPersonality,waslimited,

forinstance.

Asafirststepintheresearchprocess,materialwasgatheredfromafewrandomlyselected

issuesperyearofeachofthetitlesconsidered.Apreliminaryanalysisofthecoveragewas

conductedinordertoidentifypossiblebroadtrendsrunningacrossalltitles,aswellas

significantexceptions.Whilethetrajectoryoffameseemedtounfoldinaroughlysimilar

wayacrossallmagazinetitlesfromwhichmaterialwasdrawnforanalysis,goingintothe

21stcentury,foursuccessivefiguresdominatedthetrajectory,acrossfourdifferentlocally

producedtitlesduringspecifictimeperiods:Huisgenootintheearly19thcentury,Drumin

the1950s,PeopleSAinthe1980sandheatSAintheearly2000s.Accesstothearchivesof

thesetitleswasgainedthroughthelibrariesoftheUniversityoftheWitwatersrandin

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Johannesburg,theBailey’sAfricanHistoryArchivesandthecollectionsoftherelevant

magazinepublishers,namelyMedia24andCaxton.

Oncethetrajectoryandtherelevantmagazinetitlesthroughwhicheachofthefourfigures

wouldbeexploredhadbeenestablished,theevidencegatheredfromselectedissuesduring

theinitialresearchprocesswereanalysedin-depth.Thisarchivalmaterialwas

supplementedwithadditionalarticlesdrawnfromthelaunchissueofeachoftheselected

magazinetitlesaswellasotherrandomlyselectedissuespublishedinthefirstdecadeof

eachmagazine’sexistence.Theevidenttrendswerepositionedwithinthebroadersocial,

historicalandculturalcontextinSouthAfricaandalso,whererelevant,totheinternational

publishingenvironment.

Asthenewmillenniummovedtowardsitsthirddecade,however,andanattemptwasmade

toanalyseapost-heatunderstandingoffameasitwasunfolding,itseemedclearno

distinctivefifthfigureemergedinthecoverage.Instead,thereseemedtobeindicationsof

attrition.And,inaddition,onecouldpickoutindividualcharacteristicsinthecoveragethat

werefamiliar,astheyweretypicalofsomeoftheexistingfiguresinthetrajectory.Withthis

nextunderstandingoffamearguablynottakingonanyspecificallynewdimensions,there

wasalsonoonemagazinetitle‘leadingtheway’,ashadbeenthecaseinthetrajectoryup

untilthispoint.

Withthetrajectoryunfoldingchronologically,thechapterdivisionbelowisguided

respectivelybythefourmainfiguresthatappearedtodominatemagazinecoverageover

the20thcenturyandintothe21st,plusadiscussionoftheunfoldingpost-heat

understandingoffame,whichrevealstheabsenceofthecapacitytocategorisewithany

clarity.

Chapter1recognisesanearly20th-centurypreferenceinthemagazineindustry,bothlocally

andinternationally,fortheinclusionineditorialselectionofpeoplereminiscentinsome

waysoftheprotagonistsoftheepicpoetryofHomerandhiscontemporaries.Byextension,

thiscategoryexcludesthekindofpeopledominatingmagazinerepresentationsoffameby

theendofthecentury.Hence,firstly,theoccurrenceofpioneersandsoldiersandothers

whofitthebroaddefinitionoftheheroicinonewayoranother.Andthen,secondly,an

emphasisontraitsthatsupportthisnarrative:exemplariness,bravery,selflessness,moral

strengthandfibre,courage,humilityandsoforth–allappliedinpubliclifeandforthe

commongood.

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Inaddition,thisfirstchapteraimstoshowhowthisearly20th-centuryrepresentationof

fameinSouthAfricanmagazinesisasimpleformofwhatmightbeare-presentationofan

alreadyestablishedepicheroicimage.ThetermEpicHero1wasselectedtorepresentthis

categoryoffamehere,andwhenitisrenderedinitalicsandwithinitialcapitalletters,it

signalsthatitembodiesthecharacteristicsdescribedanddiscussedinChapter1.

Thechapteralsoexploreshow,atthispoint,themagazine’sselectionofpeopleandthe

coverageitselfseemedtoassumethereaders’almostexclusiveinterestinpeople,that

sharedtheirvalues.Thechapterpointsouthowthoseconsideredworthyofrepresentation

inthemagazinesarepresentedasidealandexemplary,suggestingthattheyhaveearned

thereadership’sloyalty,commitmentanddevotion.

ItreflectsonhowthefigureofwhatiscalledtheEpicHerofindsresonanceamongthe

fledglingAfrikanernationinSouthAfricabyreferringtocoverageselectedfromveryearly

issuesofDeHuisgenoot,whichwasfirstpublishedin1916.EarlyHuisgenootselectedthe

peopleitcoveredfromtheranksof(mostly)menwhohadcontributed,invariousways,to

thebirthandcontinueddevelopmentoftheAfrikanernation.Themajorityofthesemenhad

alreadyachievedakindofEpicHerostatusoftheirownmakingbeforethemagazinewas

founded;infact,mostofthepeoplewhowerecoveredinearlyissuesofHuisgenootwere

deadbythetimethemagazinelaunched.Huisgenootmerelyperpetuatedandaugmented

theimagethesefiguresalreadyheldinthecollectiveimaginaryoftheAfrikanerreadership

byshapingtheirstoriestofitamagazineversionoftheEpicHero.EarlyHuisgenootcoverage

takestheformoflengthyandwordyhagiographiescontainingmanyexamplesofepicheroic

andselflessdeedsandparticipationineventsofcardinalimportancetotheAfrikanerculture

andnation,notleastofwhichisthe19th-centuryGrootTrek(GreatTrek),whichcanbeseen

toechoHomer’sOdyssey.

WithspecificreferencetothelatepresidentoftheSouthAfricanRepublicPaulKruger,the

chapterdiscusseshowcoveragesurfacingtheEpicHerofigurealmostexclusivelycelebrated

hispublicactionsthatwereoftenpresentedasbeingextraordinary,anddrewhimasan

exemplarypersonworthemulating.Thechapteralsoalludestohowthenotionof‘settingan

example’,whichsurfacedstronglyinearlyHuisgenootarticles,fittedintotheAfrikaner-

nationalistprojectofthetime.

1Thisconventionofitalicisationandinitialcapitalisationisfollowedthroughoutthethesisforthetermsusedforalltheindividualfiguresinthetrajectorytoindicatethattheyrepresentthespecificsetofcharacteristicsidentifiedforeachofthecategories.

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ElementsoftheHero2wouldcontinuetocharacterisethemagazinerepresentationsof

fame,albeit,crucially,withouttheepicdimension.Wemightstillsometimeswitnessbrief,

unusualandunexpectedadditionstotheheroiccannon.YettheHeroslowlymadewayfor

whatseemedtobeaverydifferentfigure,selectedforeditorialinclusionsolelyonthebasis

ofexistingfameintheentertainmentbusiness.

Chapter2unpacksthisnewperceptionoffame,commonlyknownasstardom,showinghow

itdistinguisheditselffromitspredecessor.Thisdistinctionconcernsnotonlytheprofessions

ofpeopleselectedfortheeditorialoffering,whichnowincludeentertainmentpersonalities

asopposedtotheearlierpastors,poetsandpoliticians,butalsotheexposureofboth

privateandpublicspaceandactivity.

Thechapteralsolocatesthefirststepsintheshiftinmagazinecoveragefromare-

representationofanexistingunderstandingoffametoamoreactiveco-producingrole.It

doessobyremindingushow,eversinceentertainersfirststartedbecomingwell-andwidely

knownfiguresintheearly20thcentury,therebydisruptingthe‘pantheonofHeroes’that

camebefore,magazineshavebeenoneofthemostimportantmediatocirculate

informationaboutthem.

Butthechapteralsoidentifiescharacteristicssharedbythefirsttwomagazine

representationsoffameinthe20thcentury,notablyacontinuedrelianceonreadership

devotiontooradmirationforthefamousfigureinadditionto,orperhapsbasedon,an

apparentcontinuingemphasisonanelementofextraordinariness.Thechapteralsoengages

withthis‘extraordinariness’anditsmeaningwithinthenotionofstardom,notablyhowit

shiftstostartincorporatingtheideaofvisualqualitiessuchasglamourand‘radiance’.

Thechapteruncoversthecachetthisfigurehadforthemainlyblackreadershipofthe1950s

SouthAfricanmagazine,Drum,whichmay,atfirst,seemanunusualchoiceforthe

explorationofstardom,withitshistoricaloriginsintheoverwhelminglywhiteearly

Hollywoodmoving-picturesindustry.YetthechapterattemptstoshowthattheStarfigure

thatemergesinthepagesofDrumthroughanearlyformof‘newjournalism’practisedina

veryspecificlocationinJohannesburg,andspecificallythecoverageoflocalsongstressand

2Toindicatethatthistermisusedtoindicatebroaderunderstandingsoftheheroicwithoutanepicdimension,andthusnotaseparateunderstandingoffameanalysedinthisproject,itissimplyrenderedwithaninitialcapitalandwithouttheitalicisation.Thisconventionisalsofollowedthroughout.

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filmactorDollyRathebe,whoissketchedasextraordinarilyglamorousandgifted,isjusttoo

compellingtooverlook.

Towardstheendofthecentury,however,pureglamourbeginstolosegroundtotheideaof

flawinthewaywell-knownnesswasportrayedinmagazines.Weseethefirsttentative

suggestionsofakindoffamethatisnotembodiedinpeoplewhoaregenerallyadmired,like

theEpicHeroandtheStar.Rather,weseeamoveawayfromtheongoingrepresentationof

whatmightbeconsideredperfectandideal,andinitsplacetheinclusionofthenotionof

theimperfect,problematicortaintedinsomeway.Sowhileweseethesameentertainers

beingselectedforinclusioninthecoverage,thefocusofthearticlesmovestowards

revealingimperfectioninsteadoffocusingonperfection.Thistransitionalfigureremainsa

Star,yetpreparesusforthemoreradically‘flawed’entertainerthatoriginallyledtomy

interestinthisproject.

Chapter3isdevotedtothistransitionalfigure,whichpavesthewayforamorecomplexand

establishedforminthe21stcentury,hencethedecisiontonamethiscategoryinthe

trajectoryEmergingCelebrity.Thischapterpointstotheincreasingabsenceoftheheroic

andthediminishingappearanceoftheadmirableinmagazinerepresentationsoffame

towardstheendofthe20thcentury.

Itidentifiesthefigurethatslowlycomestakeitsplacealongsidetheall-glamorousStarand

thefewremainingepicmomentsinmagazinecoverage,asonethatislessexemplary,less

admirable,lessreveredandinsomecasesmoretragic.

Thechaptertraceswhatcanbeconstruedasakindofsecular‘fallfromgrace’ofthefamous

figuretowardstheendofthe20thcentury,specificallyintermsofbehaviourdisplayedin

privatelife,anaspectthatisalsogivenincreasingexposureinmagazinecoverage,oftenat

theexpenseofpublicisingthepublicimage.Thechapteralsoattemptstoshowhowthereis

notonlyashifttowardscoverageorperhapsexposureoftheprivateexistenceof

entertainersbutalsothefirstindicationsofamovementpurportingtouncovertheinner

psychologicallifeoftheseperformers.Thislattermovement,ofuncoveringorexposingan

emotionallife,isacrucialone,specificallybecauseitappearstohaveasignificantinfluence

onthedisappearanceofanepicdimensionintherarecoveragesurfacingtheheroic.

Byengagingwithalltheseaspectsinthecoverage,thechapterattemptstoshowhowthe

readershipseemstoveerfromadmirationanddevotiontosomethingmorecomplex

towardstheendofthecentury.Readers’expectationsseemedtoincludethedesiretobe

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entertainedbutalso,crucially,tobeshockedand,ultimately,remindedofthepossibly

imperfectandthus‘real’selvesoftheentertainers.Thischapteralsodemonstrateshowlate

20th-centuryreadershipexpectationtobescandalisedandalsotoseeauthenticitywas

fulfilledbythemagazines’increasingturntothenotionoftheimperfect,especiallyinterms

offailedromanticrelationships,aswellasmisbehaviourintheprivaterealm,oftenthrough

excessiveandconspicuousconsumptionofproductslegalandillegal.

Thefocusoncertainkindsofpersonalfailureandimperfectionthatdistinguishedlate20th-

centurymagazinerepresentationoffamefromitspredecessorsisexaminedinorderto

demonstrateinwhatwaystheyareusedtoreinforceboththeordinarinessand

extraordinarinessthathavebynowcometocharacterisetheconstructionofthe

entertainmentfigure.

Aswithprecedingchapters,Chapter3takesintoaccountthesecondaryliterature,which

attributestheemergenceofthenotionofscandalinmagazinecoverageofentertainment

personalitiestothedecline,fromthemiddleofthecentury,oftheso-calledHollywood

studiosystem,whichcommercialisedthefigureoftheStar.Itisnotedherehowthis

developmentintheglobalfilmworldappearstohavebeenthecatalystformagazines

becomingevermorecomplicitintheprocessofproducingthefamousfigure.Thechapter

attemptstosurfacehow,towardstheendofthecentury,giventhefilmstudios’reported

lossofcontrolovertheentertainerimage,magazinesarguablyhadmorefreedominterms

ofmaterialthatcouldbeconsideredforinclusionincoverage.Byintroducingtheideaof

scandal(tomeetwhatmagazinesunderstoodtobereaderexpectation),thischaptermakes

thekeyargumentthatthesemagazinessuddenly,andperhapssomewhatinadvertently,

foundthemselvesbecomingarchitects,insteadofmereproducersexecutingfilmstudio

orders,astheyhadbeenbefore,oftheentertainerimage.

AlloftheseshiftsareexploredinthischapterwithreferencetothelocaleditionofPeople

magazineinthe1980s,whichappearstohavedeviated,sinceitslaunch,fromthe

predominantlyscandal-freeformulaofitseponymoustitleintheUnitedStates.Giventhe

argumentthat,towardstheendofthecentury,anelementofscandalcametooccupyan

evermoreprominentpartinthemagazinerepresentationoffame,thisdeviationisan

interestingandimportantoneandamainreasonPeoplemagazinewasselected.

AndthentherewaswhatIhavecalledtheCelebrityProper,theearly21st-centuryfigure

thatfirstignitedmyinterest.Usingcoveragefromthelocalfranchiseofheat,amore

establishedandcomplex,andsometimesevenarguablyradicalised,formoffameis

18

exploredinChapter4,whicharguesthatearly21st-centurymagazinerepresentationsof

famerevolvedaroundvisual(photographic)exposureofscandal,nowalmostexclusivelyin

theprivatelife,withpubliclifedetailsmerelyhintedatorpriorreaderknowledgeassumed.

Thechaptershowsthattheearly21st-centuryrepresentationwas,inaddition,basedon

visualexposureofwhatwasoftenpresentedasphysicalimperfection.Itwasafigure

constructedaroundvisualevidenceofimperfection,bothintermsofbehaviour,almost

exclusivelyinprivate,andofthebody.

FollowingonfromthemorerudimentaryEmergingCelebrityofChapter3,Chapter4

specificallyemphasisesthedevelopment,modulationandevensometimesradicalisationof

notionsthatfirststartedemerginginlate20th-centuryrepresentationsoffame,including

theever-changingpossibilitiesfortheinterpretationoftheordinary–extraordinarydivide

andtheideaofacontinuousandapparentlydeeperpenetrationoftheprivaterealm.The

privaterealmreferstothehomeordomesticspace,butcouldalsobeextendedtothe

privatespacesofthebodyand,crucially,eventotheinnerprivateemotionallifeofthe

entertainer.Thisemotionallife,thechapterargues,isexploredevenmoreconsistentlyand

relentlesslyinthenewmillenniumcomparedtolate20th-centurycoverage.

DrawingprimarilyonthecoverageitselfbutalsoonpersonalexposuretotheCelebrity3-

mediaindustry,thechaptercontinuestotracetheevermoreactiveparticipationof

magazinesintheproductionoftheearly21st-centuryentertainmentfigure,withspecific

referencetohowtheweeklyfrequencyarguablycontributedtoandpossiblyproduceda

veryparticularkindoffigureandunderstandingoffame.

Asthefirstdecadeofthenewmillenniumdrewtoaclose,however,higher-frequency

media,andinparticularsocialmedia,arguablybecamearealthreattotheby-now

traditionalweeklyCelebrity-newsmagazines.Withmostentertainersoptingtohave

personalsocial-mediaaccounts,theycouldbeseentoreclaimtheirpositionasproducersof

theirownimageandrelegatedtheweeklygossipmagazinestoessentiallybecoming

consumersand,inasense,re-presentersofpre-definedfameonceagain.

InSouthAfricatheriseofsocialmediacertainlycontributedtotheclosure,in2014,ofheat

SA.ThetitlewastheonlyoneinthecountrythatwaswhollydedicatedtoCelebritynewsin

3Throughoutthethesis,thetermCelebrityisrepresentedwithinitialcapitalletterandwithoutitalicisationtoindicatethatismeanttosignaltheoverarchingcategorythatcomprisesboththeEmergingCelebrityandtheCelebrityProperwiththecharacteristicsthatdefinethemasdiscussedinChapter3and4respectively.

19

allitssections.AlltheweeklymagazinesthathavesurvivedheatSAhaveonlylimited

sectionsdevotedtoentertainmentorshowbusinessnewsandpersonalities.Internationally,

whileexclusiveCelebrity-newsweeklieshavesurviveddespitetheadventofsocialmedia,

evenacursoryglanceseemstorevealthatthingsarenotthesameasduringthefirstdecade

ofthenewmillennium,whichsomehavetermedthe‘Celebritydecade’.

Atthetime,Ianticipatedthat,onthelocallandscapeatleast,heatSA’sclosuremightresult

inthenextshiftinweeklymagazinerepresentationoffame.Therewasanexpectationthata

new,dominant,post-heatfiguremightsurfaceinweeklyprinted-magazinecoverage.In

otherwords,heat’sclosureofferedanopportunitytolookattheunderstandingoffamethat

wasunfoldingaswemovedtowardsthemiddleofthe21stcentury.

Aswiththehistoricalpartoftheproject,theresearchprocessagaininvolvedanexamination

ofwhowasconsideredrepresentation-worthy,whatwasincludedinthecoverageandhow

thiscoveragewasexecuted.Applyingresearchandanalysismethodstotheunfolding

understandingoffameprovidedanopportunitytoreflectontheprocessaswellasonthe

trajectoryoffamethathadbeentracedacrossthe20thcentury.

TitledTheFigureNow,Chapter5examinesthisunfoldingrepresentationoffame.However,

itprovedchallengingtoidentifyanynewandtypicalpersonalitythatisconsideredcoverage-

worthyand,also,anydistinctlynewquality,aspectorcharacteristicthatismentionedinthe

coverage.Rather,itseemsthereisareturn,generally,tocoverageincludingtheStarandthe

EmergingCelebrity,withselectelementsoftheCelebrityProperandoftheHero,but

cruciallynotoftheEpicHero,alsooccasionallyappearing.

So,intheend,asthechapternotes,itseemsalmostimpossibletoarguefortheemergence

ofadistinctlynewfigurecharacterisingthepost-heatperiod.Intheapparentabsenceofa

newtypicalfigure,thechapterargues,itisperhapsmoreappropriatetospeakofan

‘understanding’offame,whichappearstoencompassadispersalofqualitiesthat

characteriseexistingfiguresinthetrajectory.Inaddition,thechapteralsonoteshowthis

lastunderstandingoffameischaracterisedbyakindofhybridity,atermthatpointsto

individualpersonalitiessurfacingastwo(or,onveryrareoccasions,more)differentfigures

fromtheexistingtrajectory.

Asthereappearstobenodistinctlynewfigure,incontrasttothepreviouschapters,noone

localweeklymagazineemergesasastrikinglypre-eminent,dominantexampleofthisnew

understandingoffame.Consequently,thechapterdrawsoncoveragetakenfromallthe

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localweeklymagazinetitleswithsubstantialentertainmentcontent,inanattemptto

explorepotentialshiftsinhowfameisrepresentedand,aswiththeotherchapters,taking

intoaccounthowthesemovementscorrespondwith,ordifferfrom,theinternational

Celebrity-newsprint-medialandscape.

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Chapter1:TheEpicHeroinHuisgenootintheearly20thcenturyThedifferencebetweenthefigurethatemergedinearly21stcenturymagazinecoveragein

SouthAfricaandtheonethatsurfacedalmost100yearsbeforecouldnotbemore

pronounced.Wherethemorerecentfigurewascoveredintermsofbadbehaviourinthe

privaterealmandfordisplayingsupposedphysicalimperfections,itsearliercounterpartwas

inawayitsantithesis.Thisisbecausemagazinecoverageoftheearly20thcenturyinSouth

Africaseemedtohaveasingularfocuson‘perfection’andthemodelbehaviourdisplayed

almostexclusivelyduringpublicengagementsandappearances.

Thisemphasisonexemplarinessinthecoveragebroughttotheforeafigurewhoappeared

toexcel,tosetanexample,tobeamodelintermsofbehaviourandlifechoicesmade.Allof

thesecharactertraitsarestronglyreminiscentofthosedisplayedbythe‘hero’,whohas

broadlybeendefined,bySusanDrucker(1994:83),amongstothers,asa“centralpersonage

takinganadmirablepartinanyremarkableactionorevent;hence,apersonregardedasa

model”.Theseactionsincluded“braveandnobledeeds”wellintotheMiddleAges,Drucker

andRobertCathcart(1994:1–3)note,andalso,later,ideasof“extraordinarybravery,

firmness,orgreatnessofsoulinconnectionwithanypursuit,work,orenterprise”andthe

abilitytotranscend“ordinaryhumanqualities”andembody“thedivine,theideal,thequest,

thecourageous,thevirtuous,thesuperior”.

Insomeinstances,theactionsofthefamousfigurethatemergedinmagazinecoverageof

theearly20thcenturyseemedheroicintheepicsense.Asenseoftheepicemergesstrongly

whenthepresenceofthedivineishintedatindescriptionsofactionandthereismentionof

theembodimentofsharedcivilizationalvalues,twoofthemaincharacteristicsWilliam

HarmonandHughHolman(1999)identify.Inaddition,ithasbeenarguedthatevidenceof

aninnerlifeintheprotagonistoftheepicisabsentoratleastnotconflicted.WilliamDixon,

(1912:295)forinstance,describesthisfigureas“amanofdeedsnotoffeelings,whose

innerlifeiswithouthesitations,whoreactsuponcircumstanceswiththedirectnessand

simplicityofachild”.Thislastcharactertraitisofgreatsignificance,asgoingforwardinthe

centurymuchwouldchangeinthisregard.

ThenotionoftheepiccanalsobelinkedtoakindoftrialorwhatJosephCampbell(in

Drucker1994)callsthe“archetypaljourney”thatcharacteriseswhatCampbelldescribesas

the“monomyth”:

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Thestandardpathofthemythologicaladventureoftheheroisamagnificationofthe

formularepresentedintheriteofpassage:separation-initiation-return:whichmight

benamedthenuclearunitofthemonomyth.Aheroventuresforthfromtheworldof

commondayintoaregionofsupernaturalwonder:fabulousforcesareencountered

andadecisivevictoryiswon:theherocomesbackfromthismysteriousadventure

withthepowertobestowboonsonhisfellowman.(Campbell,inDrucker1994:84–

85)

Theideaof‘bestowingboons’onfellowmembersofsocietyorharnessingpersonalefforts

forthegreatergoodimplies,tome,thenotionoftheheroicactionshappening,forthemost

part,inthepublicasopposedtointheprivatesphere.Bravery,greatnessandpioneering

spirit;alloftheseattributesassociatedwiththeheroicaregenerallyexpressedinthepublic

arena:onbattlefields,inwildlandsandinunchartedwaters.Notonlyisgreatnessalmost

exclusivelyachievedinthepublicarena,butinreallifethesefigurescanalsogenerallybe

glimpsedonlyinpublicspaces,typicallysquaresandarenas,asLanceStrate(inDrucker&

Cathcart1994)remindsus.

ThepeopleselectedformagazinecoverageinSouthAfricaintheearly20thcenturyandthe

actionsandcharactertraitsforwhichtheywereselectedgenerallyhadsomethingofthe

heroic,andmosteventheepic.Inotherwords,asenseoftheepicsurfacednotonlyfrom

thewhoorthekindofpeopleselectedforinclusioninthemagazinebutalsofromthewhy,

orthekindsofactionsorbehaviourforwhichtheywerecovered.Moreover,thisnotionof

theheroicintheepicsensewasalsogreatlyamplifiedbythehow,orthewayinwhichthe

coveragewasexecuted,animportantelementthatwillbeaddressedintherestofthis

chapter.SothisfirstfiguretoemergeinthetrajectoryisnamedtheEpicHero.

Campbell’s“regionofsupernaturalwonder”mayarguablystillbetheexclusivedomainof

theprotagonistsoftheoriginalGreekepics,butmanyofthepersonalqualitiesassociated

withthesemencontinuetoappear,centurieslater,inmanyothergenres,extendingnotjust

intoliteraryfictionbutevenintothecoverageofrealpeople,inthemassmediaand

magazines.

Theymay,ofcourse,notdisplayeverysinglecharacteristicassociatedwiththeoriginalepic

Homerandhispeersbroughttolifeintheirpoetry,butinbroadterms,thepeople

consideredtowarrantrepresentationcanbasicallybesaidtobelivingtheirlivesin

accordancewiththemaincharactersappearinginthesepoems.Theyare,infact,

representedasmodels,astheirlivesareworthyofbeingrecountedandcelebrated,and

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theyembodytheidealofthecivilisationorcommunityfromwhichtheyhail.Invokingthe

necessarysenseofelevation,AmyHenderson(2005:38)callsthemthe“GreatMenona

Pedestal”,andherrenditionofthistitle,witheverysignificantwordcapitalised,certainly

seemsjustified.Examiningthe“changingfaceofcelebrityculture”intheUnitedStatesover

the20thcentury,shenoteshow:

HeroesoftheRevolutionaryera[intheUnitedStates]wereinvokedtogivethenation

asenseofhistoricallegitimacy[…]Heroesofthiseraweregentlemen,scholars,and

patriots—traditionalrepresentativesofsuchbasicsocialinstitutionsasthestate,the

military,andthechurch—andtheirlivesservedasexamples[…]Inanageoptimistic

aboutanindigenousculture-in-themaking,thenation’snovelists,poets,essayists,

critics,historians,andpreachersallenteredintothediscoursewithgusto,seekingto

constructnotonlyanationalnarrative,buttocreatetheepic’sprotagonist.

(Henderson2005:38–39)

1.1EarlyHuisgenoot’sEpicHeroes

TheSouthAfricanmagazineHuisgenoot4followedasimilarpathonthelocallandscape,as

itscoveragebroadlyfollowedaformulathat,besidesembodyingtheideal,celebrated

courage,bothphysicalandmoral,andthevictoriousemergenceafterextended‘battle’with

opposingforces,threatsandchallenges.Itsappropriationoftheepicformulahadearly

Huisgenootcelebratingpeoplewhoembodiedtheentirecommunityfromwhichtheycame;

andtheirindividualbattlesrepresentedthoseoftheentirecommunity,inthiscasethe

Afrikaansreadershipofthemagazine.Inthisway,theepicformulawasmadecontextually

specifictothemagazine’sreadership.

Concernforthefateofanationorpeople,whichisoneofthekeycharacteristicsofepic

poetry,seemedtohaveparticularresonanceforearlyHuisgenoot,andthisisreflectedinthe

magazine’sselectionofpeople.Withoutfailtheseindividualsaremostlymen,againin

keepingwiththeclassicheroictradition,whocouldbeportrayedasrolemodelstobe

emulatedbytheemergingAfrikanernation.Themagazineincludedtheminitscoverage

basedspecificallyonwhattheyhadachieved;so,importantly,asenseofmeritorworthis

implied.Thesepeoplemeritedrepresentation;intermsbothofwhatwasincludedinthe

4ThemagazinewasofficiallylaunchedasDeHuisgenoot,reflectingthelanguagemedium,namelyDutch,atthetime.Afewyearsafterthelaunch,onceAfrikaansgainedgroundandbecametheofficialmediuminthemagazine,thenamewaschangedtoDieHuisgenoot,withtheAfrikaansarticle‘die’(the)replacingtheDutch‘de’.In1977,thenamechangedagain,simplytoHuisgenootwithoutthearticle.

24

coverageandalsothewayinwhichthecoveragewasexecuted.Theycouldbesaidtohave

beenrepresentation-worthy.

Thesemodelcitizenswhomeritededitorialselectionwerealmostalwaysestablishedpublic

figures,andtheirpublic-nessisaninterestingpointtoconsider,giventhemagazine’sstrong

focusondomesticlife(thenameHuisgenootlooselytranslatesto‘homecompanion’)or,put

differently,theprivatesphere.Fromtheoutset,themagazineplayedaveryimportantpart

inbuildingandeducatingtheAfrikanernation.Partofitsdirectivewastoestablish

Afrikaans,boththefledglingindependentlanguageandthenascentculture,andassuchit

prescribedhowtospeakandwrite‘proper’Afrikaans,whattoread,andessentiallyhowto

liveyourlifeasanAfrikanerintheearly20thcentury.AsMuller(1990)remindsus,the

magazinehadaveryparticularquest:toupliftitsreadership.5Inaddition,itcanbe

describedasaninformalculturaltextbookofsortstohelpguidetheAfrikanernation’searly

struggleforindependencefromboththeirDutchandBritishcolonisers.

WhenoneconsidersthefledglingAfrikanernationandHuisgenoot’sstakeinit,thereare

definitelyechoeswithBenedictAnderson’s“imaginedpoliticalcommunity”,whichhe

definesasa“deep,horizontalcomradeship”.Itisanimaginedcommunity,Anderson(1991:

6–7)explains,as“members[…]willneverknowmostoftheirfellow-members,meetthem,

orevenhearofthem,yetinthemindsofeachlivestheimageoftheircommunion”.These

imaginedcommunities,Anderson(1991)argues,becamepossiblelargelybecauseofmass

mediapublishinginthesharedlanguageoftheparticularcommunity,withthe

establishmentofthisnewlanguage,Afrikaans,ofcoursebeingoneofthekeyfunctionsof

earlyHuisgenoot.

5Muller(1990:256–257,translationfromAfrikaansmyown)writeshow:“Huisgenoot[…]was‘nhuismetruimtevirveelmeerasnetdietaal.AfrikanersendieAfrikanerlewemoesopalleterreinetot‘nhoërenedelerpeilverhefword.HullemoesaandieinvloedvandieWestersekultuurblootgestelword.Huldenkemoesgenuanseerdraakendeurkennisgestutword.Diebeeldendekunsteenuitvoerendekunstemoes‘nplekinhullelewekry.Hulgeskiedenismoesaanhullevoorgehouwordomhulletelaatverstaanwieenwathulleis.Hullemoeshuleieidentiteitontdekomnienamaakselsvananderteprobeerweesnie.Hullemoesbewusgemaakwordvandieuitnemendegaweswathullandinoormaatontvanghet,dievermoëenbegeerteaankweekomditvir‘nhoërlewensgehaltetegebruikendiebedagsaamheidontwikkelomtebewaarwatnievernietigdurfwordnie”.(Huisgenoot[…]wasahousewithspaceformuchmorethanjustthelanguage.AfrikanersandAfrikanerlifehadtobeupliftedinallspherestoahigherandnoblerlevel.TheyhadtobeexposedtotheinfluenceofWesternculture.Theirthoughtshadtobecomenuancedandsupportedwithknowledge.Thefineanddramaticartshadtohaveaplaceintheirlife.Theirhistoryhadtobehelduptothemtohelpthemunderstandwhoandwhattheyare.Theyhadtodiscovertheirownidentitysoasnottobeimitationsofothers.Theyhadtobemadeawareoftheoutstandinggiftsthattheircountryreceivedinabundance,cultivatetheabilityanddesiretouseitintheinterestsofahigherqualityoflifeanddeveloptheconsiderationtopreservethatwhichshouldnotbedestroyed.)

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InitsmissiontoaidinthecreationoftheAfrikanernationbyestablishingthelanguageand

providinggeneralupliftmentandguidancetoitsmembers,then,Huisgenoothelduppublic

figuresasexamplesormodelsforproperlivinginaneraofnewfoundindependence,and

includedsubtleencouragementtoitsreadershiptoemulatetheirbehaviour,whichwas

almostexclusivelyonlyeverseeninpublicspaces,intheprivaterealmofthehome.

EarlyHuisgenoot’seditorialdecisiontoreservecoveragealmostexclusivelyformenwho

hadalreadydiedfurtherservestoamplifytheideaoftheepic,asitcontributed,inaway,to

myth-andlegend-making.Thesedeadmen’sactionswerethingsofthe(oftenverydistant)

past,andtheimagethepublicheldofthemwasalreadyfixed;therewasnounfolding

narrativeandnocurrentorfutureactionsthatcouldpossiblycontradictwhatalready

existed.Soinsteadofanunfolding,episodicnarrative,whichwouldcometostrongly

characteriseweeklymagazinecoverageacenturylater,whatweseeinearlyHuisgenootis

thenotionofthelifestoryand,infact,thecompletedlifestory,withabeginning,amiddle

andanend.Thecompletioninherentinposthumouscoverageenablesthenotionof

biography,whichinearlyHuisgenootbecamepropagandisthagiography,definedalmost

exclusivelybyreverence,respect,uncriticalandunwaveringsupportandflattering

embellishment.

Recountingthestoriesofthedeadalsosuggeststhepassingoftalesfromonegenerationto

thenext,whichinturncontributestoasenseoftheheroic.AsNickTrujilloandLeahVande

Berg(1994:221)remindus,inrelationtotraditionalunderstandingsoftheheroic,

“Narrativesabouttheherowerepassedfromgenerationtogeneration,andthehero,in

deathmorethaninlife,becameanexaltedfigureintheculture’shistory”.

Fromthe1916launchissueofHuisgenootonwards,weseecoverageofthepioneering

VoortrekkerswhohadlefttheCapeColonytoescapeBritishimperialismalmostacentury

beforethemagazinewasfounded,andtheBoersoldierswhofoughttheBritishinthetwo

fin-de-siècleAnglo-Boer(nowknownasSouthAfrican)wars.Politiciansandtaalstryders

(literallytranslatableaslanguagewarriors)werealsotakingupthepentosettherulesanda

bodyofliteratureforalanguageintheprocessofdistinguishingitselffromitsDutchorigin.

ThemencoveredinearlyHuisgenootwerewarriorsinthebattletoestablishthefledgling

Afrikanernation,itsidentity,itslanguage,itsreligion,anditsverymoralfibre.

Thus,inissueafterissue,weseemenbeingheraldedfortheirabilitytousetheirrespected

positionsinsocietyaspoliticians,pioneers,soldiers,authorsandartiststofightforthe

greatercauseofAfrikanernationalism.Fromthelauncheditiononwards,thesepeople

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appearedonthecoverofHuisgenoot,and,unlikeonthecoversofweeklymagazinesa

centurylater,theyappearedonebyone.Duringthefirstfewdecadesofthemagazine’s

existence,theseframedandposed,professional-studio-photographed,black-and-white

portraitsdominatedtheotherwisepareddownandunclutteredcovers,withhardlyany

othervisualortextelementsbesidethetitle/masthead.Reminiscentofthepaintedportraits

initiallyexclusivelymadeof“emperors,kingsandgenerals”,asRichardHowells(2011:112)

argues,thesephotographicportraits,aswellasthewaytheywereemployedintheoverall

coverdesign,servedtorevereandexalt,andintheprocesssupporttheheroic

representation.

Thelistofportraitsappearingonthecoversofthemagazineinitslaunchyearcanbereadas

anindicationofaneditorialformuladrivenbytheheroic.Ofthetwelvemonthlyissues,

threecoversfeaturedpoliticians(SouthAfricanRepublicpresidentPaulKrugerinMay1916

andOrangeFreeStatepresidentsJ.H.BrandandF.W.ReitzinJulyandNovember1916

respectively),threefeaturedVoortrekkers(PietRetiefinJune1916,KarelTrichardtin

October1916andAndriesPretoriusinMarch1917),twofeaturedchurchministers(Ds.

(Rev.)D.J.KestellinDecember1916andDrAndrewMurray6inFebruary1917),three

featuredpoetsandauthors(JanCelliersinSeptember1916,JanHofmeyrinJanuary1917

andMeltBrinkinApril1917)andtherewasoneAnglo-BoerWargeneral,PietJoubert,on

theAugust1916cover.Politicians,preachersandpioneersonthecover,aswellasAfrikaans

poetswhocontributedtotheestablishmentofthelanguage:thistrendcontinued,withthe

oddBoergeneral,Afrikanerlawyerandartistalsoappearing,foragoodmanyyears.With

thecharacteristicallyepicconceptofaprotractedjourneytofreedomfilledwithmany

dramatisedhardships,theGreatTrekprovidedtheperfectsettingfortheemergenceofthe

EpicHerofigure,asdidthemilitaryscenariosofthetwoAnglo-Boerwars.Fromthe1830s

onwards,theDutch-speakinginhabitantsofthethenCapeColonystartedmovingeastwards

byoxwagonandonfootintotheinteriorofwhathasnowbecomeknownasSouthAfrica,in

ordertoescapeBritishrule.ThesepioneerswereknownasVoortrekkers(theliteral

meaningis‘frontpullers’,or‘thosewhopullinfront’)orBoers.

Fromitsinception,Huisgenoottookadvantageofthesehistoriceventstosketchakindof

romanticisedsharedpastpopulatedwithalistoffiguresallcontributinghandsomelytothe

establishmentoftheAfrikanernationintheirownindividualways.Crucially,themagazine’s

6DespitehisEnglish-soundingname,DrMurraywasborninGraaff-ReinetinSouthAfricain1828andwasaprominentministerintheDutchReformedChurch,whosemembersinSouthAfricawerealmostexclusivelyAfrikaans-speaking.

27

focus,initshagiographiccoverageofthesemen,wasalmostexclusivelyontheiractionsin

thepublicsphere,withverylittlespaceaffordedtodetailsoftheirprivatelives.

Whenthereisdetailoftheprivate,itisalmostalwaysusedinsomewayinsupportofthe

publicimage.Themagazine’sJuly1916profileofcommandant-generaloftheSouthAfrican

RepublicPietJoubert,forinstance,employedakindofgrand,elevatedstyle(usingphrases

suchas“grotedaden”(greatdeeds),“reusachtigeopofferingen”(giantsacrifices)and

“hartstochtvoordievrijheid”(passionforfreedom)thathaveepicovertonestoemphasise

theconnectionbetweentheGreatTrekandtwowarsanddwellsonhowtogetherthey

providedtheperfectenvironmentfortheemergenceofGeneralJouberttheEpicHero.It

alsoportrayedGeneralJoubertasbeingtheveryembodimentoftheearly19th-century

Afrikaner’sstrifeforfreedomfromBritishrule.Oftenassociatedwiththejourneyunderlying

theepic,theideaof“leavingasboysandreturningasmen”alsoemergesfirmlyinthis

profileofGeneralJoubert:

Datwaseentijdvangrotedadenvanreusachtigeopofferingenenvanrustigeliefde.

Toeniseenvolkgeborenuitdehartstochtvoordevrijheidenhetlijdenendedoodvan

velen.DiebladzijdeuitdegeschiedenisvanhetvolkvanZuid-Afrikaisgewijd,daarze

geschrevenismethetbloedvanheldenenheldinnen.PetrusJacobusJoubertwaseen

kindvandezetijd,eenkindvandevrijheid.Wiehemwilverstaanmoetnimmerdit

uit’toogverliezen.DoorzijnganselevenheengaatdeinvloedvandeGroteTrek,die

zoveelkinderenriepentotmannentaak.

Thatwasatimeofgreatdeedsandgiantsacrificesandofquietlove.Itiswhena

nationwasbornfromthepassionforfreedomandthesufferinganddeathofmany.

ThepagesfromthehistoryofthenationofSouthAfricaareholy,astheywerewritten

inthebloodofheroesandheroines.PetrusJacobusJoubertwasachildofthistime,a

childoffreedom.Whoeverwantstounderstandhimshouldneverlosesightofthis.

ThroughouthiswholelifehewasinfluencedbytheGreatTrek,whichcalledsomany

childrentomen’swork.7

Whilethelinkbetweenelementstraditionallyassociatedwiththeepicandrepresentations

ofVoortrekkers,soldiersandstatesmenisfairlystraightforwardandeasilyimagined,the

extensionofthiskindofcoveragetoincludepoets,authors,artistsandclergymenseemto

contributetowhatLeoBraudy(1986),inhishistoryoffame,callsanthe“toplayer”ofwhat

7“LevenschetsGenl.PetrusJacobusJoubert”,DeHuisgenoot,July1916.AlltranslationsofexcerptsfromHuisgenootarticlesaremyown.

28

wasconceivedofasanaturalhierarchyinearlyunderstandingsoffame,whetheritbethe

Roman“famethroughpublicactions”(Braudy1986:56),theChristian“fameofthespirit”

(1986:150)ortheliterary“fameofthewise”(1986:167).

YetitisessentiallyintermsofthesameformulathatAfrikaansclergymen,poets,authors

andartists,allofthem‘intellectual’menwhowouldnotnaturallybeassociatedwiththe

generallymorephysicalfigureoftheEpicHero,seemtobeportrayedinearlyHuisgenoot.In

apieceonartistPieterWenning,8forinstance,thereaderisremindedthatWenningisof

FriesiandescentandthatFriesland,aprovinceoftheNetherlands,isinhabitedby“eensterk,

kernachtigenonbuigzaamras[…]hetwelkreedsvelegrotemannenaanHollandheeft

geschonken”(astrong,pithyandobstinaterace[…]whichhasalreadygivenmanygreatmen

toHolland).Anotherartist,DanielCornelisBoonzaaier,islaudedforthewayinwhichhis

worktranscendstheartisticandiscreatedintheinterestsofthenation:“Omzijnwerkten

volletewaarderen,moetmenzekernietuit‘toogverliezen,dathetnietalleenbedoeldisals

kunst,maarmenigmaalookom’tpubliekdeeenofanderepolitiekeofmaatschappelike

gedachteklaardervoorogentebrengen”(Tofullyappreciatehiswork,oneshouldnotlose

focusonthefactthatitisnotonlymeantasartbutoftenalsotoilluminatesomekindof

politicalorsocialidea).9Noteworthyindividualcontributiontothepublicgoodcanalsobe

readintheprofileofpoetJanF.E.Celliers,10whoisdescribedasa“‘ndigterwatdieharklop

vansijnvolkbeluisterhetenwatweetomdittevertolk[…]Ja,JanCelliersis‘ngrootmens”

(apoetwhohaslistenedtotheheartbeatofhispeopleandwhoknowshowtointerpretit

[…]Yes,JanCelliersisagreatman).Itisnotedthathisabilitytointerpretthe“heartbeatof

hispeople”wasspecificallyhonedduringhistimeasasoldier,anothertypicalcharacteristic

oftheepic,intheSecondAnglo-BoerWar.Inhispoems,theanonymous“levenschets”

(literallytranslatableas‘lifesketch’;Huisgenootusesthistermforitslife-storyprofile

pieces)argues,heisthe“vaderlander”(loveranddefenderofhishomecountry)who

empathisedwithandfoughtalongsidehispeople.Heexperiencedtheirgrief,suchasthe

death-wishofthewomenandchildrenwhoweresenttotheBritishconcentrationcamps,

andinhispoetrycanbeheardthelongingforfreedom,the“weeklag”(grieving)forthe

deceasedandthebeliefinthe“loutering”(purification)andreconciliationthatwouldsee

flowersgrowonthegravesofthosewhogavetheirlivesforthecountry.

8“Zuid-AfrikaanseKunst.PieterWenning”,DeHuisgenoot,September1916.9“Zuid-AfrikaanseKunst.DanielCornelisBoonzaaier”,DeHuisgenoot,July1916.10“Levenschets.J.F.E.Celliers.”,DeHuisgenoot,September1916.

29

Sopervasiveisthisleitmotifthatcertainelementstraditionallyassociatedwiththe

constructionoftheEpicHeroevenappeartopermeatecoverageof‘regular’folkswhenthey

eventuallystartedappearinginthemagazine,roughlyfouryearsafterHuisgenoot’slaunch,

inthattheywerecelebratedfortheiradmittedlyindirectstakeintheestablishmentofthe

Afrikanernation,thequestearlyHuisgenootsocarefullyportrayedinepicterms.Thefirstof

thesetobefeaturedonthecoverofthemagazine(theissueofJanuary1920)are

octogenariansSarelHendrikvanVuurenandhiswife,JohannaMagrieta,andtherelated

articlealludestoelementssuchastenacity,amodelwayoflifeandtheabilitytotranscend

adversity:

Onsoumense[…]hetvironsdiegrondslaggelêvandieAfrikaansekultuur,enasons‘n

suiwerkultuurwilopbouw,pasditonsomtebewaarwathulleaanonstoevertrouw

het.Hoekanonsonsroepinghierinbeternakomasommethulletepraat,enaan

anderbekendtemaakwathulleaanonsvertel?Hullelewenswijseis

navolgingswaardig.Metaldiewetenskapvandieverligteeeuwbringbetreklikmin

menseditsoveromsooudtewordasonsoumense,dieVoortrekkergeslagte,

nieteenstaandealdieontberingsindiedonkerstetijevanonsgeskiedenis.

Ouroldpeople[…]laythefoundationoftheAfrikaansculture,andifwewanttoerect

apureculture,itmakessenseforustopreservewhattheyhaveentrustedtous.How

canwebetterhonourthiscallingthantospeaktothemandtellotherswhattheytell

us?Theirwayoflifeisexemplary.Withallthescienceoftheenlightenedage,

relativelyfewpeopleareabletoreachsuchanadvancedageasouroldpeople,the

Voortrekkergenerations,despitealltheirhardshipsduringthedarkestdaysofour

history.11

MrsvanVuurenisoneoftheveryfewwomentoappearintheearlyeditionsofHuisgenoot.

Iwouldliketopauseforamomenttoreflectonthescantcoverageofwomenduringthese

earlyyears.IntraditionalWesternconceptionsoftheheroic,womenaremostoften“either

excludedorassignedlesserroles”,JoanFayer(1994:27)writes,astheyaregenerallyabsent

fromprominentpositionsonthebattlefield,inthepulpitandinreligiousmythology.

ThedearthofwomenanddominanceofmeninearlyHuisgenoot’scoverageoffamous

figures,however,canalsobeunderstoodintermsofthetraditionalassociationofwomen

withthedomestic,andbyextensionprivate,space,andthealmostexclusivepreferencefor

11“OnsOumenseSarelHendrikvanVuurenenJohannaMagrietavanVuuren”,DeHuisgenoot,January1920.

30

actioninthepublicsphereinordertosupportanarrativeoftheheroic.Thuswomenare

coveredsparinglyinearlyHuisgenoot,perhapssoasnottoattracttoomuchattentiontothe

domesticandthusprivatesphere,andontherareoccasionsthattheyareincluded,careis

takentofocusontheircontributiontothepublicgood,whichoftenmeanshowtheir

supportoftheirpartners(mostlyhusbands)allowedthelattertothriveandcontributeto

theestablishmentoftheAfrikanernationandAfrikaanslanguage.DunbarMoodie(1975:

17)writesofhowthewomanatthetime“providedadeepwellofmoralfortitudewhich

complementedandevensurpassedherhusband’smorepracticalexploits”.Intermsof

heroicrhetoric,thecoverageofwomeninearlyHuisgenootmightnothaverepresented

themasheroinesintheirownrightveryoften,butitdidarguablyservetosupportand

ultimatelystrengthentheemergenceofthefigureofthemaleEpicHerofromthepagesof

themagazine.Thatiscertainlythecaseforthefirstwoman,oneElizabethNeethling,to

appearonaHuisgenootcover(December1917),representingararebreakinthetraditionof

onlyputtingmenonthecoverduringtheearlyyears.Althoughinhercoverportrait,sheis

aloneandunaccompaniedbyherhusband(perhapssurprisinglyderigueurforthefew

womenfeaturedonthecoveratthetime),sheisidentifiedbyanhonorifictitleconfirming

hermaritalstatus(Mrs)andseemstohavemeritedinclusionbasedprimarilyonhersupport

ofherchurch-ministerhusband.Toalesserextentsheisselectedtoappearonthecoverfor

hercontributiontothecollectiveAfrikanermemoryofthemale-dominatedAnglo-Boer

wars,aboutwhichshehadwrittenabook.

Also,considerthecoverageoftheDeWetcouple,12accompaniedbyablackandwhite

photographofGeneraland“MevrouwC[Christiaan]deWet”(MrsC.[Christiaan]deWet).

Withthehonorifictitleandomissionofherfirstnamefromthearticleandmentionofher

undyingsupportofthegeneral,MrsdeWetisalmostexclusivelyidentifiedintermsofher

husbandwithverylittledetailgivenaboutherself.Herimageasstoicsupporterofthe

general(who,despitehisgreyinghairstillhasthe“vastberadentrekopzijngezichtdiedie

manvanmoedenkarakterkenmerkt”(determinedexpressiononhisfacethatcharacterises

thismanofcourageandcharacter)isfurtheraugmentedbythereferencetoherobscurityin

thearticle.Itclaimstobeoneofthefirstportraitsofthegeneral’swifetobepublished,as

sheisnotwidelyknownsinceherlabouroccursmorein“destilte”(silence),referringtothe

domesticandessentiallyprivatespaceofthehome,whichisnotafocusforthemagazineat

thispoint.

12“GeneraalenMevrouwC.deWet”,DeHuisgenoot,June1916.

31

Overall,theindividualpeoplethatwefindinearlyHuisgenootseemtobeportrayedinwhat

wemightnowseeasafairly‘one-dimensional’or‘notrounded’way,withcoverageseeking

tohighlightonlythegood,theideal,themodelortheperfect.AprofileofchurchministerDr

AndrewMurray13suggeststhatsucha“reusekarakter”(giantcharacter)mightdisplay

“anderhoedanighede,dieniealtijdwenselikisnie”(otherqualities,thatarenotalways

desirable),butitdoessoonlytoalertustohisownavoidanceofsuchrisks,asan

introductiontohisvirtuesandnear-perfection:

So‘nopgebruikingvansenuw-energie(soosplaasgevindhet,alshij‘npreeklewer)kon

lig‘nreaksieteweegbringindiehuis—’nbietjieoorgevoeligheidteenoorsijnvrouw,‘n

bietjieonegaligheidteenoorsijnkinders,‘nbietjienukkerigheidteenoordie

vreemdelinginsijnpoorte.Maarnee:ikhethemnooitvansijnewewigafgesiennie

[…]Hijwasdeurendeursuiweregoud.

Suchanexhaustionofnervouseenergy(thatmighttakeplacewhenhedeliversa

sermon)couldeasilyhaveledtoareactioninthehome—abitofoversensitivity

towardshiswife,abitofunevennesstowardshischildren,abitofhuffinesstowards

thestrangerinhisgates.Butno:Ineversawhimlosehiscomposure[…]Hewaspure

goldthroughandthrough.

ThefactthatthisratherglowingendorsementisattributedtooneDrKolbe,whois

describedinthearticleasoneofhisprofessional“adversaries”,onlycontributesfurtherto

theconstructionofDrMurrayasamanofgreatandunwaveringcharacterwhowouldnot

allowexternalcircumstancestodisturbhisequilibrium.IalsoreadDrKolbe’stestimonialas

asuggestionofthesuperiorandtheideal,charactertraitsDruckerandCathcart(1994)

includeintheirbroaddefinitionoftheheroic.Herewehaveacolleaguewhoisapparently

widelyknownasaprofessionalrivaltestifyingthatDrMurrayalwaysmanagestoavoidthe

kindofbehaviourwewouldnormallyexpectfromothersinhisposition;heissuperiortohis

peers,DrKolbeseemstobesaying,embodyingtheidealweshouldallaimfor,thatelusive

equilibrium.DrKolbealsomakesreferencetothefactthatDrMurrayis“puregoldthrough

andthrough”,withgoldofcoursesymbolisinganumberofcharacteristicsthatare

commonlyassociatedwiththeheroic:greathumanachievement(oftenrewardedwitha

goldmedalortrophy)andalsothedivineandtheperfect(embodiedinconceptssuchasthe

‘goldenrule’).

13“Lewenskets.Dr.AndrewMurray”,DeHuisgenoot,February1917.

32

Aninteresting,albeitbrief,allusioninthisextractistotheprivatespaceofthehomeandDr

Murray’sfamily(hiswifeandchildren),whichisratherunusualforearlyHuisgenoot

coverageandcertainlyalsofortraditionalrepresentationsoftheEpicHero.DrKolbe’s

referencetotheMurraydomesticspacehasaslightlygossipyqualityaboutit,asitis‘small’

talkaboutanotherpersoncorrespondingwithdefinitionsintheliteratureincludingthoseby

RalphRosnowandGaryFine(1976),RobertGoodman(1994)andMargaretHolland(1996).

Thedetailissuperficial,perhapsassumesmuchandmightevenbedescribedasspeculative,

asitisofcoursequitedoubtfulDrKolbewouldhavewitnessedalloftheinteractionsinDr

Murray’sdomesticspace.Butincontrasttohowgossipandspeculationwouldcometobe

appliedinmagazinecoverageoffamouspeoplelaterinthecentury,itisusedhereto

illustrateandemphasiseexemplaryqualities.Also,itisimportanttonotehowacomposed

publicdemeanourisassumedtocontinueintotheprivatespace.‘Bestbehaviour’,usually

reservedforpublicappearances,ismaintainedevenintheprivatespace,wheretherecould

beanexpectationoflettingone’sguarddown.UnderlyingthisanecdotefromDrKolbeI

infersubtleguidancefortheHuisgenootreaderintermsofexpectedbehaviourinthe

privatespace,basedonDrMurray’salways-impeccablepublicandprivatebehaviour.

Theperfecthumanbeing,orthemodelman,thatemergesincoverageof‘real’livingpeople

evenseemstopermeatetheconstructionofthefictionalprotagonistsintheshortstories

Huisgenootregularlypublishedinitsearlydrivetoactively“createculturethroughthe

writtenword”,asJanAdriaanPretorius(1973:18)argues.Thelackofwhatwewouldnow

calldepthanddimensionevidentinthemagazine’srepresentationofrealpeopleappearsto

beevenmorepronouncedintheprotagonistsofitsshortstoriesandserials.Anidealised

viewofhumankindiswhatthefictionalcharactersofthetypicalearly20th-century

Huisgenootshortstorydisplay,asPretorius(1973)pointsout:

Hierdiebeskouingvandiemensbringmeedatdiedualismegoedenkwaadniebinne

eenmensgepolariseerwordnie,maardieverdelingissódatslegséénvandiepole

binnediegeestesomvangvaneenmenskanlê.Daaromdie‘volmaakteheldeen

heldinne’aandieeenkantendie‘volslaeskurke’aandieanderkant.(Pretorius,1973:

195)14

Thisviewimpliesthatthegood–evildualitycannotbepolarisedinoneperson,butthe

divisionissothatonlyoneofthepolescanliewithintheemotionalcapacityofone

14AlltranslationsofsecondaryreferencesfromAfrikaansaremyown.

33

person.Thusthe‘perfectheroesandheroines’ontheonehandandthe‘complete

criminals’ontheotherhand.

Besidescoveringahostoffiguresthatatleastlooselyfittheclassicheroicformulaand

emphasisingasetofqualitiesassociatedwiththiskindoffigureinitscoverageofothers,

includingrenownedfiguressuchasAfrikaanspoets,artistsandpreachersandrelatively

unknownpeoplelikewivesofthefamousandevenSarelandJohannavanVuuren,the

magazinealsohadotherlinkswiththeepictraditionthatemergeinitscoverageof

prominentfigures.

Oneoftheselinkswaswiththeoraltradition.Atthetimeofthemagazine’slaunchinthe

early20thcentury,Afrikaanswasslowlyedgingtowardsamoreoralthanwrittentradition,

anditistheformerratherthanthelatterthathasmostoftenbeenassociatedwiththeidea

oftheepic,ashasbeenarguedperhapsmostfamouslybyMilmanParryandAlbertLordin

the1920s.Itisinthestoriesthemagazinechosetotellaboutthepeopleitdocumented,

and,importantly,thewayinwhichthesestoriesweretold,thattheEpicHerooforalculture

seemstoemergemoststrongly.EarlyHuisgenoot’stales,especiallythosedocumentingthe

Anglo-BoerwarsandtheGreatTrek,arecertainlyreminiscentofcampfirestories,

sometimesgivenmythicalandextraordinaryelementsbyembellishment,withwhichthe

eldersusedtoregaletheyouth.Seeforinstancethedramatisedexoticismthatemergesin

thisprofilepieceonVoortrekkerKarelTrichardt.15“Onshet‘nlandgaansoek,waaronsvan

dieEngelsmansbevrijdsalwees”,hesays,inanexplanationoftheTrichardtfamily’s

decisiontoleavetheCapeColonythatbelieshissteadfastadherencetoprinciples.“Onder

homblijonsgeendaglanger,almoetonsookindiewoestijndiedoodsterwedeurwoeste

barbareofongedierte”(Wewentinsearchofacountrywherewewillbefreeofthe

Englishman.Notanotherdaywillweserveunderhim,evenifwehavetodieinthedesertby

thehandoffiercebarbariansorbeasts).Thearticlerevealsthatintheenditwasnot

barbarianorbeastbutthemosquitoandthetsetseflythatledtothedeathofalarge

contingentoftheTrichardtclaninthefirsthalfofthe19thcentury.

AnanecdotebyaBritishgravediggerquotedinanotherarticle,onKommandantGideon

Scheepers,16sketchesavividandeerieimageofhisexhumation.CommanderScheeperswas

executedbyaBritishfiringsquadduringtheSecondAnglo-BoerWar,buriedandthen

15Stockenström,Eric,“Levenskets.KarelJohannesTrichardt”,DeHuisgenoot,October1916.16JAS,“WaarisScheeperssegraf?”,DieHuisgenoot,27April1928.

34

shortlyafterexhumedandreburied,apparentlyinordertopreventhisfamilyfromknowing

thelocationofhisremains:

Ditwas‘nverskriklikedonkernagtoeonsdielykweergaanopgrawehet.Onderwyl

onsbesigwasomdielykoptegrawe,het‘nvreeslikestormopgekom.Bliksemstrale

hetherhaaldemaledieaakligetoneelverlig.Onswasnouliksklaarmethierdiedeel

vanonstaak,toediestormoponslosbars.Struikel-struikeloordieongelykeveldhet

onsvyfmetdielykvoortgesukkel.Waarheenweeteknie,maareindelikhetonsonder

‘nklompiedoringbomesagtegrondgevind,ensogouasonskonScheepersweer

begrawe,endiegrondgelykgetrap.Niemandmoesdieplekvindnie.Ditwasdie

bevele.

Itwasaterriblydarknightwhenwewenttoexhumethebody.Whilewewerebusy

digging,aterriblestormwasgathering.Lightningboltslituptheawfulscenetimeand

again.Wewerebarelydonewiththispartofourtaskwhenthestormhitus.We

stumbledacrosstheunevenfield,thefiveofuswiththebody.WhereIdidnotknow,

butwefinallyfoundasoftpatchofsoilunderagatheringofthorntreesandreburied

Scheepersasquicklyaswecouldandlevelledthesoil.Noonemustfindtheplace.

Thoseweretheorders.

ThefactthatthelocationsofCommanderScheepers’executionandreburialwere

deliberatelywithheld,withthearticlementioningthathisparentswereapparentlystill

searchingforhisremainsatthetimeoftheirdeathtowardsthemiddleofthe20thcentury,

ofcoursefurthercementedhisstatusasamartyrandultimatelyasaEpicHerointhe

Afrikaanscommunity.

ThatthegeneralfigureoftheEpicHeroseemedtoresonatesoprofoundlywithAfrikanersin

thefirstfewdecadesofthe20thcenturyishardlysurprising.Thesocio-culturallandscapeat

thetimewasanidealbackdropfortheemergenceofasetofcharacters,hailingfrom

Afrikanerranks,whodisplayedepictraits.Atthebeginningofthe20thcentury,the

Afrikanerswerebusyestablishingtheiridentityasanation.Itwasmorethanadecadesince

theendoftheSecondAnglo-BoerWar,andmanyAfrikaans-speakershadorwereinthe

processofmovingfromruraltourbanareasandwereslowlystartingtobecome

accustomedtolifeundertheBritishruleoftheUnionofSouthAfrica.Thetransitionwasan

uncomfortableonethatwaspartlyresponsiblefortheriseofstrongfeelingsofpatriotism

amongsttheAfrikanercommunityatthetime,asVanderWesthuizen(1973:187)argues:

“Daarhetinhierdiejare‘nsterkbehoeftebydieAfrikanerontstaanomsaamtestaanen

35

homselfuitsyminderwaardigesosiaal-ekonomieseposisieoptehef”(Duringtheseyears,a

strongneedemergedamongsttheAfrikanertostandunitedandliftthenationupoutofits

inferiorsocio-economicposition).Itfollowsthatstrongfiguresthatcouldrestorehopeand

faithandprovideguidancewereingreatdemandatthetime.

NotsomuchindemandinearlyHuisgenootwerefiguresthatmighthavecontradictedthe

magazine’seditorialmissionatthetime,anditisasimportantandinterestingtoconsider

theseabsencesaswhowasselectedforandincludedincoverage.Theideaofbeing

celebratedorknownforlessexemplary,eventransgressiveorscandalous,characteristicsor

behaviour,orsimplyforcriminalactivities,goesbacktoearlierdaysinthebroadhistoryof

fameinWesterncivilization.Anexamplehereisthe18thcenturyItalianauthorand

adventurerGiacomoCasanova,whobecamesofamousforhismultiple,elaborateand

complicatedrelationshipswithwomenthatthename‘Casanova’hasnowcometomean

‘womaniser’.Thewell-knownAmericantrainrobbersofthe19thcentury,includingJesse

JamesandButchCassidy,arefurtherexamples.Itisimportanttonotethatinthecaseof

thesemen,therecouldbesaidtobeablurringoftheheroicandthetransgressiveandwith

thatcategoriesoffame,becauseCasanova’ssexualprowesscouldbesaidtohaveofferedat

leastthepossibilityofbeingworthyofadmirationandemulation,and,asPaulKooistra

(1990)remindsusinhisarticle‘CriminalsasHeroes’,robberssuchasJamescertainlyhada

senseoftheheroicaboutthem.Yetitisimportanttodrawadistinctionhere,asinallthese

cases,thepossibleheroismprecludesasenseoftheepicasitinvolvesanelementof

transgression.

Inadditiontocriminalsandcontroversialfiguresthatmaybeportrayedashavingsomething

heroicaboutthem,thereare,ofcourse,alsothoseknownfornothingotherthan

committingcrimes.ElizabethBarry(2008),forinstance,arguesthatpubliccourtproceedings

andexecutionsarewaysinwhichpeoplebecameknowninthepast,andtheimplication

hereisthatthisformofwell-knownnessgrewfromnothingbutcriminalbehaviour.Barry

writes,inherintroductiontoaspecialeditionoftheInternationalJournalofCulturalStudies

devotedto‘ACulturalHistoryofCelebrity’,that:

Theenginesoffame–royalrecognition,statehonours,religiouscanonization,the

laurelsofartisticachievement–infactoperatesidebysidewith[…]thepopular

press,thecirculationofprintedimages,theatreandmusichalls,publictrialsand

hangings–intheearlymodernandEnlightenmentworld,aswellasinourown.(Barry

2008:252,emphasisadded)

36

Inearly20thcenturySouthAfrica,theremusthavebeenanawarenessofpersonalstories

thatwerebasednotonidealorperfectbehaviourbutonvariousformsof‘negative’orat

least‘controversial’attributesandqualities.

IntermsoftheAfrikanercommunity,the19th-centuryCapecolonyfrontiersmanCoenraad

deBuys17atfirstglanceseems,forinstance,anexcellentcandidateforcoverageinearly

Huisgenootas,inaway,heseemstofitthemagazine’smodeloffame.Hewasapioneer,

widelydescribedas‘remarkable’and‘impressive’becauseofhislargestature(hewas

apparentlysevenfoottall)andalsohisself-confidence.InTheAfrikaners(2003),his

biographyoftheAfrikanerpeople,HermannGiliomeewriteshowtravellersdescribedhim

with‘awe’.WithhisDutchheritage,DeBuysissaidtohavebeenthefoundingfatherofone

ofthefirstAfrikaanscommunitiesandwasknowntohaveclashedwiththeBritishduring

thefrontierwarsofthelate18thcentury.However,hewasabsentfromearlyHuisgenoot,

anabsencethatcanmostlikelybeattributedtotheotherelementsforwhichhewaswidely

known:forbeinganinterracialpolygamist,andformostlysidingwiththeXhosapeople,

againstboththeBritishandtheBoers,inbattle.

IrefertoDeBuyshereinanattempttoillustratehowintheearly20thcentury,when

Huisgenootlaunched,therewereundoubtedlypeopleinSouthAfrica,alsointheAfrikaans

community,whowerealreadyknownnotnecessarilyfortheirexemplarinessbutrather,or

also,fortheirwaywardness,theirrebelliousness,theirinabilitytomeetsocietalexpectation.

Butthesepeopleseemtobelargelyabsentfromthelocalmagazinecoverage,andthefocus

ofthecoverageofindividualpeoplegenerallycanbesaidtobeoncontrastingqualitiesto

rebelliousnessandostensibletransgression.

Exemplaryandinspiringfigureswerewhatthereadersneededandwanted,theHuisgenoot

launchteamseemedtothink,withlauncheditorProfessorJ.J.Smithexplainingina

retrospectivememoir-stylearticlepublishedinthemagazineinthe1940show,“Deur

lewensbeskrywingevangrootAfrikaners[…]hetonsprobeerommetdiesmaakvanons

lesersenigsinsrekeningtehou”(ThroughprofilepiecesonprominentAfrikaners[…]wetried

tokeeppacewiththetasteofourreadersasfaraspossible).18

ThefigureoftheEpicHerowasalsostillconsistentlyparaded“om[lesers]weermetmoed

enidealismetehelpbesiel”(tohelpinspirereadersagainwithcourageandidealism)byProf

17FormoreonDeBuys,seeRianMalan’sMyTraitor’sHeart(1991)andWillemAnker’sBuys:‘nGrensroman(2016).18DieHuisgenoot,28November1941.

37

Smith’ssuccessorfrom1931,MarkusViljoen.InaninterviewwithJurieJoubert(1983:9),

Viljoenfurtherexplainshowhe:

moesdievolkvoortdurendherinneraandiemeesheroïeketydperkeinsy

geskiedenis–dieTrekenvandietweeVryheidsoorloë.Geleidelikhetekdus

beginmetgeskiedkundigebydraes,eersalgemeneartikelsombepaalde

gebeurtenisseteherdenk,daarnareekseherinneringevanoudstryders,artikels

ooraldieberoemdeveldslae,oordieleiersendiebannelingkampe.Hierdie

artikelshetonmiddelikweerklankgevindbydielesers[…]

hadtocontinuouslyremindthenationofthemostheroictimeperiodsinits

history–theTrekandthetwoBoerwars.SograduallyIbeganwithhistorical

contributions,firstgeneralarticlestocommemoratespecificevents,thereafter

seriesofmemoriesofretiredsoldiers,articlesaboutallthefamousbattles,about

theleadersandtheprisonerofwarcamps.Thesearticlesimmediatelyresonated

withthereaders[…]

AsasignificantpartoftheprocessinvolvedtheestablishmentoftheAfrikaanslanguageas

separatefromDutchandequalinstatustoEnglish,thenaturalprogressionwasfortheepic

formulatobeextendedtoencompassthetaalstryders:Afrikaanspoetsandauthors.

Giliomee(2003:359)notesthat:“AttheheartoftheAfrikanernationaliststrugglewasthe

attempttoimagineanewnationalcommunitywithitslanguageenjoyingparityofesteem

withEnglishinthepublicsphere.Onlythenwouldthesenseofbeingmarginalizedbe

overcome.”Seeminglybornoutofasenseofmarginalisation,thesefeelingsofnationalism

gavewaytotheSecondLanguageMovement,VanEeden(1981)argues,inwhichprinted

mediasuchasHuisgenootplayedakeyrole.Atthetimeofthemagazine’slaunch,the

AfrikaansnationwasthelargestintheUnion,butAfrikaans-speakerswerebothlinguistically

andpoliticallydividedandseenaslaggingbehindonaculturallevel,soitwasfeared,as

Pretorius(1973)pointsout,thattheywerefeelingincreasinglyinferiorinrelationtoother

culturalgroupsinthecountry,particularlytheEnglish-speakingpopulation.

TheSecondLanguageMovementwaspartoftheriseofAfrikanernationalism,which

Moodie(inLouw,2004)describesasakindofcivilreligionincorporatingthehistoryofthe

Afrikaanspeople,theirlanguageandAfrikanerCalvinism,fromtheendofthe19thcentury

onwards.Specificallyinitsearlyyears,Huisgenootservedasamouthpiece,theideal

mediumforthetransmissionofthisideology,anditseemedtodosobydeclaringitsfocus

oneverythingthatitdeemedpure,goodandtrueintheAfrikanernation.Insodoing,the

38

magazineinawaysetthesceneforandbyextensionautomatically‘nominated’figuresthat

displayedthekindofqualitiesassociatedwiththeEpicHero.Notice,forinstance,the

singularfocusonstrengthanduntaintedness,bothkeycharacteristicsintheepic,inthe

closinglineofthe“OpmerkingvandeRedaktie”(RemarksfromtheEditorialTeam)inthe

1916launchissue:“[O]nsAfrikaansvolk[is]eensterkvolk,datdeschoonsteeigenschappen

inzichheeft”(OurAfrikanernationisastrongnation,withthepurestofcharactertraits).

Apreferencefortheportrayalofsubjectsasanembodimentofthe‘ideal’canalsoberead

asanindicationofthegeneralidealismguidingHuisgenoot’seditorialdecisionsintheearly

yearsofitsexistence.JohannesFroneman(2004:67–68,emphasisadded)writesofhowthe

magazineplaced,“swaarklem[…]intermevan[…]‘nidealistiesedrangomasselfstandige

volkmet‘neietaalenkultuurerkenteword”(strongemphasis[…]intermsof[…]an

idealisticurgetobeacknowledgedasanindependentnationwithanownlanguageand

culture).Hencethemagazine’seditorialselectionofsubjectswhocouldbesaidtofurther

thisquestanditsidealisationoftheirindividualcontributionstothepointwheretheyare

representedas‘model’citizens,ormodelAfrikaners.

Giventhisoriginaleditorialmission,Huisgenootseemedtofollowtheinternational

publishingtrendthatdominatedtheperiodaroundWorldWarI(1914–1918).Theodore

Peterson(1956)writesofhowmagazinesaroundthistimecouldgenerallybeclassifiedas

belongingtooneoftwobroadcategories,whichhenames“missionary”and“merchant”.

Whereasthelatterismainlyguidedbyfinancialorcommercialimperatives,theformeris

drivenbyidealism.EarlyHuisgenootbelongstothemissionarycategory,which,accordingto

Peterson(1956:209–210)“didnotnecessarilypropagateareligiousgospel[…]butafaithin

awayoflife”.Itsunwaveringfocusoneverythingandeveryonethatisidealandexemplary

inAfrikanerranksistestimonytothat.

ThetextualevidencedrawnfromHuisgenootrevealshowasignificantpartofthenation-

buildingdirectivethemagazinesetsitselfisfulfilledbyportrayingahandfulofAfrikanersas

“rolemodelsfortheyoung,inspirationforthecitizenry”,anotherdescriptionoftheheroic

offeredbyDruckerandCathcart(1994:2).

Yetinitsearlyyears,themagazineseemedlargelytoavoidcoverageofcontemporaryrole

modelsandinspirationalfigures,optingrathertoreachbackintime.Pretorius(1973:18)

describesthiseditorialnotioninHuisgenootas“shiftingbackinhistory”,givingpreference

tocoverageofthelateoverthatoftheliving.Inasense,this“shiftingback”madeearly

Huisgenootaconsumeroftheexistingepicrhetoricsurroundingitsselectionoffamous

39

figures;mostofthemencoveredhadalreadyconsolidatedtheirEpicHeroimageinthe

collectiveimaginaryoftheAfrikanernationbytheearly20thcentury,andHuisgenoot

merelyre-presentedthesealreadyestablishedfigures.

Theheroictendstobeconstantlyelusive,GaryWhannel(2002)argues,butless

philosophicalreasonsmighthaveinfluencedHuisgenoot’ssearchforitsEpicHerofiguresin

thehistorybooksandnotthenewspapers.Thiseditorialchoicemighthavebeenpartially

influencedbythemagazine’sproductionprocess;stillamonthlymass-mediapublicationat

thetime,itcouldnotdisseminatenewsinthewayanewspaperwould,namelyshortlyafter

anewseventtranspired.Consequently,itsfocuswasonsecondaryeventualitiesornews

events.Itswritershadtheleisureofdoingin-depthresearchandproducingarticles

contextualisingimportanthistoricalevents,VanEeden(1981)explains.And,althoughthe

weeklyprintinganddistributionfrequencyhadapowerfulinfluenceonthenatureof

magazinerepresentationsoffamegoingintothe21stcentury,asIargueinChapter4,

Huisgenoot’schangeoffrequencyfrommonthlytoweeklyin1923didnotseemtomakea

visibledifferencetowhoitcovered,whatitcoveredthemfor,orhowitapproachedthis

coverage.Therewasnosignyet,withthischangeofpublishingfrequency,ofanymovement

towardsthe21st-centurytrendofcoveringunfoldingnarrativesoflivingpublicfigures,

ratherthanposthumouslifestorieswithabeginning,amiddleandanend.Rather,the

editor’sletterinthefirstweeklyedition19announcesthatthehigherfrequency“getuigvan

groeikrag,ondernemingsgeesen‘nonwrikbarevertroueindietoekomsvanonsvolkentaal”

(atteststovigour,entrepreneurialspiritandasteadfastfaithinthefutureofournationand

language).Lookingtothefuturethroughgreatdeedsandpeopleofthepastisnotan

unfamiliarconceptinthenationalistagenda.TomNairn(1977:343)writesthatnationalism

ischaracterisedbybothprogressandregress.“[I]tisthroughnationalismthatsocietiestry

topropelthemselvesforwardtocertainkindsofgoals[…]byacertainkindofregression–

bylookinginwards,drawingmendeeplyupontheirindigenousresources,resurrectingpast

folkheroesandmythsaboutthemselvesandsoon”.

Although18thand19th-centuryAfrikanerhistorywascertainlyromanticisedbyHuisgenoot

duringthefirsthalfofthe20thcentury,itcouldbearguedthattheunderlyingelementsof

thishistorycreatedafertilebreedinggroundforanascentmythologyoftheAfrikaansEpic

Hero.Theunderlyingelementsincludethefrontiermentality(orweltanschauung)fostered,

asDanO’Meara(1979)notes,throughmanyyearsofisolationfromtheurbansphere,

19ThefirstweeklyeditionofDieHuisgenootwasdated23November1923.

40

numerousbattlesfoughtagainstlocalAfricantribesandarigidpatriarchalCalvinist

tradition.Towardstheendofthe19thcentury,thesmallAfrikaner/Boervictoriesoverthe

BritishachievedduringtheAnglo-BoerWarfurtherconsolidatedthegrowthand

developmentofthiscollectionofAfrikanerEpicHerofigures.QuotingMoodie,veteran

SouthAfricanjournalistandpoliticalcommentatorAllisterSparks(1990)wrote:

[DuringtheAnglo-BoerWar]Anarmyofbackwardfarmershadmeasured

themselvesagainsttheregimentsoftheworld’smightiestpowerandemergedwith

theknowledgethattheywereasgoodandbetter.Outofthewarcamenewheroes

toworship[...]itwasanationalepicofsufferinganddeath,andithasbeenwoven

togetherwiththeGreatTrekintothesacredhistoryoftheAfrikanervolk,thebasis

oftheirapocalypticvisionofthemselvesasachosenpeoplewithaspecialmissionto

fulfil.(Sparks1990:126,originalemphasisretained)

GiventheAfrikanernation’spatriarchalorigins,itisnotsurprisingthatHuisgenoot’sEpic

Hero,notunlikeclassicprotagonistsofGreekandRomanepics,wasalmostexclusivelymale

atthebeginningofthe20thcentury.Sparks(1990)wroteofhowboththeGreatTrekand

theAnglo-BoerWarservedtoreinforcethepatriarchalsystem,andtheeffectithadonthe

perceptionofthepast:

Foralltheirindividualism,theBoershadalwaystendedtobeapatriarchalsociety:

theyhadgivenfierceloyaltytotheirleadersduringtheGreatTrek;withineach

familythefatherwasalawuntohimselfandatotalautocratoverhisdomain.Now,

withthe[Anglo-Boer]war,thispersonalitycultwasreinforced.Justastheheroic

pastbecamesanctified,sodidtheheroesbecomedeified.(Sparks1990:127)

Huisgenoot’sapproachtoSecond-Anglo-Boer-WarandGreat-Trekhistory,particularlythat

publishedundertheeditorshipofMarkusViljoen,issuccinctlysummarisedbyFlorisvan

JaarsveldandreminiscentofWhannel’s(2002)observationthatthereisgreatnostalgiafor

anelusivepast:“Daarwas‘nromantieseverlangeterugnadieverlede,‘nverheerlikingen

idealiseringvandieRepublikeinsegeskiedenis”(Therewasaromanticlongingforthepast,

anexultationandidealisationoftheRepublicanhistory)(VanJaarsveld,inJoubert1983:

134).

1.2PaulKruger:AfrikanerEpicHero

Atleastintermsofcolumninchesofcoveragedevotedtohagiographicaccountshonouring

hislegacy,perhapsthemostcelebratedoftheearlyHuisgenootEpicHerowaspresidentof

41

theSouthAfricanRepublic(ZAR)PaulKruger,whodiedin1904,morethanadecadebefore

themagazine’slaunch.

Astark,singleblack-and-whiteportraitimageoftheZARpresidentinthemiddleofthepage

andsurroundedbyplentyofwhitespaceandtwothinframescreatedanarrestingand

decidedlyreverentcoverforthe1916launchissueofthemagazine.Thislaunchcoverseems

tosettheintentionforthekindoffigurewhomeritedcoverageandHuisgenoot’sinitial

editorialdirection.

Theaccompanyingarticleinsidethemagazineisa2000-wordprofileintheprominentpage-

threeposition.“Deheldenvan’tverleden,behorenaan’tnageslacht”(Theheroesofthepast

belongtofuturegenerations),readstheopeninglineofthishagiographicprofilepiece,20

makingitclearthatthemagazineintendstoactasaconsumerandre-presenterofafigure

thatitimaginesalreadyoccupyingtheimageofEpicHerointhecollectiveimaginationofits

readership.Anticipatingakeenfocusonthe‘everydayminutiae’thatwouldcometo

characterisemagazinerepresentationsoffameroughlyacenturyon,thearticlecontinuesto

justifythisre-presentationintherestoftheopeningparagraphs:

Beterdaneigentijdgenotendatvermogen,kunnendenakomelingendoorzienen

begrijpen,watleefdeindezielvaneengrote,dievoorhenkwam.‘tKleingebeuren

vaniederedagvaltwegen‘tblijvende,‘teeuwigsterketreedtopdevoorgrond.Doch

vooralhieraankent‘tnageslachthem,diegrootwasonderzijnvolk,dathij

vooruitgezienheeftdebehoeftenvandekomendetijd.Latenzijnslapendekroon

gedragenhebben.Zijnhandaan’tzwaardgevoerd,zijnschoudersomworpenzijn

geweestmetdeprofetemantel.Zijntaakwasnietafgelopentoenzijnoogbrak,de

moedehand‘tzwaardontglipteenvooreeuwigdemondzweeg,diewoordenvan

wijsheidsprak.Hisisdaar,omdatzijnscherpsiendooguitzagnaardetoekomstenhij

vroombeluisterdedestemmen,dieuiteenwordendetijdtothemkwamen.

Zohebbenwe‘tbeeldtezien,vandiekrijgsman-staatsman,PaulKruger,deziener,die

blijkteindetoekomstendoorwatzijnhelderziendoogzagzijndadenlietregelen.

Inderdaadwijkunnenhembeterbegrijpenenduidelikerhemziendanzij,diemet

hemstondeninzijnstrijd.

Betterthananycontemporariescould,[his]descendantscanpenetrateand

understandwhatlivedinthesoulofagreatmanpersonwhocamebeforethem.The

everydayminutiaefallawayandthelasting,theeternallystrong,comestothefore.

20“LevenschetsPresidentKruger”,DeHuisgenoot,May1916.

42

Butforonespecificreasondohisdescendantsknowhewholoomedlargeamongst

hispeople,andthatisforhisabilitytopeerintotheneedsofthefuture.Histemples

mighthavecarriedthecrown.Hishandmighthavetouchedtheswordandhis

shouldersbeencoveredintheprophet’scloak.Histaskwasnotfinishedwhenhis

eyesbecameweak,theswordslippedoutofthebravehandandthemouthforever

helditspeace–hewhohadspokenwordsofwisdom.Heistherebecausehissharp

eyelookedtowardsthefutureandwithdevotionhelistenedtothevoicesthatcame

tohimfromthefuture.

Thisistheimagewehold,ofthewarrior-statesmanPaulKruger,theseer,whopeered

intothefutureandwasledbywhathesawwithhisclairvoyanteye.Indeed,wecan

understandhimbetterandmoreclearlythanthosewhostoodwithhiminhis

struggle.

Besidesthisprominenceaffordedtothelatepresidentinthelaunchissue,much

hagiographicmaterialwaspublishedabouthimthroughoutthefirstfourdecadesofthe

magazine’sexistence.Hewasthesubjectofthefirst-evercommemorativeissuepublishedin

themagazine’shistory.21RomantichistoriographerGustavS.Prellerwrotetwoofthe

prominentarticlesinthisissue.Krugerwasalsothesubjectofa1944article,inwhichhis

unknowncontributiontopreventingaloomingcivilwarisdiscussed,aswellashis

contributionasnegotiatorintheBasothowarof1858,his“markedinfluenceonthe

outcomeofevents”(Drucker&Cathcart,1994:6)beingreminiscentoftheconstructionof

theprotagonistoftheepicintheoraltradition.AnotherarticleonKrugerappearsina1947

issueandislaterpublishedverbatiminthebookPaulKruger:Simboolvan‘nVolk(Kruger:

SymbolofaNation)(Joubert1983).ThebattlebetweenKrugerandGeneralPietJoubertis

discussedinatwo-partseriespublishedin1941.Althoughitsauthenticityisquestioned,as

Joubert(1983)pointsout,Kruger’slastmessagebeforehisdeathisalsopublishedinthe

magazinein1942.Infact,E.J.Labuschagne(1948)notesthatjudgingbyHuisgenoot’sKruger

coverage,hecouldberegardedas“thefolkhero”ofthetime.

Aswithmanyoftheotherindividualsitprofiled,themagazinecelebratedKrugernotforone

isolatedcharacteristicbutforacombinationofnoteworthyepicqualitiestraitsincluding

humility,militaryprowess,courage,pietyandperseverance.Themagazinesketcheshimas

21DieHuisgenoot,9October1925.

43

beingraisedhumblyina“simplehomeandenvironment”,22despitethefactthat,asPreller

laterargues,inanissueof1925,hecamefromaprominentAfrikaansfamily.23

Nobleancestryisalso,ofcourse,oftenassociatedwiththeideaoftheepic,albeitgenerally

divineratherthanmerelymortal.AlthoughthefledglingAfrikaanspopulationlackedany

formofnobility,themagazine,especiallyinitsearlyissues,appearstocompensateby

referringtoappropriategenealogiesinitsprofilesinanattempttoshowatleasta

semblanceofnoblelineage.Inaddition,itmakesmentionofanyancestororevenbloodline

thatcouldhelptocountertheAfrikaner’sfeelingof“marginalisation”,touseGiliomee’s

(2003)term.

PoetJanCelliers’profileintheSeptember1916issue,forinstance,includesanextensive

sectionontheCelliersclan,apparentlyhailingfromtheFrenchHuguenotswhoarrivedin

SouthAfricain1770,withthecomment:“Wiedanookafstamvan‘ngeslag,wattefierente

sterkwasomdienekviroorheersingenonregtebuig,maginregmatigetrotsdaarop

terugsienasdeelvaneiegeskiedenis”(Whoevercomesfromagenerationthatwastoo

dignifiedandstrongtobendthekneetodominationandinjusticemayinjustifiedpridelook

backthereuponaspartofownhistory).24

InitsconstructionofPresidentKrugerasanEpicHero,Huisgenootisatpainstomention

thathisforebears,“hetalmalminofmeerbekendgewordindievoorgeskiedenisvanons

land”(allbecamefamousinourcountry’searlyhistory),25yetitplacesequalifnotmore

emphasisonthehumilitythatheacquiredduringhis“simple”childhood,whichremained

evidentthroughouthislife.Asa1925editionofHuisgenootdescribesit,asZARpresidenthe

didnotseehimselfassuperiortohispeople,openinghisporchforconversationwith

passers-byashesatsmokinghispipeeverymorningandevenwelcomingordinarycitizens

intohishomeonspecialoccasionssuchasbirthdays,andentertainingtheminsimpleand

humblefashion.26Aphotographofthepresident’slastmeetingonhisstoepbeforehisfinal

departurefromPretoriaprovidesvisualevidence.27Thisveryrareandanecdotalevidence,in

thecoverage,oftheprivatespaceofthepublicfigureisinteresting,asitisasubtle

suggestionofshiftsintermsoftheexposureoftheprivatethatwouldcharacterisethe

trajectoryoffameduringtheremainderofthecentury.Itisanearlytentativesurfacingof

22“LevenschetsPresidentKruger”,DeHuisgenoot,May1916.23Preller,GustavS.,“PresidentKruger”,DieHuisgenoot,9October1925.24“Levenschets.J.F.E.Celliers.”,DeHuisgenoot,September1916.25Preller,GustavS.,“PresidentKruger”,DieHuisgenoot,9October1925.26M.E.R.,“‘nKaaplanderinTransvaalindieDaevandieRepubliek”,DieHuisgenoot,9October1925.27DieHuisgenoot,10October1947.

44

thenotionoftheprivatespaceinthecoverageofapublicfigure,andappropriatelyit

involvesperipheralareas,receptionroomsforentertaining,andthefrontporch,which

essentiallyformtheboundarybetweenthepublicandtheprivatespace.

Evenasamuch-lovedpoliticianhewasdescribedasan“eenvoudigeBoereseun”(asimple

Afrikanerboy).28AccordingtooneofearlyHuisgenoot’srarewomencontributors,M.E.R.,

whosememoriesofmeetingthepresidentandbeingaguestathishomeareplacedinthe

women’ssectionofthemagazine,hishumilitywasstrikingfromthefactthatinthe

presenceofordinarycitizens,healwaysseemeduncomfortablewithhisknightlyorderand

stateribands.Allthisdecoration,whichcanalsobeseeninmanyofthephotographs

publishedofhiminthemagazine,didnotreallyseemtofithismorehumbleimage,M.E.R.

argues:

Ofhy,soosdiegewoneman,gehegisaanuniforms,daremindiestiltedaarvangehou

het,weeteknie;maardithetnetsominbyhomgepasaskokarteenstrikke‘nrots

kanversier.Maarandermensewasbaiegestelddaarop,opdieblinkswart

staatskoetsmetsilwerbeslag,enblousatynbekleedselvanbinne,ensulkedinge.29

Ifhe,liketheordinaryman,isattachedtouniforms,atleastsecretlylikedthem,I

don’tknow;but[theuniform]suitedhimaspoorlyasrosettesandribbonscan

decoratearock.Butothersdearlyvaluedthings,thingsliketheshinyblackstate

carriagewithsilverfittings,andbluesatinupholsteryinside,andsuchthings.

TheseapparentindicationsofordinarinessandthesimplelifepunctuateHuisgenoot’s

predominantlyhagiographiccoverageofKrugerandotherEpicHerofigures,with

ordinarinessmostoftenassociatedwithhumilityandbelongingtoacommunity.

EventhoughtheregaliamightnothaveappealedtoKruger,heisstillwidelycelebratedasa

soldier.ByKruger’sownadmissionhewasagoodhorsemanandshot,asPrellerreports,30

whoparticipatedinbattlesagainstthelocaltribes,suchastheZuluandtheBasotho,already

atatenderage.Thenthereisalsothestuffoflegends…Itissaidthathekilledhisfirstlionat

theageofthirteen,andatthesameageheshowedspiritualcourageinthefaceofdanger:

28VanWinter,P.J.,“PaulKruger–WillemvanOranje”,DieHuisgenoot,10October1947.29M.E.R.,“‘nKaaplanderinTransvaalindieDaevandieRepubliek”,DieHuisgenoot,9October1925.30Preller,GustavS.,“PresidentKruger”,DieHuisgenoot,9October1925.

45

Opdertienjarigeleeftijdtrekthijreedsmedeopeenekspeditietegen‘tkafferhoofd

Selikats[...]Dedadenvandeknaapzijndedadenvaneenman.Vastberadenishijin‘t

gevaarenonverschrokkenheidwordthemtoteentweedenatuur.31

Alreadyatagethirteenhewentalongonanexpeditionagainstthekafferchief

Selikats[...]Thesedeedsdonotbecomeaboybutaman.Hewasdeterminedinthe

faceofdanger,andfearlessnessbecamesecondnaturetohim.

Onmorethanoneoccasionwritersforthemagazinecallhim,“vredemakerenvegsman”

(peacemakerandwarrior),32withGrobbelaararguingthathewasinstrumentalinpreventing

abloodycivilwarbetweentheFreeStateandtheTransvaalrepublicsin1859and

intervenedduringtheBasothowarsof1858and1865.Heusedbattlerhetorictogreat

effect;“Verdeelenheers!”(Divideandrule!)werewordsthepresidentapparentlyusedwith

fondness,Prellerwrites:

Vergeetnooitdeernstigewaarskuwingdieligtin‘twoord:‘Verdeelenheers!’en

maakdatditwoordop‘tAfrikaansevolknooitvantoepassingzalkunnenzijn.Dan

zullenonsnationaliteitenonzetaalblijvenbloeien.33

Neverforgettheseriouswarningthatliesintheexpression:‘Divideandrule!’and

makeasifthisexpressionwillneverbeapplicabletotheAfrikaansnation.Thenour

nationalityandlanguagewillcontinuetobloom.

Hegavetheimpressionofpowerandsteadfastness.“Nognooithetekiemandgesienwatso

dieindrukvankraggemaakhetnie,onwankelbarekrag”(NeverbeforehadIseensomeone

thatmadesuchanimpressionofpower,unshakeablepower),M.E.R.observes.34Notonly

washepowerful,hewasalsoprincipled,acharactertraitthatwasnoticedbyanotherofthe

mencelebratedinearlyissuesofthemagazine,formerAfrikaner/Boergeneralandprime

ministeroftheUnionofSouthAfricafrom1924to1939,BarryHertzog:

“PresidentKrugerwaseenenalbeginsel,”hetgenl.Hertzogeendaggesê.Hykondit

welgesêhet;indiePresidentwasditdieeienaardigevastheidvanbeginselwat

31“LevenschetsPresidentKruger”,DeHuisgenoot,May1916.32Coetzee,J.Albert,“PolitiekePartyeindieRepublieke”,DieHuisgenoot,21February1941;Grobbelaar,J.J.G.,“PaulKrugerendieVrystaat:SusterrepubliekMeermaleGrootDiensteBewys”,DieHuisgenoot,25August1944;andVanWinter,P.J.,“PaulKruger–WillemvanOranje”,DieHuisgenoot,10October1947.33Preller,GustavS.,“PresidentKruger”,DieHuisgenoot,9October1925.34M.E.R.,“‘nKaaplanderinTransvaalindieDaevandieRepubliek”,DieHuisgenoot,9October1925.

46

daardiebesondereindrukopjougemaakhet.Sterkenvas,soos‘nrots–ditwasdie

indrukwatbyjougeblyhetasjyhomgesienhet.35

“PresidentKrugerwasallaboutprinciple,”GeneralHertzogoncesaid.Hewas

justifiedinsayingso;inthePresidentitwasthepeculiarfirmprincipled-nessthat

madethatspecialimpressiononyou.Strongandsteadfast,likearock–thatwasthe

impressionhemadeonyouwhenyousawhim.

JudgingbytheselectfewKrugerimagespublishedbyHuisgenoot,manypeoplewantedto

catchaglimpseofhiminpersonorbepresentatoneofhispublicaddresses.Asmuchisalso

suggestedbythecaptionaccompanyingtheblackandwhitephotographofhislastaddress

tothepeopleofJohannesburg,inAugust1899inDoornfontein,wherehundredsarrivedto

watchhimspeakfromapodium:“PresidentKrugerinalsyforsheidenkrag”(President

Krugerinallhisvigourandpower).36PhotographsintheKrugercommemorativeissuealso

showhowmanypeopleattendedothereventsthatofferedthechanceofseeinghimin

person(suchaswhenhelaidthecornerstonefortheVolksraadsgebou(Volksraadbuilding)

inPretoriainMay1889).37

Overthecentury,astheoralwasovertakenbythewrittenandeventuallythevisual

tradition,stillphotographywouldgraduallybecomethemainmediumemployedby

magazinestorevealandlaterexposeprivatelife,withdiminishingwordcountsleaving

spaceforthemoregeneroususeofvisuals,whichalsoimprovedinsharpnessandquality,

thankstoconstantlyimprovingphotographictechnology,andsupply,duetoevolving

telecommunicationstechnology.Butatthebeginningofthecentury,withphotographs

scarceandoftenofaquestionablequalitythatwasfurthererodedwhenreproducedinthe

printingprocess,whatonecouldseewasaheavierrelianceoncopythanimagestoconvey

messagesandconstructtheEpicHerothatdominatedearly20th-centurypopularmagazine

coverage.Thisimpliedusingphotographstoillustratethemainargumentmadeinthecopy.

InthecaseofKruger,thisimpliedthepublicationofphotographsthatsupported

Huisgenoot’sportrayalofhimasanEpicHeroforhispeople,anAfrikanerfolkhero.

Photographsofhispublicengagementstakenbyprofessionalsgenerallysupportedthis

representationverywell,asdothepicturesthatweretakenfollowinghisdeathinexilein

Switzerlandin1904.PhotographspublishedbyHuisgenootshowhismausoleum,funeral

processionsheldforhiminthestreetsofDenHaag(wherehewasfirstburied)and35Ibid.36DieHuisgenoot,9October1925.37Ibid.

47

RotterdamintheNetherlands,fromwherehisbodywastransportedbacktoSouthAfricaby

boat.Thereisanimageofthelocalcrowdsthatgatheredtowelcometheboatcarryinghis

body,andalsooneofthelargefuneralprocessionsathisfinalinterment,on16December

1904,intheHeroes’AcresectionofPretoria’sChurchStreetCemetery.Thereisalsoa

photographshowingthemultitudesthatarrivedfortheunveilingofhisstatue,bysculptor

AntonvanWouw,onPretoria’sStationSquare.38Themajorityoftherelativelyrare

photographicevidenceofPresidentKrugerearlyHuisgenootpublishedshowshiminpublic

spaces(always),andinanelevatedpositioncomparedthepeoplewhocametoseehim,on

apodium,onstage,oronstairs,onapedestal(inthecaseofbustsandstatues)and,even,

inthefinalinstance,hiscoffinatopthehearse,whichofcourseaddstothenotionof

elevation,prominenceandeminenceoftenassociatedwiththeepic.

TheDutch-bornVanWouwisstillwidelyregardedasthefatherofSouthAfricansculpture,

withearlyHuisgenooteditorMarkusViljoendescribinghiminhismemoirs‘nJoernalisVertel

as,“byuitstekdiévertolkervandieheroïeketydperkindieAfrikanersegeskiedeniswatdie

TweedeVryheidsoorlogvoorafgegaanenmetdaardieworstelinggeëindighet”(the

interpreterparexcellenceoftheheroictime-periodinAfrikanerhistorythatprecededthe

SecondBoerWarandendedwiththatbattle)(Viljoen1953:150).Viljoenrecallshowitwas

thegazeandtheincrediblepassionoftheAfrikaner/Boercommandersthathesawshining

throughintheirportraitsthatisthoughttohaveinspiredVanWouwtobecomeanartist

himselfandleavetheNetherlandstocomeandliveamongthesepeopleinSouthAfrica.

Harbouringaclearideaofwhatkindoffigurewarrantedrepresentation,hewouldusethem

assubjectsforhispaintingandartworksfortherestofhislife:

AsjongmanhethyinNederlandportrettevandieBoeregesien,ensyartistieke

temperamentissodeurhulleaangevuurdathydadelikbesluithetomhomindieland

vandieindrukwekkende,gebaardemannetevestig.Meermalehethylateraanons

vertelwattergeweldigeindrukdie“prachtmensen”ophomgemaakhet.Trouens,hy

hethomsóopdietydperkvoor1900toegespitsdat‘nmensdieindrukgekryhetdat

alleswatdaarnagekomhethomartistiekkoudgelaathet.Alleennog‘nenkele

Boereleieruitdaardietydperkhethomlatertotinspirasiegedien.(Viljoen1953:150)

AsyoungmanintheNetherlands,hesawportraitsoftheBoers,andhisartistic

temperamentwasinspiredbythemtosuchanextentthatheimmediatelydecidedto

establishhimselfinthecountryoftheseimpressive,beardedmen.Manyatimein

38DieHuisgenoot,9October1925.

48

lateryearshetoldusofthemightyimpressionthese“beautifulpeople”madeonhim.

Infact,hefocusedsointenselyontheperiodbefore1900thatonegottheimpression

thateverythingthatcamethereafterlefthimcoldartistically.OnlyaBoerleaderfrom

thattimewouldserveasinspirationlaterinhislife.

InadditiontothestatueofastandingPresidentKruger,VanWouwalsomadeabustofhim,

whichisdescribedandreviewedintheHuisgenootofAugust1916.Accordingtothe

anonymousauthorofthereview,theVanWouwbustofKrugerrevealstheSouthAfrican

Republicpresident’stenaciouscharacter:

Dewelgevormdemondmetdesterk-forsebovenlip,drukteenonweerstaanbare

wilskrachtuit[...]Hetisonsofsamenvloeieninschoneverenigingdekaraktertrekken

vansterkdurven,vankinderlikgeloven,vanduldzaamlijdenenvanonwankelbaar

doorzetten,diedezegroteonderzijnvolkbezielden.Hetiseenmonumentvoor‘t

schoonstein‘tAfrikaansekarakterenjuistdaaromeenvertolkingvan‘techt-

menselike,waardoorhetlevenzalalskunstwerk.39

Thewell-formedmouthwiththestrong,resoluteupperlip,expressedanirrestistible

willpower.Itisasifthecharacteristicsofstrongdaring,naïvebelief,patientsuffering

andunshakeableperseverance,thatthisgiantinspiresinhisnation,cometogetherin

pureunity.ItisamonumenttothemostpureoftheAfrikaanspeopleandforthis

reasonanexpressionofthetrulyhuman,whichbringsittolifeasanartwork.

Kruger’sperseveranceisalsounderlinedinPreller’sodeinthe1925commemorativeissue,

inwhichhewrites,“AsKrugerietswoudoen,danisditdeurgesittotindieverstehoekevan

dieland,endieagterliksteagterveldervoeldiebewegingvansywil.Daarwordietsgedoen,

daarkom‘ndaadtotstandwatiedereenraak”(IfKrugerwantedsomethingdone,itwas

seenthroughintothefarthestcornersoftheland,andeventhemostsimple-mindedyokel

wouldfeeltheimpactofhiswill.Somethingisbeingdone,somethingiscomingtopassthat

affectseveryone).40

HisgreatnesswasprophesiedbytheBasothoMountainKingMoshesh,whoapparently

likenedhimtoVoortrekkerleaderAndriesPretorius.“HierdieBoer[Kruger]salnogeendag

dieplekvandiegrootPretoriusinneem”,Mosheshissaidtohavetoldoneofthe

missionariesworkinginhiskingdom(ThisBoer[Kruger]willonedaytaketheplaceofthe

39“Zuid-AfrikaanseKunst.AntonvanWouw”,DeHuisgenoot,August1916.40Preller,GustavS.,“PresidentKruger”,DieHuisgenoot,9October1925.

49

greatPretorius).41Yethisgreatnesswasalsovisibletoordinaryfolk.M.E.R.wrotethatthe

characteristicbagsunderthepresident’seyesindicatedhewasa“greatsoulandan

intellectual”.42“Soldier,scholar,horseman,he”,wroteW.B.YeatsofhisfriendMajorRobert

Gregoryinanelegy.ThisisanaptdescriptorforHuisgenoot’sconstructionofKruger.

Perhaps,intermsofhowHuisgenootrepresentedKruger,themostepicaspectofPaul

Kruger’slifewasthefactthathechannelledallhisindividualpersonalitytraits,includinghis

courageandperseveranceandhumilityandalltheother“good”thingsintohisown

personalquest:thatoffightingfortheAfrikanercauseandelevatinghispeople.Justlikethe

protagonistsofHomer’sepics,PresidentKrugerhadalifelongquest,and,asPreller

explains,43itwasforhispeopletoachieve“greatnessandhappiness”.

Withoutexplicitlyusingtheterm‘charisma’todescribetheZARpresident,early

Huisgenoot’sposthumousappropriationofKrugerasafiguretobringaboutsocialcohesion

inatumultuoustimeinAfrikanerhistoryhasechoesofMaxWeber’sviewsoncharismatic

authority.StefanieHalverson,SusanMurphyandRonaldRiggio(2004:498)areamongthe

scholarswhohavepointedoutthat,“Crisishasbeenaninherentpartofcharismatic

leadershipsinceWeber’soriginalconceptualizationofcharismaticauthority”.Weberused

thetermcharismatodescribe:

Acertainqualityofanindividualpersonality,byvirtueofwhichheissetapartfrom

ordinarymenandtreatedasendowedwithsupernatural,superhuman,oratleast

specificallyexceptionalpowersorqualities.Thesearesuchasarenotaccessibletothe

ordinaryperson,butareregardedasofdivineoriginorexemplary,andonthebasisof

themtheindividualconcernedistreatedasaleader.(Weber1922/1947:10)

Althoughtheideaofcharismahastheologicalorigins,Weberiswidelyknownfor

generalisingitandbasedonhisinterpretationithasbeenappliedtoavarietyofsociological

contexts,includingfamestudies.DavidMarshallisoneofthefame-studiesscholarswhohas

examinedthemeaningofthetermcharismainthefield.InhiskeytextCelebrityandPower:

FameinContemporaryCulture(1997:20),MarshallpointsoutthatWeber’scharismatic

leaderisatypeofprophetwhoarisesspecificallyattimeswhen“extraordinaryneeds”are

toberesolved.

41Grobbelaar,J.J.G.,“PaulKrugerendieVrystaat:SusterrepubliekMeermaleGrootDiensteBewys”,DieHuisgenoot,25August1944.42M.E.R.,“‘nKaaplanderinTransvaalindieDaevandieRepubliek”,DieHuisgenoot,9October1925.43Preller,GustavS.,“PresidentKruger”,DieHuisgenoot,9October1925.

50

Marshall(1997:21)furtherpointstothetheologicalmeaningofcharismaas“a“gift”from

thegraceofGod”.Tellingly,Kruger’scallingwasportrayedinHuisgenootasadivineoneon

morethanoneoccasion,withtheanonymousarticleinthelaunchissueclaiming:

Demensheefteenroepingopaardeensterkzaldemanzijn,diezijnbiezondere

roepingverstaat,diezijnplichtkentenzijnbestemmingin‘tkomenenwisselenvan

alledingen.Enditishet,wattotzulkeendiepeblijdschapstemt,wanneerwe‘tleven

vanPaulKrugeronderzoeken.Hijweet,dathijgeroepenisdoorGodalseenleidsman

vanzijnvolk.44

Manhasacallingonearth,andstrongwillbethemanwhounderstandshisparticular

calling,whoknowshisresponsibilitiesandhisdestinationinthecomingsandgoingsof

allthings.AndthisiswhatcreatessuchadeepjoywhenweexaminethelifeofPaul

Kruger.HeknewthathewascalledbyGodtobetheleaderofhispeople.

Threedecadeslater,themagazinestillrepresentedhiminasimilarway,withVanWinter

writingina1947issue,45“dieweëvanGod”(thewaysofGod)werewithKruger,“maardat

ookdiemanselfgeantwoordhetopdieroepstemwattothomgekomhet”(buttheman

himselfalsoansweredhiscalling).

AphotographofhimdeliveringanaddressinKrugersdorpfollowingthe1896Jamesonraid,

witharayoflightfallingonhisface,46significantlyonlyonhisfaceamongstthehandfulof

menappearinginthepicture,alsoseemstobeintendedassymbolicofthisdivinecalling.In

hisquest,therewasmuchsacrifice,butithelpedhimtoreachhisfullpotential,VanWinter

argues.47

Conclusion

Passion,courage,faith,perseverance,strengthandtheabilitytoovercomeadversity:these

andotherameliorativetraitsthatmeritrepresentationarecontinuouslyemphasisedinearly

editionsofHuisgenootinpublicfiguresrangingfrompioneersandpoetstopastorsand

politicians,mostofthemmenandmostofthemdeceasedbythetimetheirhagiographies

appearinthemagazine.Fromitsinception,themagazineseemstoappropriatetheformula

andliterarydevicesgoverningthetraditionalepicpoemanditsprotagonistforits

readership,thefledglingAfrikanernation,andmakeitcontextuallyspecific,re-presenting,in44“LevenschetsPresidentKruger”,DeHuisgenoot,May1916.45VanWinter,P.J.,“PaulKruger–WillemvanOranje”,DieHuisgenoot,10October1947.46DieHuisgenoot,9October1925.47VanWinter,P.J.,“PaulKruger–WillemvanOranje”,DieHuisgenoot,10October1947.

51

mostcases,EpicHerofigureswhohadalreadycementedthisimageinthecollective

imaginaryandfurtheramplifyingthisrhetoric.

Thereisasenseofsharedvaluesinthenotionofthecollectiveimaginaryandfiguresthat

arecommonlyheldasEpicHerofiguresbythemajority,evenperhapsall,ofthecommunity

orreadership.Huisgenootcertainlymadeitclearfromthestartthatitassumedandwas

guidedinitseditorialmissionbyasetofsharedvalues,thatitaimedto“interpret”that

whichwas“livingandworkingintheAfrikanermindandheart”(vertolkenwatdaarleeften

werktinhetafrikaansehoofdenhart)ofitsreadership.The“OpmerkingvandeRedaktie”

(RemarksfromtheEditorialTeam)inthe1916launchissueofthemagazineexplains

unequivocallythatthemagazineinterpretedreaders’desiretobefor“alhetgoedeinhet

nationaleleven,diegeschiedenis,overleveringenidealenvandiehollandssprekende

bevolkingvanZuid-Afrika”(allthegoodinthenationallife,thehistory,thetraditionsand

customsandtheidealsoftheDutch-speakingpopulationofSouthAfrica).“Good”andthe

“ideal”emergeasimportantthemeshere,assumedlysharedvaluesintheAfrikaans

communityandreadershipofthemagazineatthetime,judgingbytheremarksfromthe

editorialteam.Moreover,itisnotsurprisingthatEpicHerofiguresfromthecommunityare

subsequentlyselectedtoillustrate,evenembody,thesevalues.

Astheearly20thcenturyprogressed,themagazineappliedthiscontextuallymodifiedepic

formulatoawiderrangeofpeople,someofthemnottraditionallyassociatedwiththis

genre,includingathletes,sportspeopleandpioneeringaviators.Therewereattemptstofit

womenintothemould,andposthumousprofilesgraduallymadewayforarticlesonthe

living.

YetwhilethisrepresentationoffamedominatedinHuisgenootuntilthesecondhalfofthe

20thcentury,anotherincarnationgraduallystartedappearinginconsumermagazines

aroundtheglobe.Apparentlyinfluencedbytheso-called‘film-fan’magazinesthatwere

usedasinstrumentstomarketthefilmsproducedinHollywoodintheUnitedStatesfromas

earlyasthe1910s,generalconsumer-magazinetitlesstartedtoincludeanewcategoryof

famethatinvolvedcoverageofentertainers:actorsmainlyfromfilmbutalsofromtheatre,

aswellasmusicians.Alsonoticeableinthismaterialwasashiftinthewhy–orwhatitwas

thatreceivedattentioninthemagazinecoverage,andashiftinthehow–orthewayin

whichthisfigurewascovered,comparedtotheEpicHerooftheearly20thcentury.

Whiletherewereotherlocalmagazinetitlesthatstartedfollowingtheinternationaltrendto

includeanelementofentertainment-drivenfameintheireditorialmix,Huisgenootwas

52

ratherslowontheuptake.Fromthe1930sonwards,Huisgenootgraduallystartedincluding

coverage,firstofgeneralentertainmentindustrynewsandthen,gradually,ofprominent

peoplewithintheindustry,entertainersthemselves,inkeepingwithinternationalpublishing

trends.ThefirstentertainerappearedonthecoverinJuly1931;itwasLydiaLindeque,an

actorinatravelling-theatrepiececalledBesigheidisBesigheid(BusinessisBusiness).

Yetdespitetherelativelyconstantstreamof(mostlyforeign)entertainersputtingin

appearancestoendorseavarietyofbeautyandotherproductsinadvertisements,thisnew

representationoffamecannotbesaidtohavebecomecommoninHuisgenootuntillatein

the1960s.

Thisabsencecouldperhaps,atleastinpart,beattributedtotheAfrikaner-nationalist

project’sdeepandlingeringdistrustofforeigninfluencesofanykind,especiallyinthearena

ofleisure.ThisdistrustisperfectlyillustratedinthestorythatistoldaboutPaulKruger’s

reactiontoa1898filmrecordingofhimwalkingoutofhishouseandgettingintoacarriage

onhiswaytotheRaadzaal(councilhall)oftheZAR.LeonvanNierop(2016)writesthatthis

silentfilmclipofKrugerisunofficiallyregardedasthestartoftheSouthAfricanfilm

industry,anideathatispoignant,asithintsverytentativelyandextremelyprescientlyatthe

ideaofthe‘politicalcelebrity’thatwouldbecomeanimportantthemeincelebritystudiesa

centuryon.WhenKrugerwasshowntheclip,VanNieropwrites,hereactedinanger,notto

themovingimagebuttothefilmmaker’schoiceofthe“ungodly”pianoasaccompanying

instrument.Heapparentlyonlyagreedtowatchthefilmwithorganaccompaniment,which

ensuredthe“appropriatesacredmusic”(VanNierop,2016:19).

Huisgenoot,asthedefactomouthpieceoftheAfrikaner-nationalistproject,hadtobeseen

torejectforeigninfluences.Themagazine’soppositionwas,forinstance,abundantlyclearin

itsfirstregularfilmreviews,byDr.HansRompel,whowaspossiblythefirstAfrikaansfilm

critic.BesidesHuisgenoot,RompelalsowroteforotherNasionalePers(NationalPress,

whichwouldlaterbeshortenedtoNaspers)publicationssuchasDieBurgerandDie

Brandwag.Hewasquitevociferousabouthisoppositionto“volksvreemde”(foreign-to-the-

Afrikaner-nation)influencesfromtheUnitedStatesandEuropethat“couldcorruptthe

Afrikanernation”,VanNierop(2016:32)writes,andpleadedfortheproductionofAfrikaans

filmsaboutAfrikanerstoriesortraditions.

Themagazinesawfilmastheultimateforeignthreat.QuotingIsabelHofmeyr,RobNixon

(1994:55)noteshowearlyHuisgenoot,“lashedoutatthemish-mashofforeign

commoditiesthatwaslaterchristenedandcondemnedasbioskoopbeskawing(bioscopeor

53

cinemaculture)”.Bynomeansdidthemagazineimplyonlyfilmwithitsterm

bioskoopbeskawing.Tothecontrary,Nixon(1994)writes,themagazinewarnedthat:

Anewforeigncultureisensconsedinpowerfulfortressesandcitadels.Withevery

newdeliverybyseathousandsofcheapEnglishbooksaredistributedthroughoutthe

country[…]Ourbiggestdailypapers,thecinemas,theschoolsystem,thelanguageof

ourcourts,theshopswiththeirfashionsandmerchandise,thefurnitureinourhouses

areallbastionsandagentsofaforeignculturewhichclaimsforitselftherightto

overrunandconquertheworld.(Huisgenoot,quotedinNixon1994:55)

Yetitisinterestingandcertainlytellingthatthemagazineusescinemaassynecdochefor

generalforeigninfluencesthreateningtheautonomyanddevelopmentoftheAfrikaner

nation.Sincethemagazineexplicitlyequatesthecinemawithunwantedinfluencesonthe

Afrikaner,andbyextensiononitsreadership,itisnotsurprisingthatHuisgenootlagsbehind

itspeersintermsofcoverageofentertainmentgenerallyand,tobemorespecific,

showbusinesspersonalitiesthemselves.

Therelativeabsenceofthissecondincarnationof20th-centuryfameinHuisgenootupuntil

thesecondhalfofthecentury,whenthisunderstandingalreadyconstitutedlargepartsof

theeditorialmixofconsumermagazinesbothlocally,tosomeextent,andglobally,can

furthermorebeattributedtothemagazine’snarrowfocusontherelativelyserioustasksof

buildingtheAfrikaneridentityandestablishingtheAfrikaanslanguageasofficialand

distinctivefromitsDutchorigins.Toaiditinitsquest,themagazinecanbesaidtohave

purposefullyrepresentedprominentAfrikanersasEpicHerofigures.Byvirtueofitseditorial

directivetodrivetheestablishmentoftheAfrikaanslanguageandculture,andtherefore

keepitscontentlocal,themagazinewasratherlimitedinitschoiceofpeopleandeventsto

coverintermsofthisnewformofwell-knownness,astheAfrikaansentertainmentindustry

wasstillfairlyyoung.Also,despitethefirstentertainerappearingonthecoverasearlyas

1931,themagazine’stendencywastofocusnotsomuchontheindividualentertainersand

whatitwasaboutthemthatwarrantedcoverage.Rather,thecontributionoftheactual

entertainmentproduct,suchasthefilmortheatreproduction,forinstance,towardsthe

establishmentoftheAfrikaanslanguageandcultureiswhatwasemphasisedinthemajority

ofthearticlesatthispoint.

Afamilymagazinefromitsinception,Huisgenootalsoperhapseschewedentertainment-

drivenmaterial,asittendedtobeassociatedwithsensationalismandforthisreasondidnot

54

sitwellwithaseriesofgenerallyconservativeeditorialstaffmembersandmostlikelyits

loyalcorereadership.

EditorJ.J.Spieshadanaversiontofilms;48heacknowledgedasmuchduringaninterview

withVanEeden(1981)andclaimedtoonlycoverfilmswhentheywerehighlynewsworthy;

inotherwords,thepreferencewasfornewsontheendproduct,film,andnottheindividual

actorswhoappearedinthefilm.

Spies’successor,D.C.deVilliers,49mightnothaveharbouredanyillfeelingstowardsthefilm

industryassuchandeventellsVanEeden(1981)inaninterviewthathechosetointroduce

entertainmentasoneofthenewfunctionsofthemagazineduringhistimeaseditor-in-

chief,yetthemagazineonlyoccasionallycoveredindividualentertainersduringhistenure.

SenioreditorialstaffmemberFredleRoux,wholeftthemagazinein1949,explainedthat

duringhistimeatthemagazinetheintentionwasmostdefinitelynottosupply“prikkelende

leesstof”(sensationalmaterial).Ina1985interviewwithLizetteRabe,LeRouxseemstohint

atthedistinctionbetweenthekindofwell-knownnessHuisgenootchampionedascompared

tootherconsumertitlesatthetime:

OnshetniesmaakgehadaandieBritsekoningshuisofsterretjiesofdieprivatelewe

vanmensewatopgedisword(metdieimplikasiemenseslaapbymekaarnie).Onshet

oorvroueenmensegeskryf,maarditwasmensewatietsbereikhet.(Rabe,in

Slabbert1993:98–99)

WedidnothaveanytastefortheBritishmonarchyorstarsordishinguptheprivate

livesofpeople(implyingthatpeoplearesleepingwitheachother).Wewroteabout

womenandpeople,buttheywerepeoplewhoachievedsomething.

Yetaninterestinstarsofthesilverscreenandalso,crucially,inprivatelives,andan

understandingofthecommercialpossibilitiesthereof,isexactlywhathadapropergripon

othertitlesintheconsumer-magazineindustrybythemiddleofthe20thcentury,when

HuisgenootwasstillupholdingitspreferencefortheEpicHerofigure.Itisthisnew

entertainment-drivenconstructionoffame,whichdiffersfromtheEpicHerothatcame

beforeyetisstillcharacterisedbyanumberofelementsassociatedwiththeheroicalthough

nottheepicthatisexploredinthefollowingchapter,withaspecificfocusonhowitwas

48SpieswaseditorofDieHuisgenootfrom1951to1959.49DeVillierswaseditorofDieHuisgenootfrom1959to1965.

55

appropriatedlocallybyDrummagazinetobecontextuallyspecificinSouthAfricaaroundthe

middleofthe20thcentury.

56

Chapter2:TheStarrisesinSouthAfrica:Drummagazineinthe1950s

Onasuperficiallevel,amoveineditorialdirectionfromcoveringpioneersfightingwild

beastsinthewildernesstofilmactorsbeingwooedonscreenseemslikeanenormousleap

tomakeinthespaceofafewdecades.Andinasenseitisasignificantshift:fromafigure

thatresembles,inlargepart,theprotagonistofepicpoetrytowhatis,inessence,an

entertainer.Butthatisifonlywhotheyareisconsideredduringtheprocessofanalysis.

Whenonelooksmorecarefullyintowhowascoveredandexamineswhichcharactertraits

arerepresentedinthecoverage,themovementfromoneunderstandingoffametothenext

suddenlydoesnotseemthatsubstantial.

Althoughthereare,ofcourse,differencesinwhatitisthattheydo,boththeEpicHeroof

theearly20thcenturyandtheentertainmentpersonalitythatstartsdominatingmagazine

coveragetowardsthe1950sareessentially‘publicfigures’.Thetermisnotusually

associatedwithentertainersbutratherreservedforpeople‘inoffice’orofficialsinpublic

service.Butinbothcases,theirestablishedstatusasactorsinthepublicspaceisarguably

whatmotivatesthemagazinestafftoconsiderandultimatelyselectthemforinclusion.Note

thatthemagazinesessentiallyactasconsumersofthepublicfigure;boththeEpicHerothat

surfacesinearly20th-centurycoverageandtheentertainerareselectedonaccountoftheir

alreadyestablishedpublicimage.

Whenonecloselyexaminesandcomparesthemagazinecoverageofthesesuccessive

figures,asignificantdifferencedoesindeedemerge:inthepublicisationofandpreference

fordetailsoftheentertainmentpersonality’sprivate,inadditiontopublic,life.Yetaclose

readingandcomparisonofthemagazinetexts,andacarefulexaminationofwhatspecific

details,whatcharacteristicsandactions,areselectedforcoverage,revealacertainlogicand

acontinuitybetweenthesuccessiveunderstandingsinmagazinerepresentationsoffamein

thefirsthalfofthe20thcentury.

Specifically,thereisasenseofbeingamodel,oranexample,whichpermeatesthe

magazinecoveragethatsurfacestheEpicHeroandtheentertainerwhoimmediately

succeedshim.Atthispoint,itisimportanttoagainremindourselvesthatthegeneral

absenceofelementsthatmightcompromisetheimageoftheentertainerasamodelisa

specificcharacteristicofhowfamouspeoplewererepresentedinSouthAfricanmagazines

andcancertainlynotbeextendedtoathewiderhistoryoffame.Inotherwords,magazine

57

coverageofentertainersaroundthemiddleofthe20thcenturymighthavebyandlarge

eschewedreferencestoscandalandnotoriety,yetthisdoesnotmeanthattheseelements

werenotpresentinthehistoryoffame.Onthecontrary,asBarryKing(2014)remindsus,

scandalandnotorietycanbetracedbackmuchfurther,withgossipandrumour

characterisingcourtsocietyandespeciallyfamousliteraryfiguresoftheRomanticperiod,

LordByronperhapsthemostpre-eminentamongstthem.Thereisadefinitesenseofinfamy

inHughTrevor-Roper’sdescriptionofcourtsocietyin16thcenturyEurope.Hewrites:

Itisafascinatingspectacle,theriseoftheprincesinsixteenthcenturyEurope[…]

Theirdynastiesmaybeold,andyettheircharacterisnew:theyaremoreexotic,more

highlycolouredthantheirpredecessors.Theyareversatile,cultivatedmen,

sometimesbizarre,evenoutrageous:theybewilderusbytheirlavishtastes,their

incredibleenergy,theirruthlessnessandpanache.(Trevor-RoperinVanKrieken2012:

18)

Yetdespitetheideaofnotorietybeinganundeniableelementinthehistoryoffamelong

beforethe20thcentury,magazinesintheearlypartsofthiscentury,andcertainlytheSouth

AfricantitlesIconsulted,chosetolookthe‘otherway’,focusingtheircoverageoffamous

peopleonexemplarinessandbehaviourthatwastoberevered,notreviled.Accordingly,the

peopleincludedincoveragewereselectedbecausetheydisplayedtheseadmirable

qualities.

Fortheentertainer,thisexemplarinesscameaboutasaresultofthedeliberateand

coordinatedmarketingeffortsoftheHollywoodmotion-pictureindustryintheUnitedStates

inthefirsthalfofthe20thcentury,asystemthathasgreatlyinfluencedglobal

understandingsoffameinthe20thcentury.

Ashasbeenextensivelydocumentedinmedia,filmandculturalstudiesliterature,this

marketingsystem,firstly,reliedonso-called‘typecasting’50leadingperformersfortheir

variousfilmroles.Throughsuchrigidcategorisation,theperformersslowlyemergedas

primeexamplesormodels.InhisseminalworksimplyentitledStars,RichardDyer(1979:

53–68)identifiesmainstreambasicsocialtypessuchasthe“goodJoe”,“thetoughguy”and

the“pin-upgirl”,aswellasfiguresdeliberatelyfashionedtobeindependentorsubversivein

someway,includingthe“rebel”andthe“independentwoman”.Inthissense,theideaof

‘exemplariness’wasperhapsfurtherstrengthenedbythefactthatduringtheearly20th50Formoreoncategorisationofsocialtypesinfilms,seeforinstanceDyer(1979),JimmieReeves(1988)andPeterBogdanovich(2004).

58

century,on-screencharacters(filmparts)areforthemostpartalsoscriptedtoexhibit

modelbehaviour,asFredInglis(2010)argues:

Thefashionedstarwasbyandlargekeptawayfromthewrongdoingintheaction

(exceptforthosedeliberatelyinvented,likeJimmyCagney,asgangsters).The

beautifulwomanmightholdoutthepromiseofsexuality[…]butherpassionmustbe

sincereandherabandonoffscreen.[Carey]Grant,JohnWayne,ErrolFlynnwereall

strikinglyhandsome,manly,alluring,buttheiremotionalfulfillmentaspartofthe

storywasasfirmlyconfinedbydecorumandproprietyasthepresident’s.(Inglis2010:

187–188)

Mostimportantly,however,thepublicisationofentertainmentpersonalities’privatelives,

whichwere(mostly)manufacturedbythefilmstudiostowhichtheywerecontracted,at

firstappearedtobecomplementarytotheironscreen,orpublic,personae.Tellinglyusing

theword‘hero’,RichardDeCordova(1991:27)writesthatatthisearlystageinUSfilm

history,“Therealherobehavesjustliketherealhero”.Thenotionofcomplementaryon-

andoff-screen,orpublicandprivate,livesdefinesthenotionofthe‘model’.Through

industry-widemarketingeffortscoveringboththeiron-andoff-screenpersonalities,film

performerscametobeviewed,ultimately,aseminentexamplesofasetofsocialtypes.In

fact,theyappearednotonlyasprimeexamplesbutalsoashavingperfectedacertainkind

oftypeand,byextension,acomplementarykindoflifestyleevenintheirprivatecapacity.51

BecausetheEpicHeroanditsperformersuccessorshareanunderlyingsenseoftheperfect

andtheexemplary,theyalsobothseemtorelyonakindofsharedfeelingofadmirationin

theiraudiences.Inthepreviouschapterreferencewasmadetotheelementofveneration

andalsoelevationevidentinthephrase“GreatMenonaPedestal”,asHenderson(2005)

callsthem,whodominatemagazinerepresentationsoffameintheearly20thcentury.

Hendersonusestheword‘devotion’,withitsconnotationsofreligion,todescribethekind

51AsmuchisclearfromToll’s(1982:186)unpackingoftheallureofthereal-lifeHollywoodcouplingoftheon-screensocialtypesof“boyfriend”DouglasFairbanksand“sweetheart”MaryPickford:“Whilehereignedonscreenasthedashing,swashbucklerkingofadventure,offscreenFairbankslivedoutanevenmorefantasticfairytalewhenin1920America’sboyfriendmarriedMaryPickford,America’ssweetheart–adreamweddingonlypossibleinHollywood”,Toll(1982:186)writes.“Thestorybookcouple–theboynextdoorandthegirlnextdoor–heldcourtattheirpalatialPickfairestatelikeAmericanroyalty[…]Fairbanks[…]livedoutthefantasiesofmenandboysalloverAmericainthesports-crazy1920swhenhesparredwithJackDempsey,servedatennisballtoBillTilden,andpitchedtoBabeRuth.MagazinesandnewspapersfilledtheirpageswithstoriesaboutPickfordandFairbanks.Theirfashions,cars,andpets,hercosmeticsandhairstyles,hissuntanandathleticism,allinfluencedbyanAmericanpublicthatrelishedeverytidbitofinformationitcouldgetaboutthestarsknownsimplyas“DougandMary”[…]PickfordandFairbankscontinuedtopackmovietheatersbyportrayingidealized,innocentimagesofanearliertime”.

59

ofadmirationthesemeninstilledamongsttheirfollowers.TheGreatMen’simmediate

entertainersuccessorscontinuedtoinspirewonderment,albeitarguablyofadifferentkind,

and,Ithink,anevengreatersenseofelevation.Theirfollowerswereclassedasfanatics,or

fansforshort,awordthat,interestingly,alsohasreligiousconnotations(withetymology

referringtoatemple,divineinspirationandfrenzy).Thisassociationwiththesacred

emphasisesthenotionoftheexemplary.

Thefanaticismofthecinema-goingpublicwastakenfulladvantageof,bywayoffanclubs,

butmainlyalsothroughthefilm-fanmagazinesor‘fanzines’,createdandproducedbythe

Hollywoodfilmindustrytomarkettheirmotionpicturesmainlythroughpurportingtooffer

coverageandevidenceoftheprivatelivesoftheircontractedactors.PhotoplayandMotion

PictureStorybothlaunchedin1911,andbothclaimedtobethefirstfanzine.Joshua

Gamson(2001)writesofhowPhotoplay,ModernScreenandSilverScreenboasteda

combinedcirculationofhalf-a-millionreadersbythe1930s,andtheirpopularitycanberead

astestimonytotheenthusiasmofthecinema-goingpublic.Launchedon7August1915,

StageandCinemawasoneofthefirstfanzinestoappearinSouthAfrica.VanNierop(2016)

explainshowthemagazinewassoldinentrancehallstofilmtheatressuchasthechainof

fiftybioscopesownedbytheAmericanbusinessmanandimmigrantIsadoreWilliam

Schlesinger.

Fanzinesandfanclubs,andtoalesserextentalsopostersandstrategicpublicappearances

bythefilmperformersthemselves,formedthebasicframeworkoftheUSfilmproduction

studios’calculatedentertainer-focusedmarketingsystemdatingbacktotheearly20th

century,veryshortlyafterHuisgenoot’s1916launch.Thiscoordinatedindustry-wideeffort

wasthefirsttopurposefullyusetheword‘star’,whichconjuresupnotionsofluminosityand

elevation,tolabelthecontractedfilmperformers.52FlorenceRogersandMichaelReal

(1994:204,originalemphasisretained)notehow,“Thetagstarindicatessomethinghighup

andfaraway,somethingwereachfor[…]Filmstarsareliterallyupthereonthescreenand

outofreachthroughthenatureoftheprojectedimage.”

52TheHollywoodfilmindustrymighthavecommercialisedtheterm,buttheword‘star’hadbeenassociatedwithentertainersasfarbackasthe1700s,whichisreportedlythefirsttimeitwasusedinthisway,todenoteastageactorwhosepresenceinaproductionensuredallseatsinthetheatrehousewouldbefilled.Theatreandoperamighthaveproducedsomeoftheearliestperformerswhocouldbeclassifiedasstars,asJanetStaiger(1991)andEllis(1982)haveclaimed.And,asHenderson(2005),DrakeandMiah(2010)andJacobSmith(2010)write,“showman”P.T.Barnum,withhispioneeringeffortspromotingcircuspersonalitiesasearlyasthemid-19thcentury,couldperhapsbeseenastheinventorofaspecificwayofusingindividualentertainerstomarketproductionsandsellticketsthatwaslaterappropriatedbytheUSfilm-productionindustry.

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Ontheonehandthenatureoffilmandtheprojectedimagecreatesasenseofdistance,yet

ontheotheritensuresaparticularkindofintimacy,makingactorsappearalmostlifelike

andyet,simultaneously,largerthanlife.Moving-picturetechnologyalsoallowedforasense

ofluminosityaswellasintimatecameraangles,whichinfluencedthekindofintimacythe

audiencememberscouldsharewiththeactors,Marshall(1997)argues.Thecinematic

experienceitself,thefactthattheaudiencesawperformers“fromafar,andmuchlarger

thanlifeinanoversized[usuallydarkened]roominthepublicsphere”(Meyerowitz1994:

65),alsocontributedtotheirfollowersexperiencingthemupcloseyetalsolargerthanlife

itself.AsJoshuaMeyerowitz(1994:65)writesofthepubliccinematicexperience:

Audiencescouldseethefacialexpressionandbodymovementsofperformerswith

greaterclaritythanfromafrontrowseatataliveperformanceandindividual

performerscouldgainafollowinglargerthanwouldbehumanlypossiblethrougha

lifetimeofliveappearances.Earlyfilmmakersweretakenbysurprisebythestrong

emotionalattachmentthatdevelopedbetweenperformerandaudience.

2.1StardomtheDrumway

Sothroughtheverymediumoffilm,theseactorsappearedsimultaneouslywithinandoutof

reach.PaulRixon(2011)writeshowthisconcurrentdistanceandintimacyinthefilm-

watchingencountercreatesaconstanttensionbetweenakindofordinaryintimacyand

extraordinarydistance.Perceivedintimacyisfurtherperpetuatedthroughthehigh

circulationofpublicimages,andtheproximitybecomesbothpsychologicalandphysical.

Theattractionofthisconstantreciprocitybetweenperceivednotionsoftheordinaryand

extraordinaryistakenadvantageofbysubsequentextensionintothepublicisedprivatelife

ofthestars.Dyer(1979)callsitthe“ordinary-extraordinary‘paradox’”andidentifiesitas

lyingattheheartofstardom,with“thenotionthatstarsareconstructedasbeing‘ordinary’

(like‘us’),yetsimultaneouslydistinctiveand‘special’”(Holmes2005:10).Theplaybetween

thesetwocontrastingtermshassubsequentlybeeninterpretedinavarietyofdifferentways

infilm-,cultural-andmedia-studiesliterature.

IntheearlystagesoftheHollywood’smarketingmachine,widelycalledthe‘starsystem’,

theordinary-extraordinaryparadoxseemstobeunderstoodintheliteratureasattimes

representativeofthedichotomybetweenintimacyanddistance,theeverydayandthe

distinctive,ortheprivateandthepublicsphere,andtheactor’simagecomestorepresenta

playbetweentheseelements.Dyer(1979:22)defines‘stars’asthoseperformerswhohave

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“anexistenceintheworldindependentoftheirscreen/’fiction’appearances”;healso

definesstardomas“animageofthewaysstarslive”(Dyer1979:39).EdgarMorin(1960)

arguesthatthereisareciprocalrelationshipbetweenthetwo.“Oncethefilmisover”,he

writes,“theactorbecomesanactoragain,thecharacterremainsacharacter,butfromtheir

unionisbornacompositecreaturewhoparticipatesinboth,envelopesthemboth:astar”

(Morin,1960:39,originalemphasisretained).JohnEllis(1982)definesa‘star’as“a

performerinaparticularmediumwhosefigureentersintosubsidiaryformsofcirculation,

andthenfeedsbackintofutureperformances”(Ellis,1982:91).Seeminglyunderlyingall

thesedifferentdefinitionsistheunderstandingthatstardomnecessarilypresupposesa

‘transcendence’ofprofessionalperformance,asEvans(2005)argues,inordertocreatea

veryspecificallure.Marshall(1997)callsthisallure“aura”andDyer(1991)callsit

“charisma”,bothtermsthathavecometohavedifferentovertonestoday.

InhisseminalessayTheWorkofArtintheAgeofMechanicalReproduction,Walter

Benjamin,ofcourse,expresseshisscepticismoftheauraofthefilmperformer,especiallyas

itisbuiltupwithinthefilm-productionindustry:

Thefilmrespondstotheshrivelingoftheaura[ofthescreenactor]withanartificial

build-upofthe“personality”outsidethestudio.Thecultofthemoviestar,fostered

bythemoneyofthefilmindustry,preservesnottheuniqueauraofthepersonbut

the“spellofthepersonality,”thephonyspellofacommodity.(Benjamin,inArendt

1968:231)

YetDyercomparesthenotionofcharisma,asdevelopedbyMaxWeberinpoliticaltheory,

tocharismainthephenomenonofstardom.DyerquotesWeber’sdefinitionofcharisma:“a

certainqualityofanindividualpersonalitybyvirtueofwhichheissetapartfromordinary

menandtreatedasendowedwithsupernatural,superhumanoratleastsuperficially

exceptionalqualities”(Dyer1991:57),andalsothatofE.A.Shils:

Thecharismaticqualityofanindividualasperceivedbyothers,orhimselfliesinwhat

isthoughttobehisconnectionwith(includingpossessionbyorembedmentin)some

verycentralfeatureofman’sexistenceandthecosmosinwhichhelives.The

centrality,coupledwithintensity,makesitextraordinary.(Dyer1991:57,original

emphasisretained)

Importanttonoteforthemoment,however,isthatinearlyunderstandingsofstardom,

reminiscentofmagazinerepresentationssurfacingtheEpicHerointheearly20thcentury,

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thenotionoftheextraordinaryismostoften,infactalmostexclusively,linkedtopositive

elements,greatnessandanabundanceofgoodqualitiesandactions.

Ofalltheelementsassociatedwithstardom,itisthisideaoftheconstantinteraction

betweentheordinaryandtheextraordinarythattheSouthAfricanmagazineDrummay

haveseenasagolden,andtotallyirresistible,opportunityverysoonafteritslaunchin1951.

Theculturallandscape,togetherwithDrum’sidiosyncraticeditorialmix,toneandstyle,

allowedfortheexaggerationofthesetwoelements,boththeordinaryandthe

extraordinary,andintheprocessforakindofoptimisedor‘superstar’figuretoemergein

themagazine’srepresentationsoffame.

EarlyDrum’sappropriationoftheHollywoodstarsystemisaninterestingpointtoconsider

givenOlivierDriessens’s(2012:643)reminderthatwhenitcomestofame:

weshouldnotignorethedifferencesbetweenindividualisticandcollectivistcultures,

westernandnon-westernsocieties,andtheirimplicationsforthevalueandwaysof

achieving[fame]therein.Alsoeverycultureornationhasitsownheroes,stars[…]

Mostofthesepeople’sfamedoesnotreachbeyondculturalornationalboundaries,

whichmakescelebritycultureessentiallyapluralandheterogeneousphenomenon.

Henceitcouldbestbedescribedasapatchworkofseveralsmallandsomelarger

celebritycultureswithdifferingdegreesofoverlap.

TheallureandinfluenceoftheatthetimeoverwhelminglywhiteHollywoodfilmstoDrum’s

blackSouthAfricanreadershipofthe1950smightseemdoubtful,buttheliteraturepoints

outjusthowpervasiveWesternculturewasontheeditorialformulaofDrum.Lindsay

Clowes(2001:9),forinstance,considersthemagazine’sfirstbeautycompetition,heldin

1952,andcomestotheconclusionthat,intheprocess,Drumrecast“‘inappropriate’African

notionsofbeauty[…]tofitintoamodern,gendered,westernideal”.Particularlyinteresting

inthisregardistheconclusionAntjeRauwerda(2007)comestoafterspecificallylookingat

theadvertisinginDrumfrom1951to1959.Stardomisconnectedtowhiteness,shefinds,

“underminingsomeofthemagazine’sapparentresistancetoracisminitscelebrationof

Africanartists”,shewrites(Rauwerda,2007:400).

Andyet,despitethecolourdivide,themostlywhiteHollywoodfilmstarsseemedtoholdan

evenlargerappeal,tobeperceivedasevenmoreextraordinary,amongstblackSouth

Africanaudiencesinthe1950sthantheywerebyUSaudiencesatthetime.Forthelocal

blackviewershipinthe1950s,thefilmactormayhaverepresentedeverythingitdidforthe

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Americanaudience,andalotmore.AsTimCouzens(1985)andGwenAnsell(2004)write,

theperformingarts,specificallyfilmbutalsomusicanddance,createdabreakinthe

monotonyofthebleakexistenceofSA’sblackpopulationinthe1950s.

Ofallthegenres,filmpossiblyheldthegreatestallure,fortheopportunityitcreated

amongstaudienceswithlimitedlivestoescapeandimagineadifferentrealityfor

themselves.Filmaudiencescouldpartakeof“thevicariouspleasuresofidentificationwith

andexplorationoftherealmoftheextraordinary”,BehrozeGandhyandRosieThomas

(1991:107–108)note.Film’sextraordinarinessisexceptionallyattractiveandseductive,asit

couldbelinkedto“thepossibilityofa‘better’lifeinearlyapartheidSouthAfrica”,Lindiwe

DoveyandAngelaImpey(2010:60)argue,addingthat,“TheHollywoodfilmsthatwere

screenedencouragedmiddle-classaspirations,andinspiredblackviewerstoimagine

themselvesasinternational,bourgeoissubjects–stylishlydressed,well-spoken,and,most

importantly,modern”.

Film,ofcourse,alsoofferedpureescapismfromalimitedlife.“Thelivesthattheblacks

werelivingwereprettyappalling.Onecouldnotwaitfortherevolutiontocomealongand

rescueonefromthiskindofimpoverishedlife.Soanythingthatcamealongtoprovidethe

fantasywaswelcome”,DrumstaffwriterLewisNkosicommentsaboutthecinema-going

experienceinPeterDavis’1996documentaryfilmDarkestHollywood:CinemainApartheid

(quotedinAlegi2004:87).

Itisinterestingandimportanttoconsiderthatsomethingsimilarcouldbesaidofthe

magazine-readingexperienceitself,especiallyforblackSouthAfricansatthetime.Sonja

Laden(1997:125)arguesthat,“[C]onsumermagazinesandtheculturalcommoditiesthey

recommend[are]validwaysofenablingpeopletoimagineasplausiblealternativerealities

whichmaybestructurallyopposedtotheirexistingreality”.Inotherwords,onecouldsay

thatitisontwocountsthatfilmperformersbecamethedefactorepresentativesoffantasy

andpromise,especiallyforblackSouthAfricanslivingunderapartheid:byvirtueoftheir

presenceinthemediumofprintinadditiontotheirpresenceinthemediumoffilm.

Anecdotalevidenceaboundsofthemagneticappealofthecinema-goingexperienceitself

amongstblackaudiencesduringthistimeinSouthAfricaandalso,inrareinstances,ofthe

specificcharismaofparticularon-screenfilmcharacters.AnthonySampson(2004)recalls

howaudiencememberswouldcopyfilmcharacters,uselinesfromthemoviesaspartof

theirpatois,andrecreateoutfitstheysawonscreen.DrumstaffwriterCanThemba,for

instance,tellsSampson,hiseditoratDrumthat,followingthereleaseinSAcinemasofthe

64

1948filmTheStreetWithNoName:“[S]alesofBenzedrinerocketed.Everybodymunched

apples.Allthetsotsis[pettycriminals]worethoseraincoats”(Sampson,2004:81)afterthe

maincriminalinthemovie,Stiles.Sampson(2004)alsomentionshowalocalgangtellingly

called‘theAmericans’becameknownforwearing‘Bogarts’,trousersclosetothosewornon

screenbyiconicleadingmanHumphreyBogart.

ApparentlyleaningheavilyontheimageofantagonistsintheHollywoodfilmsthatwere

screenedinlocalcinemasatthetime,thegangsterfigurewasanimportantonein1950s

Drum,inthemagazine’scoverageofbothrealandimaginedcharacters.Itisalsoan

importantfiguretoconsiderbrieflyintermsofthetrajectoryof20th-centuryfamebeing

exploredhere,asitstraddlestwocategoriesandcouldevenbesaidtoforeshadowathird.

Asafilmcharacter,theDrumgangsterhasclearlinkswiththeStarfigure.But,despitethe

notionofgangsterismimplyingtransgression(foreshadowingthefamousfigureemergingin

magazinesaroundtheturnofthe20thcentury),theDrumgangsteralsohaselementsofthe

heroic.Inhisdiscussionofthe“toughguy”figurein1950sDrum,MacFenwick(1996)even

usestheoxymoron“gangster-hero”asadescriptor.QuotingSampson,Fenwick(1996:625)

explainsthat,“TheworldoftheHollywoodgangsterwas,ineffect,therealitythatmost

urbanblacksfaceddaily[…]Itshouldcomeasnosurprisethen,thaturbanblacksidentified

socloselywiththeheroesofamovie-screenworldthatsoresembledtheirown.”

Becauseofwhattheycametorepresentamongstthelocalblackcinema-goingaudience,the

gangsters,aswellasothercharactersinAmericanfilms,ultimatelyseemedtoberegarded

asparticularlyextraordinary,tohaveasenseofheightenedextraordinarinessaboutthem.

Butthisnotionoftheextraordinaryassociatedinthefirstinstancewithfilmactorscould

alsobeextendedtootherentertainersintheperformingarts,andespeciallytolocaljazz

musiciansin1950sblackSouthAfrica.Withthesemusicians,therewasasenseof

extraordinarinessintermsoftheirtalent,whichdevelopeddespitethelimitedopportunities

forblackpeopleatthetime.Inaddition,theirrelocation(intoexileorinsearchofbetter

opportunitiesfortheirarts),alsogavetheirfansasenseofexoticdistancedespitethe

intimacythatcamewiththeirbeingborninSouthAfrica.

Buttheselocaljazzplayersandsingersalsoemergedasextraordinaryintermsofwhatthey

representedandhowtheyrepresentedit.Adescriptionofasceneinajazzhallandhowthe

musiciansexpressed“theuncertaintyandrestlessnessofurbanlifewhichrejectstheNegro”

ina1976essaybyEs’kiaMphahleleremindsoneofShils’sargumentthatcharismaisthe

connectionwith“someverycentralfeatureofman’sexistenceandthecosmosinwhichhe

65

lives.Thecentrality,coupledwithintensity,makesitextraordinary”(ShilsinDyer1991:57,

originalemphasisretained).

ThesenseoftheextraordinarythatHollywoodemphasisedinitsactorscouldalsobe

transferredtosportsmen:soccerplayersandboxersinparticular.Theirmeasurablesuccess

andtriumphontheplayingfieldandintheboxingringwasextremelyinspiring,especially

amongstblackSouthAfricansunderapartheid,asAlegi(2004)andKasiaBoddy(2008)have

noted.

Drum’scoverageoflocalsportsandmusicpersonalitiesdovetailedcomfortablywithits

coverageofprominentAfrican-Americans.“GiventhefrailtyofSouthAfrica’sblack

professionalclasses,DrumplunderedmanyofitsimagesofupwardmobilityfromAfrican-

America”,writesNixon(1994:29).“DukeEllington,LouisArmstrong,AltheaGibson,andJoe

Louisallreceivedstartreatment,alongsidefeatureslike‘HighLifeinHarlem,’‘Negro

University’[…]andaregularcolumn,‘NegroNotesfromUSA’”.Byvirtueofbeingoutof

reach,theAfrican-AmericansrepresentedinDrumhadanextraordinaryelementtothem.

But,crucially,theconstructionoftheStarreliedasmuchonanotionoftheordinary,

developedthroughpublicisingtheprivatelifeoftheentertainer.Thestaffwritersand

photographersof1950sDrumwereexceptionallywellplacedtoadvancenotionsofthe

ordinary,perhapsnotasmuchincoverageoftheinternationalentertainers,butparticularly

intermsoflocalpersonalities.Avarietyoffactorscontributedtotheirbeinginthisposition,

notleastofwhichwastheirlivingamongstandsocialisingwithlocalperformers(amongst

theothercharactersthatwerecoveredinthemagazine)inJohannesburg,itssuburbsandits

townships.“Overtheyears,politicians,musicians,overseasjournalists,actors,conmenand

gangstersallmadeDrumtheirrendezvous”,formerDrumeditorStanMotjuwadi(1982:74),

forinstance,writes.“TheClassicSmiles,TheWhiteHouse,Suzie’sandTheSummitTalks[…]

weretheshebeenswherewegottogether”.

Becausetheyregularlygottosocialisewiththeentertainersselectedforcoverageinthe

magazine,theseDrumwritershadaperfectvantagepointfromwhichtoobserveelements

ofordinarinessandextraordinariness,whichtheywouldthenweaveintotheir

representation.Theordinary-extraordinarydivideisalreadyevidentintheveryfirstissueof

Drum,inthisprofilepieceoflocalpennywhistlerWillardCele.53Theextensivecitationhere

isnecessarytoillustratehowtheordinary,andevidentlybleak,SAtownshiplife,including

53“SuccessStory”,TheAfricanDrum,March1951.

66

longqueuesforpublictransport,bumpyroads,disability,shortageofmoney,isjuxtaposed

withunbelievable,extraordinarysuccess:

I’msosurprised—Ican’tbelieveit!IneverthoughtIcouldmakeupsomethingoutof

suchasmalltoyinstrument—butit’sverynice!”Soreplied20-year-oldWillardCele,

ofJohannesburg,whenaskedhowhefeltabouthissuddenrisetostardom.

ThestoryofWillardCele’smeteoricrisetofamereadsexactlylikeafairytale.Onlya

fewmonthsagohewasstandinginalongqueueinAlexandraTownshipwaitingfora

bus.Topassthetimehestartedplayinghisflageolettotheamusementofeverybody

around.

Suddenlyacarbumpingalongtheroaddrewupandtheownerlistenedintently.He

wasobviouslyintriguedbythehauntingappealofWillard’s“PennyWhistleBlues”.Mr.

Swanson,DirectorofSwanFilms,immediatelylefthiscarandfollowedthethinthread

ofmelodywhichledhimtocrippledWillardCele.Thereandthenhedecidedtoinclude

WillardandhismusicintheSouthAfricanfilm“TheMagicGarden”.

Thesetwomelodies“PennyWhistleBlues”and“PennyWhistleBoogie”havenow

beenrecorded,andarecreatingabigstirbothinJohannesburgandLondon.

PenningtonRichards(oneofthebestlightingcameramenintheworldtoday)who

filmed“TheMagicGarden”saysthatmembersoftheBritishfilmworldwhoheardthe

recordhadbeengreatlyintriguedbytheweirdandwonderfulrhythm.

WillardCeleisstillatschoolstudyingforhisJuniorMatriculation.Inhissparetimeand

atweek-endshelimpsacrosstheObservatoryGolfCourseearningextracashasa

“caddie”.

Unfortunatelyhecannolongerplaysport.Fouryearsagoduringagameoffootballhe

brokehisleftlegandisnowapermanentcripple.Butheconcentratedmorethanever

onhismusicandfoundhappinessandcontentmentinthemagicofmelodyandsong.

Hisfutureplansaretostudymusicandtobecomeanexpertclarinetplayer.Sohere’s

goodlucktoWillardCele,theAfricanyouthwhoneverlearnedanoteofmusic,but

whoisnowbringingjoytothousandsofmusicloverseverywhere—and,wehope,

somehardcashtohimself.

Besidesmakingreferencetotheactualterms“stardom”and“meteoric”,thearticlealso

containsafairnumberofotherreferencesthatcharacterisethisunderstandingoffame:

magicandfairytales,arags-to-richesstoryandachancediscoveryoftalentbyaprominent

67

agentthatledtofamebothlocallyandinternationally.Whatismore,thelinkwiththeworld

offilmfurtherpreparesthewayfortheemergenceoftheStarinDrum.

AlthoughtheWillardCeleprofileinthelaunchissueofDrummightincludeitsterminology,

theevidenceofaprivatelife,akeycharacteristicoftheconstructionoftheStar,israther

sparse.Thissparsenessmakesitdifficultforanykindtexturetobebroughtintothe

coverage,andconsequentlythereareonlytwoaspectstoWillardthatareemphasised:the

povertyandthepossibility,theragsandtheriches.Giventhereferencetotriumphover

one’scircumstances,therecouldevenbesaidtobeasenseoftheheroictobetraced

alongsidethenotionoftheStarinthisprofile,makingWillardatransitionalfigure.

ThesameappliestothecoverageoflegendaryblackAmericanboxerSugarRayRobinson,in

aselectionofcaptionedphotographsseeminglyshowingadayinhislife.54Thenotionofthe

heroicisinherentinthesportofboxing,especiallyinthecontextof1950sblackSouth

Africa.Theboxingmatchservesasa“metaphorforopposition–thestrugglebetweentwo

bodiesbeforeanaudience[…]representingopposingqualities,ideasandvalues”,Boddy

(2008:7)writes.ButSugarRaydoesnotemergeonlyasasportinghero,asthereisan

allusiveindicationofhislifeawayfromtheboxingring.Thesmallgalleryincludes

photographsofhimkissinghiswifegoodbyeinthemorningwhilesheisstillinbed,inthe

barber’schair,traininginthegymandrelaxingathome.Besidesthecaptionsexplainingthe

contentofthepictures,theonlyotherpieceofcopyonthepageprovidesdetailsofthe

mostrecentfightbetweenSugarRayandBritishboxerRandolphTurpin.SugarRayhadwon

thefight,arematchthathadtakenplaceinNewYorkinfrontof60000fans,andbeen

crownedworldmiddleweightboxingchampion.Widelyknownasaparticularlyphysical

pugilist,heknockedTurpinoutintenroundstoclaimtheworldmiddleweighttitleamere

threemonthsafterTurpinhadwonitinLondon.55AccordingtoDrum,therefereestopped

thefightafterRobinson“letloose”onTurpin,knockinghimdownandthenpushinghim

ontotheropesandunleashingaseriesofpunches.

AlthoughthiscoverageofSugarRayisbynomeansextensiveintermsofcolumninchesand

wordcount,itsucceedsintypecastinghimandilluminatingthecontrastbetweenhisprivate

andhispubliclife.Heisshowntobeatoughchampionboxerintheformer,butalsoa

tenderpartner,kissinghiswifegoodbye,and‘homebody’,whochoosestorelaxathome

ratherthanlivingthehighlife.Inaddition,heunderstandstheimportanceofagroomed54“SugarRayRobinson:ADayinPictures”,Drum,October1951.55RegularDrumreadersmighthavebeenwellawareofthedetailsoftheLondonfight,asfirst-personaccountsoftheencounterbybothfightershadbeenpublishedintheissueofSeptember1951.

68

physicalappearance,asanimageofhiminabarbershopappearstoindicate.TouseDyer’s

(1979:111–113)terminology,theDrumcoverageshowsRobinson’sprivatelife“resisting”

hispubliclife.Furthermore,theinclusionoftheimageofRobinsontraininginthegymcould

bereadasanindicationthathissuccessreliesonmorethanjustrawtalent,oneofthe

elementslinkedwiththenotionoftheextraordinaryinstardom;italsoreliesonhardwork.

Muchoftheliteratureon20th-centuryfameandstardomincludesadiscussionofwhether

famousindividualsweredeservingoffameornot;inotherwords,thereisanemphasisin

theliteratureonthemeritocracyoffame.

Theseeminglysuperficial,photograph-drivencoverageofSugarRayinDrumoffersmuchto

capturetheimaginationofthereader:hislegendaryphysicalityasaboxermusthaveheld

someappealamongstareadershipatthereceivingendofthediscriminationofthe

apartheidsystem,butthenthecoveragejuxtaposesthebrutalityofthesportwithevidence

oftendernesstowardshiswife.Inaddition,theideaofperfectioninexpressedinhis

‘perfect’physique,introducedbywayofphotographsofhimintheringanddressedonlyin

boxershortsandshowinghisnakedtorso,andalsogoingabouthisgroomingroutine.Allof

thesecontrastingelementsthataresuggestedinthecoveragecombinetoarguablymake

SugarRayaseriouslycompellingfigure:extreme,legendaryandextraordinary.Perhaps

SugarRayembodiedsome“verycentralfeature”oftheblackSouthAfricanexistence,to

referbacktoShils’sdescriptionofcharisma(inDyer,1991:57)again.Thekindoffigurethat

emergesfromthisDrumcoverageembodiesBoddy’s(2008:20)argumentthatboxingis“a

productivewaytoimagineconflict”,asitinextricablymixes“highdecorumandlowcunning

[…],beautyanddamage[…],rhetoricandbodilyfluids”.

Althoughtelling,thissparsecoverageofRobinson’sprivatelifecouldbesaidtobe

representativeofthetypeofdocumentationearlyDrumaffordsthefilmactors,

sportspeopleandmusiciansitregularlycoversandinacertainwayremindsoneofthevery

earlydaysoftheHollywoodfilmindustry.Inatechniquereminiscentofaudiencereferences

tothecorporalfeatures(the‘girlwiththecurls’,the‘fatguy’etc.)ofas-yetanonymous

Hollywoodactorsoftheearly20thcentury,Drumalsoregularlyidentifiespersonalitiesby

theirphysicaltraits;boxerJohannes‘JoltingJoe’Masekoisforexampledescribedas“the27-

year-oldSwaziwiththeflashingteeth”.56

Lackingtheintimacythatwillcometocharacteriselater20th-centuryrepresentationsof

fameinthemagazines,thesekindsofalmostimpersonalreferencestoentertainersare

56Drum,June1951.

69

arguablytheresultofDrum’soriginaleditorialdirective.57Underthiseditorialvision,

entertainmentcontentwas,forthemostpart,eschewedinfavourofcoverageofwhatwere

seenasthemore‘traditional’affairsinthelocalblackcommunity.Marketresearch

conductedshortlyafterthemagazinewaslaunchedrevealedthatreadersfoundDrummuch

tootraditionalistandfocusedonruralreaders.“‘Ag,whydoyoudishoutthatstuffman?[…]

Tribalmusic!Tribalhistory!Chiefs!Wedon’tcareaboutchiefs!’”oneofreadersofearly

DrumapparentlytoldeditorAnthonySampson(2004:7).Theinterviewwasconductedat

theBantuMen’sSocialCentre,oneofthefewculturalandentertainmentcentresin

Johannesburgaccessibletoblackpeopleatthetimeandavenueapparentlyfavouredby

Drum’sentertainmentwriters.Andthen,tellingly,theultimatedesireoftheDrum’searly

readershipsurfaces:

“Giveusjazzandfilmstars,man!WewantDukeEllington,Satchmo,andhotdames!

[…]YoucancutoutthisjunkaboutkraalsandfolktalesandBasutosinblankets–

forgetit!You’rejusttryingtokeepusbackward,that’swhat!Telluswhat’s

happeningrighthere,man,ontheReef!”(Sampson,2004:7,emphasisadded)

Consequently,notevenadecadeintoDrum’sexistence,themagazinestartedincluding

morecontentonentertainmentand,importantly,offeringmuchmoreextensivecoverageof

theprivatelivesofitsentertainers.Detailsaredivulgedaboutchildhood,education,fashion

preferencesandpartnersandspouses,amongstmanyotherthings.Allthewhile,the

contrastbetweentheordinaryandextraordinaryremainsaquintessentialingredientin

coverageofthefamousfigure,anditisespeciallysignificantasitisseen,asSampson(2004:

96)reveals,asrepresentativeof“thesharpdualityofAfricanlife,whichtouchedeveryone”.

Sampson(2004)makesthiscommentinreferencetotheDrummarketresearch,and

specificallywhichphotographsthereadershipseemedtoseeasmostcompelling:

TheAfricanboxingchamp,steppingundertheropesintothering,withaseaofblack

facesgazingbehindhim,smilingconfidently,swathedinasilkdressing-gown,a

57OneoftheearlyDrumeditors,AnthonySampson,describestheoriginalformulaasfocusedon“Africanpoemsandstories;articleson‘MusicoftheTribes’and‘KnowYourselves’,recountingthehistoryofBantutribes;instalmentsofCry,theBelovedCountry;featuresaboutreligion,farming,sportandfamousmen;andstripcartoonsaboutGulliverandStPaul”(Sampson2004:3).Tellingly,thenotefromtheeditorinthemagazine’slaunchissue(“MessagefromanAfrican”,March1951)reads,“Wethoughtitwouldbeagoodidea,andinkeepingwiththetraditionofsuchevents,ifthefirstnumberofourmagazinecouldbeginwithAMessagefromanImportantPerson.Therewasawidechoicebeforeus–Governors,CabinetMinisters,HighCommissioners,AfricanKingsandPrinces,Bishops,Millionaires–butwefinallydecidedthatthemostimportantpersoninourlifeatthismomentisanAfrican–anordinaryAfrican.SoTheAfricanDrumbeginsappropriatelywithamessagefromthesturly[sic]oldAfricanpeasant.”

70

symbolofblackpowerandachievement[…]Thebeautyqueeninthebusqueue,

poisedwithherumbrellaandvanitybag,dazzlingandsharplyinfocus,withthe

blurredfacesofordinaryAfricanscarryingpaperbagsinthebackground,looking

roundatthisapparitionofAfricanglory[…]Thebreakfast-tablepicture,almost

compulsoryineverynumber,ofanAfricanherosittingdowntoamealwithhiswife

andchildreninasmalllocationhouse,likeanyoneelse[…]Thejazzman,blowinghis

trumpetorsaxinacrazypose,lyingonthefloorandkickinghislegsinafrenzy,

catchingthehecticjazzinhismovements[…]TheAfricanbusinessmansittingatthe

wheelofhislargeAmericancar,tremendouslysedateandrespectable,withadark

suitandagoldtiepin,apictureofsuccessandstability[…]Wherephotographswerea

language,juxtapositionwasall-important:wecouldneverrelyoncaptionstotella

story.Thesamefaces,butdifferentsurroundings:thesimplegirlwiththeclothround

herhairoppositetheradiantbride;thebusdriveroppositethebandleader;the

nannyoppositethefilmstar;thefashionablesocialiteoppositethegangster.The

contrastscaughtthesharpdualityofAfricanlife,whichtouchedeveryone.

See,forinstance,aprofilepieceonZimbabwean-bornsingerDorothyMasuka,58inwhich

musiceditorToddMatshikiza,inhischaracteristicgossip-ladenmusicalwritingstylethatis

sooncalled‘Matshikese’byhiscolleagues,59leansonwhatSuHolmes(2005)callsthe‘star-

is-born’narrative.HewritesaboutDorothy’sextraordinaryprecocityintermsoftalent.

Despitethelimitationsandchallengesofherchildhood:“Shebeganstageworkatseven

yearsold”,anageatwhich,“Mostkidsarejustbeginningtoseethelight”,inasingle-parent

household,asherfatherleftthefamilywhenDorothywasonlyayearold.Thislastdetail

appearstoemphasiseherinnatemusicaltalent,asherdomesticcircumstancesprobably

prizedsurvivalabovethecultivationoftalent.Yetsheemergedasatalentedsinger,“a

prettypacketofdynamite”onstage,deliveringher“famoustuneswithunusualzest”.

ThereisalsoasenseofextraordinarinessintermsofhowMasukaiseroticisedintheprofile,

withthiskindoferoticisationcharacteristicof1950sDrumcoverageofwomenin

entertainment,particularlyjazzsingers.DorothyDriver(1996:233)writesthatDrum’s

coverageofjazzsingersallows,“desiretopassbackandforthbetweenstarandauthor”,

andyoucanfeelthathappeningbetweenthesingerandMatshikiza,evenasheusesa

58Matshikiza,Todd,“Everybody’sDotty!”,Drum,January1955.59SeeJimBailey(1982)andMichaelTitlestad(2005).Sampson(2004:14)writesofhowMatshikiza“transformedDrum.Hewroteashespoke,inabrisktempowithrhythmineverysentence.Heattackedthetypewriterlikeapiano.Ourreadersloved‘Matshikese’,aswecalledit,whichwasthewaytheytalkedandthought,beatingintimewiththejazzwithinthem”.

71

womanfantochanneltheappeal.Thefanseemstobeintrigued,onecouldperhapseven

sayinspired,byhowDorothyuseshereyes,seeminglytoluremenwhoarefans.Thereisa

blurringbetweenthesinger’sprivateandpublicpersonaeinthiscomment,ultimately

contributingtoherallure:

Onewomansaidtome,“Didyouseehow[Masuka]useshereyes?Shemakesthem

sleep.Shemakesthemwake.Thenshemakesbedroomeyes.Thenshemake[sic]goo-

gooeyes.Honestly,you’dthinkthesestar-girlswanteverymanaround.It’smost

exciting”.60

Dorothy’sallure,“aura”(Marshall1997)or“charisma”(Dyer1991),evidentinthiscomment

isfurtherunderlinedbycommentsonthesinger’ssexappeal.Matshikizadirectlyaddress

themenwhomakeupthemajorityofthemagazine’sreadershipatthetime:“shoo–

gents!”Hethencallshera“sizzlinghepcat”and“burninghotstuff”.Hiscopycanonlybe

describedassuggestive:

Shewaswearingabebophaircut.Sheworeadresswithawideflare,andwide

stripes.Thewidestripeswererunningdownherwholebody,necktohem.Roundher

curves.Underthebeltroundhercutewaist.Intothemen’seyes.Yes,man!61

Andalsointhiscomment,whichacknowledges,albeitsuperficially,theexistenceofboth

professionalandprivatelife,andagaineroticisesher:

Dorothyisoneofthebest-dressedwomeninshowbiz–offandonstage.Shetakes

greatpainsovertheclothesshewears–andonhowherlipslook.Mustbesomething

tokissthem.62

Thefactthatsheisengagedtobemarriedandthusunavailableisportrayedasaddingtoher

appeal,asisherprojectedfuturelifewithawealthyman:

Well,well,thoseeyesgents[…]thoseeyesareasfullybookedastheDecembertrain.

Dorothywillbesplicedbythetimeyoureadthis,ifallgoeswell.Ya,splicedtoamac

inBulawayo,withlotsofdough.Twoshops.Twobutchers.Twocarsandtwoeyesto

knowafinegirlwhenheseesone.TheluckyblokeisMrSimonPetto.Shelikeshima

hangofalot.ShesaysweJoh’burgmugsjustwanttorunawaywithagirl’shead.

60Matshikiza,Todd,“Everybody’sDotty!”,Drum,January1955.61Ibid.62Ibid.

72

ThisguyPettoisnotrunningawaywithDorothy’shead.So,she’stakinghim“head

to”.63

Thesinger’sseductivepowersarefurtheremphasised(andherfashion-consumptionhabits

revealed)inanarticleentitled“Lovelylegsandlingerie!”64Thearticledirectlyaddressesthe

womenreadersofDrum,anditsauthorbylineisEthelMadlingozi,presumablyawoman.Yet

thereseemstobeanelementofthemalegazetobetracedhereinthefocusofthearticle

thatbecomesevenmorepronouncedifoneconsidersthatthearticlemightverywellhave

beenwrittenbyoneofthemenontheDrumeditorialstaffundertheMadlingozi

pseudonym.Afterall,Driver(1996:235)surmisesthatthe‘women’writersintheearlyyears

ofDrumweremostly“aworriedsyndicateofmen”.

Astheheaderindicates,thearticle’sfocusisonDorothy’sselectionoflingerieand

sleepwearandisillustratedbyanumberofrevealingphotographsofthesingerinher

underwearandscantsleepwear,photographedinbedbyBobGosani.Thecombinationof

intimateinformationcontainedinthebodycopyofthearticleandtheflesh-baring

photographsinaspacethatresemblesabedroomcreatesthedistinctimpressionofbeingin

theintimate,personal,privatespaceofthesinger,bothintermsofherhomeandinterms

ofherbody.ThisisDorothy’sprivatelifeandeven,saveforthescantunderwearsheis

wearing,herprivateparts,thearticleseemstobeclaiming,inaparticularlygossipystyleof

writing.Andwhataseductive‘private’lifeitis.“Daintyunderwear”is“sprawledrecklessly

aroundher”onabed,oneofthecaptionsreveals,andMadlingoziadmitstogaspingwhen

shesawthestar’scollectionofdresses,under-garmentsandnighties:

Youshouldseethem!Imean,youladies[…]Shestilllovespyjamasandnylon

nightieseitherembroideredortrimmedwithsoftlacewhichmakesonefeellike

eatingthem.SowhenDottygoestobedshegoesreallygay.There’ssomething

aboutnattyfoundationgarments.Theygivethepersontheycontainadainty

likeliness.Whenyou’reluckyenoughtomeetdatDotdishnexttimeandyouspot

twirlinggirlishnessabouthermanner,nowyouknowthatshehassleptwellin

seersuckernightclothes,andthatevennowunderneathsherustlessilverynylon[…]

‘Notherthing,DottyhastheseexpensivenewbrascalledMerryWidow[…]Mere

maleswillwonderwhyclothingthatisnotseenshouldbesofancyandexpensive.

Butthentheydon’thaveourtastesforthefineanddelicate.Theyreallyoughttosee

63Ibid.64Madlingozi,Ethel,“Lovelylegsandlingerie!”,Drum,April1957.

73

DorothyMasuka’sunderwear.ThenagainIthinktheyshouldn’t.Whycastpearls

beforeswine?65

ThisbedroomscenedescribedbyMadlingoziinDrumisaninterestingonetoconsiderin

thatitprovidesarareandas-yetfairlyunprecedented,atleastintermsofthefanzine

representationofstardom,entryintooneofthemostprivateroomsinthedomesticspace.

However,thisearlyexposureoftheveryprivaterealminDrumcanstillbedescribedasmild

anddiscreet,notleastbecausethephotographswereobviouslytakeninastudiospace

madeuptolooklikeabedroom,andnotinDorothy’sactualbedroom.Saveperhapsforthe

hintatextravagance(“Meremaleswillwonderwhyclothingthatisnotseenshouldbeso

fancyandexpensive”),whichagainprovidesahintoftheextraordinary,Madlingozi’s

descriptioninDrumisrelativelyrestrained.

But,aswiththeMatshikizaarticlecitedabove,thereisagainanundeniablemeasureof

eroticisationintheMadlingozipiece,whichisfurtheramplifiedbytheselectionofultimately

revealingphotographs.ThischaracteristiceroticisationofwomenjazzmusiciansinDrum

(whichinawaymakesthemagazineaveryearlyversionoftheBritish‘girlie’or‘lad’

magazinestypicalofthelate20thcentury)isoneofahandfulofelementsofthemagazine’s

distinctiverepresentationoffameinthemiddleofthecentury.Drummovesawayfromthe

classicearly-20th-centurymagazinere-presentationofanalreadyestablishedimage,andin

certainrespectsfollowsinthefootstepsoftheHollywoodfanzinesinthatitisanimportant

co-creatororco-producer,bywayofitscoverage,ofanewunderstandingoffame.Ihave

alreadyexploredwhoisselectedforinclusionincoverageunderthisnotionoffameandthe

discussioncontinuesastowhytheyarecovered.ButhowDrumcoversthe(privateand

public)livesoftheentertainersalsomakesthisfamousfiguredistinctandcontributestothe

magazineplayingaco-producingroleinthemakingoffame.

Besidesthealready-mentionederoticisationthatDriver(1996)hasidentified,thewayin

whichDrumconstructsitsStarfigurealsoinvolvesarelianceonphotographsthatarewidely

readasportrayingthe‘soul’ofperformers,asAnsell(2007)writes.Shemakesspecific

reference,inthisinstance,totheimagesshotbyDrumstaffphotographerJürgen

Schadeberg,whose“sharpeyeandlensframedthejauntyinsoucianceoftheJazzomolos;

thesardonicdashofreedmanGwigwiMrwebi,thestyleofbandleaderMakwenkwe

65Ibid.

74

‘Mackay’Davashe;theintensityofSouthAfrica’s‘Bird’–saxophonistKippieMorolong

Moeketsi”(Ansell2007:16).

Drumwasoriginallyconceptualisedasa“photographicmagazine”,itsfounder,JimBailey

(1982:125),writes,andthepublicationpurposelyrecruitedstaffmembersfromcomparable

internationaltitles.ItcanbeseenasperhapsthemostprominentsuccessortoZonk!(with

itsslogan“AfricanPeople’sPictorial”),whichlaunchedin1949,justtwoyearsbeforethe

launchofDrum.Zonk!wasapioneeringpublicationonmanyfronts,asIrwinManoim(1983)

arguesinhisexplorationoftheearlyyearsoftheblackpressinSouthAfrica.Zonk!was,for

instance,thefirstmass-producedphotomagazineinSouthAfrica,andthevery“first

successfulmass-circulationblackmagazineaimedaturbanaudiences”(Manoim,1983:63).

Importantly,italsofocusedprimarilyonentertainmentandentertainersthemselvesand

seemedtosetapathnotonlyforblackmagazinesbutforallmagazinesgoingforward:

“Mostmagazinesthathavefollowedithavetoagreaterorlesserextentcontinueditsbasic

formula”,Manoim(1983:63)argues.ThefactthattheinfluentialZonk!wasa

photomagazine,hadapredominantfocusonentertainmentandalsoarguablysetthescene

forDrum’sparticularbrandofentertainmentjournalismperhapsgoessomewaytowards

explainingwhytheStarfigureemergedsocompellinglyinthelatterpublication.

Themovingimagesoffilmservetoinjectasenseoftheextraordinaryintothefigureofthe

screenstar,andDrum’snowiconicphotographsofmusiciansonstageandsportspeopleon

thefieldcanbesaidtohavedonethesame;thesepicturesundoubtedlybroughtasenseof

glamourtohowthefigureoftheStaremerged.Ingliswrites(2010:136)ofhowtheoriginal

Hollywoodfilmstarshad“theuntouchableclosenessofluxuriousenviability”andhowthey

“appearedasintimatelyknownyetinimitable,quitewithoutphysicalblemish,smoothand

swiftandshiningasaseal”,andtheDrumphotographsofsingerslikeDorothyMasukaand

alsoMiriamMakebaandDollyRathebereflectedsimilarqualities.

WhatalsocontributestothewayinwhichthefigureoftheStaremergesinDrumisthe

writingstyleandtone,whichisconversational,gossipyandinformal.TheimaginedDrum

readerisoftenaddresseddirectlyinthecopy(Matshikizaonnumerousoccasionsinthe

pieceonMasukaaddressesthe“gents”hisarticleisaimedatandMadlingoziwrites“Imean,

youladies…”).Thisbreaking-the-fourthwallliterarytechniqueisonethatwillcometo

stronglycharacterisemagazinecoverageoffamousfigurestowardstheendofthe20th

centuryandintothe21st.

75

ThenthereisalsotheideaofgossipintheDrumextractsalreadydiscussedhere.Drum’s

conversationalstyleofwritinghasbeennotedbefore,andgossipformsapartofthat,asitis

originallyassociatedwiththespoken,notthewritten,form,writeKarenAdkins(2002)and

NicholasHerriman(2010).EspeciallyintheMadlingozipiece,youcancertainlyhearthe

voiceoffriends‘nattering’aboutanotherfriend.BoththeMatshikizaandMadlingoziarticles

haveasenseofgossipbecausetheyessentiallyare‘idle’or‘small’talkaboutotherpeople;

theseallformpartofthevariousdefinitionsofgossip,aswrittenaboutbyRosnowandFine

(1976),aswellasGoodman(1994)andHolland(1996).Thereisaverystrongsenseof

complicitybetweenwriterandreaderthatboththedirectaddressandthegossipylanguage

bringaboutintheMasukacoveragediscussedhere,andRobinDunbar(1996)andRebecca

Feasy(2008)bothwritethatgossipisindeedawayofforgingalliances.Itisimportantto

notethatatthisstageinthetrajectory,therearestrongindicationsthattheallianceisbuilt

uponnothingbutasharedsenseofadmirationforthefamousfigure.Thewomanfan

Matshikizaquotesinhisprofile,forinstance,doesnothidethesenseofexcitementshe

experienceswhenshewatchesDorothy’sgesturesonstageandconsidershowtheseare

usedinattractingtheattentionofmen(“It’smostexciting”),andthereisundoubtedlya

senseofappreciation(ofcurves,bodyandfashion)visibleinMatshikiza’seroticisation.

Rumour,speculationandgossiparealltechniquesDrumusedinitsconstructionoftheStar

figure.InMasuka’scase,DrumrepresentsherasaStarbydivulginginformationofbothher

professionalandprivatelifeandemphasisingthetalented,‘star-is-born’narrative

underpinninghercareer.Bystressinghervoluptuousfigure,goodsartorialsenseand

seductivecharms,ontheonehand,andhermatrimonialunavailabilityontheother,the

Drumcoveragecreatesakindoftensionthatcontributestoherallureorcharisma.Drum’s

1950srepresentationcan,inlargepart,belikenedtothetype-drivenportrayalofthe

‘beautifulwoman’duringthenascentyearsoftheHollywoodfilmindustry.AsInglis(2010:

187–188)explains,thiswomanmayholdout“thepromiseofsexuality”(asdoDorothy’s

“bedroomeyes”),yether“passionmustbesincereandherabandonoffscreen”.

2.2DollyRathebe:“JustaboutAfrica’smostfamousandexciting

woman”

DorothywascertainlyaDrumfavouriteduringthe1950s,butfellowvocalistDollyRathebe

wasperhapsthequintessentialfemaleperformerforthemagazineatthetime,andher

exposureinDrumcontributedtoherconstructionasaStar.Bythetimethemagazine

76

launched,shewasalreadyrelativelywellknown,especiallyintheReefarea(in

Johannesburg)whereshegrewup,asshehadarecordingcontractandhadalsoappearedin

the1949filmJimComestoJo’burg(alsoknownasAfricanJim).Interestingly,inthefilmshe

playsasinger,“swathedinsnake-like,seductiverollsofglitteringdress”,asperCan

Themba’sdescriptionofhercharacterinDrum,66sothereappearstobecoherencebetween

herpublicandherprivatepersonae.

ThankstoDrum,shebecamefamousamongstitsurbanblackreadershipalloverthe

country.AsAnsell(2011:35)argues,themagazinemadehera“nationalfigure”,adding

“detail(andoftenmyth)”tothebodyofknowledgeonher.Dolly’sStarimage,producedtoa

largeextentbythemagazine,reliedonthefactthatshewasknownforheractivitiesin

morethanonemedium:musicandfilm.Shefeaturedonthecovernumeroustimesandwas

thesubjectofacollectionoficonic‘poster’or‘pin-up’images,includinga1957photograph

ofherinaskimpytwo-pieceswimsuit,fashionedfromhandkerchiefs,onaJohannesburg

minedump,whichwasphotographedtoresembleabeach.PerhapsoriginatingintheDrum

newsroom,therumourstartedcirculatingthatassheandthewhiteDrumstaff

photographerresponsibleforthis‘beach’photoshoot,JürgenSchadeberg,hadleftthemine

dump,theywerestoppedandquestionedbytheauthoritiesonsuspicionofbreakingthe

ImmoralityAct(whichprohibitedinter-racialrelationships),but“[I]tcouldnotbeproved

thatanythingmorethanthecamera’seyehadpeekedatDolly’slusciousfigure.”67

Thisisbutoneofseveralspeculativestoriesandrumoursabout‘SisDolly’’sinteractions,

possiblysexualinnature,withthemenofDrummen,thatcontributestoherimageasboth

extraordinaryyetalsosomewhatordinary:glamorous,desirableandoutofreachontheone

hand,yetfamiliar,‘oneofus’andattainable(atleastfortheso-called‘Drumset’)onthe

other.DollygrewupinandforalargepartofherlifelivedintheJohannesburgsuburbof

Sophiatown,alongsidetheDrumset.SimilartoHollywoodintheearly20thcentury,1950s

Sophiatown’suniquefeaturesdistinguisheditfromotherpartsofJohannesburgandindeed

otherSouthAfricansuburbsandcities.Forabriefwhileunderthenascentapartheid

government,blackpeoplewereentitledtoownpropertyhere,whichcontributedtoitbeing

aplacethatallowed“unprecedentedpossibilitiesforblackstochooseandinventtheir

society[…]opentoavarietyofinterpretations,dreams,commitments”,asPaulGready

(1990:139)writes.Inheranalysisofthe“lostliteraryjournalismof1950sSouthAfrica”,as

evidentinDrum,LesleyCowling(2016:13)writesthat“Sophiatownwasaplacewhereraces66Themba,Can,“Dollyinfilms!”,Drum,February1957.67Ibid.

77

couldmingle,partieswereheld,anditsshebeens,music,celebrities,andgangsterswerethe

sourceofmanyoftheDrumwriters’stories”.

Nixon(1994:31)describeshowthe“syntheticlureofHollywood’s[…]glitterpervaded

Sophiatownculture”.Andindeed,storiesabout1950sSophiatownandearly1900s

Hollywoodevokethesamesenseofremotenessandexoticism,andthepossibilityofwild

abandon.SophiatowncouldsoeasilyreplaceHollywoodinthisdescriptionoftheearlydays

ofTinseltownbyRichardSchickel(1985).NotunlikethepeopleofSophiatowninthemid-

20thcentury,Hollywood’sresidentswereable:

toshakefreeoftheirinhibitionsandrepressions,toactouttheirfantasies.Herethey

werefreetorecreatethemselvesastheypleased.Ortolendthemselvestorecreation

bydirectors,producers,writers,anyonewhocaredtohaveagoatthem.Andinthis,

thefolkstheyleftbehindindulgedthem.(Schickel1985:12)

LaraAllen(2004:19)arguesthatDollyRathebeoffers“arevealingcasestudyforanenquiry

intotheSophiatownimaginary”.Itcouldcertainlybearguedthatthesinger’srootsinthe

unusual,bohemian,exoticsuburbofSophiatown,withtheconnectionbetweenstarletand

placeoftenemphasised,eitherovertlyormoresubtly,inDrum,alsocontributedtoher

imageasaStar.

Sheendorsedanumberofproducts,mostofthembeautyandfashionrelated,in

advertisementsthatappearedinthemagazine.In1957,Drumprofiledherextensivelyina

seriesthatranoverfivemonths(JanuarytoMay1957).Theinstalmentshadgenerousword-

counts,upwardof1500wordseach,andareillustratedwithphotographsofheronstageor

inposedfashionshots.

Intermsofitsgenerouspage-andword-countaswellasitsextensivebiographystyleof

writing,thisseriesremindsoneofthelong-formhagiographicaccountsaffordedtotheEpic

Herofigureinmagazinesintheearly20thcentury.ButtheDrumseriesonDollyRathebe

hadmoreillustrativeelementsthanthetypicalcoverageonewouldfindinthemagazinesof

theearly20thcentury,inwhichtheEpicHerodominates.AsubstantialpartoftheDrum

storywastoldinphotographs.Goingforwardinthecentury,magazinecoveragetypically

becamelesswordy,fewerpageswereallocatedtothecoverageofeachindividual,andtheir

narrativesweremainlycommunicatedbywayofillustration.Pictures,morethanwords,told

theirstories.Sotheshiftsinunderstandingsoffamewerevisibleintheactualpeople

covered,whattheywerecoveredfor,aswellashowtheywerecoveredintermsoflayout

anduseofwordsandpictures.Justintermsofitsaestheticformat,thisDrumseries,

78

representingamiddlepoint,isanexcellentexampleofhowtheactualrepresentationofthe

famousfigurechangedoverthecentury.

TheseriesshowcasesbothDolly’sprivateandherpublicpersonae.Thefirstinstalment,68

whichspecificallyfocusesonherlovelife,revealsthatsheadoptedastagename(herreal

namewasJosephineMalatsi),notunlikeiconicearly(andevencurrent)Hollywoodstars

suchasCaryGrant(givenname:ArchibaldAlecLeach).AuthoredbyThemba,whois

identifiedinthearticleas“oneofthemeninDolly’sromanticlife”,thearticledescribesthe

singeras“justaboutAfrica’smostfamousandexcitingwomantorch[romanticlove-song]

singer”.69Inthisinstalment,Thembabuildstheimageofatoughanddemandingwomanin

herprivatepersona,especiallyofhermen.Hequotesherassaying:

“Men[…]seemtohavelostthatmanlytang,thatrough,tough,solidmasculinitythat

makesmensoadorable.Nowadays,menhavebecomecatty,peevish,gossipyand

mean;womenhavetakentowearingslacks”.

Overtheyearsshebecametheobjectofaffectionofmanymen,thearticleargues,with

“love-lornlads[…]gaspingforDollyinsecretanguish”.Asachildshewasatomboy,andan

anecdotefromherschooldaysgivessomedetailaboutherchildhoodwhilesimultaneously

contributingtoherappeal:

[A]tschoolDollywasatomboy.(Butshewasfondofboys!)Shelookedatlifefroma

malepointofviewandseemedtohaveaquarrelwithherMakerforcreatingher

female.AtonetimethereverendfatheratSt.Cyprian’s,Sophiatown,whereDolly

wasschooled,wantedsomeonetogoupthetowerandreleasethehammerofthe

bellthathadgotcaught.WithouthesitationDollyclamberedupthetowerand

loosenedthehammer.Theboysstilltalkofthe“bird’s-eyeview”theygotonthat

occasion.70

AccordingtotheThembaprofile,thereisgreatcoherencebetweenDolly’spublicand

privatepersonae,bothfilledwithjuxtapositions.Justashermenrangefrom“quiet,

dignified,haltingofspeech,shy,studious,well-behavedJeff”toabusive,“tough,hard-hitting

filibuster”Hasie,soshewouldperformbothchoralmusicandtownshipjazz,ormbaqanga.

SheisaGirlGuideandaSunday-schoolteacherontheonehand,whileontheother:

Sheknewshehadahusky,furryvoicethatkindledinmen’sheartsstrangedesires

andflashedbeforetheirtired,after-workimaginationsdreamsoftorridloveand68Themba,Can,“Dollyandhermen!”,Drum,January1957.69Ibid.70Ibid.

79

wantonabandon.Andsheknewmore.Sheknewthatawiggleofherhipspromotes

asuggestivephraseofsongwithinfiniteseductiveness.71

AdaughterofSophiatown,sheissimultaneouslyanordinarytownshipgirlyetan

extraordinaryyoungwomanwhodarestodreamanddefytheoppressivegovernment

policiesofthetime:

[F]romthebeginningshewasdifferentfromthedomestic-servant,factory-working

typeofgirl.Shesawherselfasanartistandshejustwouldn’tgotowork.Notfora

Whiteman,thatis.72

AsinthecaseofDorothyMasuka,the‘star-is-born’narrativeisunderlyinginDolly’sStar

image,asportrayedbyDrum.Inthesecondinstalmentoftheprofileseries,73Thembauses

colourfullanguageandanalogiestodescribeherinnatetalent,formusicaswellasacting,

paintingherasmorethanjustanordinaryperformer:

Sheusedthestageasifeverysquareinchbelongedtoher;asifshewereaboxerina

ringandherartdependedonherabilitytoprovethatshehadalifeleaseonit[…]

Dolly’smovementsweredirectedbymoodandfeelingandclimate,andyounever

knewwhatthatdamewoulddonextbutyouknewitwouldberight.

Heractingtalentisequallyintuitive,accordingtoThemba,andthroughherperformances

shebecomesamediumreflectingthevicissitudesoftownshiplife:

[Heracting]wasanunconsciousdesiretointerpretthecrawlingfullnessandever-

changingvarietyoftownshiplife[…]Shewassoaliveandreflexivetoeverytangin

townshiplife.74

ThembatakeshisportrayalofDollyasmediumevenfurther,arguingthatsheisofferedher

firstfilmrole(inJimcomestoJo’burg)because“shewasallAfrica”.75Yetforthereadersof

Drummagazine,RathebecouldbelikenedtoHollywood’smostluminousstars,asisevident

fromThemba’scommentthat:

[JimcomestoJo’burg]soundedliketherealfilms.ItsoundedasifAfricawasbeing

transportedintothefascinatingworldofHollywood.AndtousHollywooddidnot

meandivorcesandawildlife.Itmeantglamourandwealthandidolatry.Afewofus

intheknowaboutthisfilmbusiness,wereasking,Howmanythousandsofpounds

71Ibid.72Ibid.73Themba,Can,“Dollyinfilms!”,Drum,February1957.74Ibid.75Ibid.

80

Dollywasearningnow?Howmanygownsandpalacesdoessheown?Howmanyfan

lettersdoessheget?Butfortherestofusshewasaspangled,glitter-bespattered

star,upabovetheheavenssohigh.76

AgainweareremindedofearlyHollywood,andparticularlyFlorenceLawrence,reportedly

thefirstfilmactortodoapublicityappearancetomeetthefilm-goingpublic,backin1910,

whenwereadhowDolly,“neededthepublicityofappearinginthefleshbeforeher

thousandsofadmirerstoprovethatshewasnotjustadolleduppuppet;thecountrywas

thirstingtomeetitsgreatheroine”.77Bothwomenhadtoappearbeforetheiradmirersto

validatetheirauthenticity,theformertoprovethatshewasindeednotdeadandthelatter

thatshewasnotmerelyafilmfigment.

WhatmakesDrum’sportrayalcompellingishowshewasconstructedasaStar,inthe

originalHollywoodunderstandingoftheterm.Shewasassociatedwiththeglamourand

wealthofHollywood,andtheconcomitantconsumptionhabits.Herprivatelifewasguessed

atandspeculatedaboutassomethingworthyofroyalty,andshewasplacedonapedestal

andidolisedbythemanyfansshewasassumedtohave.Throughoutthisthickdescription,

sheemergedasanextraordinaryperformer:sheistheonewomanabletochannelAfricain

Hollywood;anidolfawnedoverbyfans,aglamorousstar.

ButtheFebruary1957instalmentalsomentionsherordinarinesspostherfilmexposure,

andweareabletoseethefullordinary-extraordinaryjuxtaposition,whichliesattheheart

ofstardom,atworkhere.Thembaasks,“Whatdidthissuddenup-thrustintoglorydoto

Dolly?Diditfillherheadwithboiledwater,andmakeherstrutlikeapeacock?”Ofcourse

theanswerisno:“Nix!DollycamerightbacktousandremainedtheimpetuousSophiatown

kidshe’dalwaysbeen”.78

OneisremindedhereofMorin’sassertionthat,“Oncethefilmisover,theactorbecomesan

actoragain,thecharacterremainsacharacter,butfromtheirunionisbornacomposite

creaturewhoparticipatesinboth,envelopesthemboth:astar”(Morin,1960:39,original

emphasisretained)onreadinghowtherewasa“newpoiseandgrace”aboutRathebeupon

herreturnfromthesetofJim.AsThembawrites:

[Rathebe]camebacktoshowbusinessanditslesserworldfromtheheightsof

stardom.Butshecamebackastar.Thatmadeadifference.Herstageappearances

76Ibid.77Ibid.78Ibid.

81

werehenceforthheraldedevents.Theydrewtheglamour-stunnedaswellasthe

merelycurious.79

ItisbutonesmallpartoftheextensivecoverageDrumaffordedDolly,butthisparagraph

revealsagreatdealaboutthefigureoftheStarinthemagazineinthe1950s,evenevokinga

senseoftheprecedingformoffame,thatitisanidealwaytoconcludethisdiscussion.

Itisadmittedlysuggestiveandsubliminalandperhapsonlyevidenttothereaderwho

considersthetrajectoryof20th-centurywell-knownnessasawhole,butthereisasenseof

Campbell’smonomyth(Campbell1949)andbyextensiontheEpicHerothatsurfaceshere.

Liketheherowho“venturesforthfromtheworldofcommonday”(Campbell,inDrucker

1994:84–85),Dollyembarkedfroma“lesser”worldandscaledthe“heightsofstardom”.

Thereistheideaofajourney,whichinthemonomythincluded“supernaturalwonder[…]

fabulousforcesandadecisivevictory”(Campbell,inDrucker,1994:84–85).Dolly’sjourney

mightnothavehadanysupernaturalelementsorforces,butthewayinwhichsheis

representedinDrumcertainlyconjuresupasenseofwonderandfabulousness.

Moreover,liketheprotagonistinCampbell’smonomyth,shereturns,andsheischanged,

becausesheisnowaStar.TheEpicHeroreturns“withthepowertobestowboonsonhis

fellowman”(Campbell,inDrucker1994:84–85).Dolly’spersonaljourneyalsobringsher

power,firsttodrawaudiences(“herappearancesarehenceforthheralded”,Thembawrites),

andsecondly,tosharesomeoftheglamoursheacquiredwhileshewasaway,toshowerher

audiencewithabitofherstardust.

Itisimportanttonotethatatthis,themidpointofthe20thcentury,thereisstillanelement

oftheEpicHerothatcontinuestosurfaceinmagazinerepresentationsoffame,albeitfairly

subtlyandsuggestively.Butitisequallyimportanttopointoutthatthesearemerehintsand

referencestoapreviousunderstandingofwell-knownnessconstructedbyearly20th-

centurymagazines.TheremightbeasuggestionoftheepicinthisparagraphonDolly’s

journeytostardom,butheresheisrepresentedfirstandforemostasaStar.Hercredentials

asanentertainerarealludedto,butThembaalsomakesitclearthatshehasdistinguished

herselffromthe“lesserworld”ofshowbusinesstoestablishherself“upthere”.Notethe

ideaofelevation,whichreferstothedefinitionofstarsasheavenlybodies,emerginghere,

atthe“heightsofstardom”.Thembaishinting,inthisparagraph,athowDrumingeneral

representstheStarfigure,anditcorrespondsinbroadtermstomanyoftheattemptsata

79Ibid.

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definitionofstardomIhavecomeacrossintheacademicliterature.Theseseemtosuggest

thatstardompresupposesanelementofentertainment,butbeinganentertainerdoesnot

necessarilymakeyouaStar.Dollyisashowbusinesspersonality,Thembaappearsto

suggest,butsheisalsosomethingmuchmoreelevatedanddesirable:aStar.

Herstardomchangedthings,Thembaseemstosuggestwhenhewrites,“shecamebacka

star.Thatmadeadifference”.Hisexplanationthat,“Herstageappearanceshenceforth

becameheraldedevents”remindsoneofearlyHollywoodfilmhistoryandhowthewhole

markingsystemevolvedfromanalmostchancediscoverybyfilmproductionstudiosthat

‘namebilling’,i.e.announcingthenamesoftheactorsonpromotionalmaterialssuchas

posters,couldbeahighlysuccessfultooltomarketfilmsandthusattractaudiences.Likethe

actorsofearlyHollywood,Dolly’snamealonewilllurethecrowds,willbringthespectators,

Thembaseemstosuggesthere.

OneisalsoremindedoftheevolutionoftheHollywoodmarketingmachineandthe

understandingoftheStaritselfinThemba’shint,inhowherepresentsDolly,ataplay

betweenthepublicandtheprivateaswellasthenotionsoftheordinaryandextraordinary.

Havingseenherplayaself-reflexivecharacteronthebigscreeninJim,theycomebearing

knowledgeofherlarger-than-lifeextraordinarinessandtheheightsthatshescaledto

stardominthehopesofglimpsingsomethingofherprivatelife,andperhapsordinaryside,

duringaliveperformance.

Conclusion

ThembawritesthatDolly’sliveperformancesdrew,amongstotherinterestedspectators,

“theglamour-stunned”.TheelementoflustrethatThembareferstothroughouttheseries

onDollypublishedinDrumisofcourseanothercharacteristicthatemergesstronglyin

academicdiscussionsofstardom.Itcanbearguedthatanelementofglamourseemedtobe

aprerequisiteoftheStarfigurefirstconstructedbytheHollywoodfilmindustry.Thenotion

ofglamouralsoemergedasanimportantcharacteristicinthekindofentertainmentfigure

earlyissuesoftheSouthAfricanmagazineDrumconstructed,whichhasledtothelabelling

theentertainerinthiscategoryastheStar.

GlamourisspecificallyalludedtoasthisanalysisoftheStarfigureconcludesandthenext

looms,sinceithasemergedasakeymarkerinthetrajectoryof20th-centuryfame.Itisa

qualitythatseemstohaveaparticularlycloseassociationwithactorswhowereatthe

heightoftheircareersintheearlydaysoftheHollywoodfilmindustryinthefirsthalfofthe

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20thcentury.Americanscreenactorsbornaroundthefindesièclearemostoftenlinkedto

theterm,whichis,tellingly,alsoveryoftenusedinrelationtothephrase‘oldHollywood’.

‘OldHollywood’mayhavecommercialisedtheideaofglamour,buttheHollywoodfilm

industry’smarketingmodelsooncametobeappliedtoothergenresofentertainmentalso,

withmusiciansandevensportspeoplebeingrepresentedintheseterms,inSouthAfricaand

internationally.Ofthemusicians,jazzandbluesplayersfromtheearly20thcentury

emergedasparticularlysuitabletoaglamorouskindofrepresentationreminiscentof

Hollywood’sportrayalofitsscreenactors.

Ithasbeensuggestedthatthelinkbetweenfilmentertainersandglamour,andits

subsequentinclusionintheHollywoodmarketingmodel,islargelyduetothekindof

aestheticcharacteristicoffilmsproducedduringtheearlydecadesofthe20thcentury,the

productofaspecificapproachtocinematography.“Glamouristheresultofchiaroscuro,the

playoflightonthelandscapeoftheface,theuseofthesurroundingsthroughthe

composition,throughtheshaftofthehairandcreatingmysteriousshadowsintheeyes”,

writesfilmmakerJosefvonSternberg.Movingimages,specificallythosefromearly20th-

centuryfilms(whichweremostlyblackandwhite),hadtheabilitytoglamorise,andso,

arguably,didstillphotographsusedbythemagazines.

Stillphotographsarecertainlyusedtogreatglamorisingeffectin1950sDrum.Likethefilms

oftheglamorous‘oldHollywood’era,1950sDrumphotographsarealsomostlyblackand

white.Onecouldperhapsarguethattheblackandwhiteprintingprocess,probably

preferredasthemostcommerciallyviableatthetime,ispartlywhatallowedforastrong

elementofglamourand,subsequently,theStarfiguretoemergein1950sDrum.

Putdifferently,itcouldbesaidthat,inaway,thedominantcommercialprinttechnology

influencedthekindoffigurethatemergedfromthemagazinecoverage.Duringatimein

whichmagazinesandtheirphotographsweremostlyblackandwhite,itseemsthisfigure

hadastrongelementofglamour.

However,asthecenturyprogressed,theprintingprocessevolvedandblack-and-white

photographywasgraduallyreplacedbyfull-colourrepresentationinmagazines.Littleby

littletheglamouralsoseemedtowane.Thefadingofglamourissignificantbecauseitcould

bereadassymbolicofbiggerunderlyingshiftsinthekindoffigurethatemergedas

dominantinmagazinecoveragetowardstheendofthe20thcentury.

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Themagazinessteadilyshiftedtheirgazefromglamour,success,wealthandotherappealing

elementsthatweretypicalofStarcoveragetotheexposureoflessappealingandmore

gritty,somewouldevenarguesomethingmorereal,moreauthentic,elements.

Alltheelementsassociatedwithglamour,includingbeauty,fashionandallure,charismaor

charm,haveasenseofthe‘external’aboutthem,revealingmoreabouttheappearance

thanthefeelingsoremotionsoftheentertainer.Consequently,asglamourfadedsomewhat

frommagazinecoverage,so,gradually,didanexclusivefocusonoutwardappearance.Inits

place,itcouldbeargued,therewasagrowingexposureofnotonlytheprivatelifebutalso

theinneroremotionallifeofthefamouspersonality.

Giventheseshifts,thedominantfigurethatcouldbetracedinmagazinecoverageofthe

secondhalfofthecenturyinchedawayslightlyfromtheStarfigurethatwasexploredhere

andcametorepresentaradicaldeparturefromtheEpicHerothatdominatedmagazines

duringthefirstfewdecadesofthecentury.Althoughtheseshiftshappenedgraduallyover

time,theywereprominentenoughtomeritanothercategoryoffame,whichismarkedwith

anexistingandwidelyusedterm,Celebrity.

Theseareglobalshiftsinmagazinepublishing,andwesawthemhappeninglocallyinDrum

magazine.Asthe1980sapproached,otherqualitiesstartedappearinginthemagazine’s

coverageofentertainers,andaslightlyalteredversionoftheStarmaterialisedinless

sanitised,moreedgyandflaw-focusedcontentthatforeshadowedtheunapologetically

scandal-dominatedsuccessiveformoffamethatbecamepervasiveinveryearly21st-

centurycoverage.Thisfigure,theEmergingCelebrity,couldcertainlybeidentifiedinDrum,

aswellasinotherlocalmagazineswithsubstantialentertainmentcontent,including

weekliessuchasHuisgenootandPersonality.YetitwasintheSouthAfricanbi-monthly

Peoplemagazinethatthisunderstandingwasarguablymostvisibleandbestexploredinthe

SouthAfricancontext.FromStarstoPeople,thisshift,withitshintofdescent,followsinthe

nextchapter.

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Chapter3:EmergingCelebrity:Star,Celebrityandthespacebetween:PeopleSAinthelate1980sTheideaofadescentisafittingonetodescribethetransitionfromthepreviousformof

fametothenext.Thekindoffigurethatdominatedweeklymagazinecoverageinthemid-

20thcenturywasasparkly,glitteringandglamorousentertainerwhoenchantedonscreen

orstageandbeyond,andevenintotheprivaterealm:theStar,withallitsassociationsof

brightlightandelevation.

Butfromthoseheights,thedominantfigureoftheStarslowlystartsdescending,inthisnext

incarnationoffame,andthisdescentisunpackedhereinthelocaleditionofPeople

magazine.Fromtheheavenstotheearth,fromStarstoPeople,descentdistinguishesthis

famousfigure.

Innamingthenextcategoryoffame,considerationwasgiventotheapparentlygrowing

preference,towardstheendofthe20thcentury,fortheterm‘celebritymagazines’to

describethegossiptitlesthathavebeenidentifiedassuccessorsofthefilm-fanmagazines

oftheearlyhalfofthecentury,bySternheimer(2011)amongothers.Considerationwasalso

giventowhatappearedtobethenaturaliseduseinthemediaoftheterm‘celebrity’,which

wasoftenusedinterchangeablywith‘star’.Todistinguishthenewfigurefromits

predecessorinthe20th-centurytrajectory,Iusethewell-knowntermCelebrity.

ThedescentthatisencompassedbytheCelebrityfigure,inaway,defiesaprecise

definition,asitappearstoinvolveawholespectrumofbothbehaviourandthought.

Broadly,though,itconcernsafocusontheideaofimperfection,whetherintermsof

physicalflaw,emotionalshortcomings,errorsofjudgmentorgeneralmisbehaviour.

Themagazinecoveragespecificallyexploresthisnotionofimperfectionintheprivatelifeof

thewell-knownfigure.Thisnew,dedicatedfocusrepresentsafurtherdismantlingofthe

boundarybetweenthepublicandtheprivate.Thisisageneralentertainment-news

magazinetrendofthelater20thcentury,bothlocallyandinternationally,andpartofa

continuouseffortonthepartoftheentertainmentmediatomeettheperceivedaudience

demandforaglimpseoftherealorauthenticentertainmentpersonality,asGamson(2001)

andspecificallyalsoKarenSternheimer(2011)contend.“Beingauthentic[…]or‘real’isa

dominantrhetoricaldeviceoffame”,SeanRedmond(2006:28)argues.Butitisafurther

dismantling,sinceitisacontinuationofaprocessalreadyinitiatedbytheso-calledfilm-fan

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magazines,orfanzines,thatwerefirstproducedbytheHollywoodfilmindustrytomarket

theirscreenactorsintheearlyhalfofthe20thcenturyandthatarguablyshapedtheform

coverageofentertainmentpersonalitiesassumedinahostofothermagazinesandmedia

aroundtheworldthroughoutthecentury.

TheCelebrity,thefigurethatfirstemergesinlate20th-centurymagazinecoverage,isbuilt

ontheHollywoodfilm-studioStarblueprintyetsimultaneouslybreaksawayfromitinthatit

beginstohintatanelementofimperfection,ofdeviationfromthenorm,andinthe‘wrong’

direction,whichissomethingthatwascarefullyeschewedbefore,inanattempttomaintain

theappearanceofthemodelprivatelife.BoththeStaranditspredecessorinthetrajectory

beingtracedhere,theEpicHero,arefoundedonnotionsofthemodelandthe‘perfect’.

Evenaninklingofimperfectionorflawwould,ofcoursedetractfromwhattheEpicHero

figurerepresented,namelyinspirationforothers,throughhisbehaviourinthepublicarena

ofwar,politics,intellectualandreligiouslife,tolivebetterlivesandworktowardsthe

commongood.Hencetheabsence,inmagazinerepresentationthatsurfacedtheEpicHero

intheearly20thcentury,ofanyreferencetobehaviouroractionsthatcouldbeconstrued

asfaultyorwrong.

ThesenseofexemplarinessthatsurfacedtheEpicHerocontinued,inasense,inthefanzines

andthewaytheStarwasgenerallyrepresented.Despitethedistinctdifferencesbetween

thesetwofigures,theyshareasenseof‘model-ness’.TheEpicHerowasamodelcitizenand

displayedexemplarybehaviour,whereastheStarwasrepresentedintermsof‘perfect’

physicalfeaturesandproportions;theirmodelbodies,inotherwords.Inaddition,theywere

alsocastintheirfilmsasprototypes,primeexamplesofsocialtypes.Itisalsoquitetellingto

seehowDyer’s(1979:53–68)categorisationofthesesocialtypesseemstobedevoidofall

transgression;typicalcharactersDyerincludesarethe“toughguy”,the“pin-upgirl”and,

significantly,eventhe“goodJoe”.Inaddition,earlyHollywoodplotlinesdidnotgivetheir

typecastcharactersmuchroomtomisbehave,becausetheiron-screencharacterswere“by

andlargekeptawayfromthewrongdoingintheaction(exceptforthosedeliberately

invented[…]asgangsters”,asInglis(2010:187)remindsus.

Consequently,theexposedfilm-studio-choreographed‘private’livesoftheactorsofearly

20th-centuryHollywoodcinemaalsoseemedtobelargelydevoidofimperfection,asgreat

carewastakentoensurecoherencebetweentheprivateandpublicimage,asDeCordova

(1991),amongstothers,argues.Likethoseoftheiron-screencharacters,thesefilmactors’

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private,off-screenpersonaswerealsolargelyfictional,despitebeingmarketedasaglimpse

oftherealperson.

Itissignificant,particularlyinthisconsiderationofthedeliberateexposureofimperfection

andmisbehaviour,thatthemainformthatseemstoinspirethefictitiousprivatelifeofthe

earlyHollywoodactorisnoneotherthanthefairytale,withitsassociationsbothofunusual

happinessandofone-dimensionalprotagonistswho,importantly,donotdeviatefrom

societalnormsandexpectations.

Butthenthefairytaleends,andtheimageoftheHollywoodactorofearlieryearsgradually

makeswayforadifferentkindoffigure,onethatemerged,inessence,inmagazine

coveragethatdeliberatelyrevealedsupposedimperfections,misjudgements,shortcomings,

andfallibilities,againintheongoingattempttodepicttherealorauthenticself.Itisofthe

essencetonoteherethatthefocusofthecoveragemighthavebeenonthese‘negative’

elements,yettheselectionofpersonalitieswasstillbasedonessentiallythesame‘positive’

qualitiesaswiththefigurecalledtheStarinthiscategorisation,includingbutnotlimitedto

success,glamourandallure.

Thecoveragespecificallyidentifiedthesefailuresandshortcomingsastakingplaceinthe

privatelivesoftheentertainmentpersonalities.Ifinthelatterhalfofthe20thcentury,the

majorityofthepersonalitiescoveredinthemagazineswerestillactorsknownfortheir

publicperformancesinfilms,theHollywoodfanzineformulawasgraduallyappliedtoother

entertainersaswell,notably,atthispoint,asmallselectionofthosewhoweremainly

knownforthepartstheyplayedontelevision.

Generally,althoughfilmactorswouldalwaysoutnumbertelevisionpersonalitiesin

magazines,thegrowingcoverageofthelatterintheHollywoodfanzineformulapreviously

reservedfortheformermighthavecontributedtothechangesinrepresentationwesee

towardstheendofthecentury.Specifically,thetelevisionpersonality’spresencein

magazinecoveragesomewhatdiminishedthesenseofglamour(andtherebythe

extraordinary)suggestedbyfilmandstageperformersandtosomeextenteven

sportspeople.Sincetheglamorousextraordinarinesstypicallyassociatedwithscreenand

stageperformerswaslargelyabsentintelevisionpersonalities,itcouldbearguedthatthey

wereinessencetheopposite,namelyordinary.Theideaofdescentpermeatesthe

trajectoryoffamebeingtraced,anditishardnottobecompelledbyhowitseemsto

extendtothephysicalheightofthescreensthroughwhichweengagewiththese

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performersintheirpublicperformance;weliterallylookuptothemincinemasoronstages,

yetthemediumthatistelevisionbringsthemdowntoeyelevel.

ItisthisideaofbeinglevelwiththeviewerthatEllis(1982)seemstobereferringtowhenhe

arguesthattelevisionpresentsnoplaybetweentheordinarinessandtheextraordinariness

ofitsperformers,whichmeanstheprivatelivesoftelevisionactorscannotbepresentedas

“anythingparticularlyglamorous”(Ellis,1982:105).Thus,whentelevisionperformers

enteredthegeneralgroupofpersonalitieswhowarrantedrepresentationinmagazines,

therewasarguablya‘de-glamorising’effect.“[W]hilefilmstarswerearguablyglamorous

anddistant,television’scelebritieswereseentobemoreintimateandordinary”,Rixon

(2011:44)writes.This‘deglamorisation’andheightenedsenseoftheordinaryseemingly

broughtaboutbytheinclusionofthetelevisionpersonalityinmagazinecoveragegenerally

seemstocomplementtheincreasingfocusonimperfectionandmisbehaviourintheprivate

livesofthesepersonalities.

Inaddition,critically,thereseemstobeagrowingfocusontheprivateinner,emotionalor

psychologicallifeoftheentertainmentpersonalityandtheirsupposeddoubts,misgivings

anderrantthoughts.Inotherwords,thereisasense,inthecoverageofthelate20th-

centuryfamousfigure,offailureandimperfectionnotonlyintheirprivatebehaviour,but

alsointermsoftheirprivatethoughts.

Atfirst,theideaoftheimperfectisconveyedmainlythroughtextualdevices,including

gossipandrumour.Thesedeviceswere,ofcourse,alsousedintherepresentationofthe

Starandhaveevenbecomesynonymouswithmediacoverageofentertainment

personalities,especiallytheweeklymagazines,whichareoftencolloquiallyreferredtoas

‘gossipmagazines’.Yetgossipandrumour,whichcouldbesaidtohavebeenmorebenignin

thetimeoftheStar,tookadefiniteturntowardsthescurrilousandscandalousincoverage

surfacingtheimperfect.

ComparedtotypicalcoverageoftheStar,magazinerepresentationoftheCelebrityemploys

anadditionaltextualdevicetogossipandrumour:confession.Itisakeycharacteristicthat

helpstodistinguishbetweenthecategoriesofStarandCelebrity.Itisalsoaninterestingone

toconsider,asitseemstoreflecttheshifttowardstheinclusionofelementsoftheinner,

emotionalorpsychologicallifeofthefamousfigure.Whereasgossipandrumourhavea

strongqualityof‘thirdperson’aboutthem,theCelebrityconfessionisexclusively‘first

person’.Thenotionofconfessionisassociatedwithinnerorpsychologicallifeand,

importantly,alsoaconflictedortroubledemotionallife,andtheideaofmisbehaviour.In

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fact,asbothKing(2008)andRedmond(2008)remindusinaspecialeditionofthejournal

SocialSemioticsdevotedtoconfessioninthefameindustry,confessionhasastrong

connectiontoreligionandsin,thatmostextremeformofmisbehaviour.

Whatcanbeseeninlate20th-centurySouthAfricanweeklymagazinecoverage,however,

arethefirsttentativeindicationsoftheconfessiontrend,whichwouldcometoencompass

allmediaengagingwithshowbusiness,includingtelevisionandeventuallythenewmedia.

Theseearlyconfessionsincludeone-on-oneinterviewsandotherfirst-personaccounts,

whichcouldratherbedescribedasselectdisclosureandrevelationsofinnerfeelingsmore

thanmisbehaviour.

Importantly,atthisstage,allthedevicesemployedbythemagazinesasevidenceof

imperfection,includingrumour,gossipandtheearlyformsofconfession,aretextual.This

despitethefactthat,comparedtotypicalcoverageofearlierinthecentury,weseethepage

spaceandwordcountdevotedtoeachindividualpersonalityshrinking.Tabloiddevices

(suchasateartoillustratetheendofarelationship)mightbeusedforvisualillustration,but

forthemostpart,theevidenceisinthecopy,notintheaccompanyingphotographs.Thisis

acrucialshift,asgoingforwardinthetrajectory,magazineswillusetextualandvisual

devicesinequalmeasureinthecoverage,whichimpliesthatwordcountsandtextual

coveragecontinuestodwindleasthecenturyprogresses,inordertoallowspaceforvisual

representation.Thereisagrowingsense,aswemoveintothe21stcentury,ofthe

magazinesnotonlycoveringorreportingonbutactuallyexposingimperfection,usingboth

textualandvisualdevicestopresenttheirevidence,specificallypaparazziphotography.This

isoneofthereasonsfortheidentificationoftwosuccessivefiguresundertheheading

‘Celebrity’aroundtheturnofthe20thcentury.

Thenotionofimperfection,whichnowstartsbecomingadistinguishingcharacteristic,

bringsaboutmoreshiftsintheinterplaybetweentheordinaryandextraordinarythat

informedthewayfamehasbeenrepresentedinmagazinesoverthe20thcentury.Put

differently,dependingonthemomentinthetrajectory,piecesofevidencearealternately

usedtoemphasiseordinarinessorextraordinariness.WiththeEpicHerofigureoftheearly

decades,the“extraordinarytalents”(Howells2011:114)displayedinpublicdominated

coverage,almostentirelyeclipsingtheordinaryinthewayfameisrepresented.The

literatureonstardom,andthepioneeringworkdonebyDyer(1979),officiallygavethe

exchangeofthetwoelementsaname,the‘ordinary–extraordinaryparadox’,andidentified

itasanessentialtenetunderlyingthatunderstandingoffame.WheretheStarisconcerned,

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thisparadoxhasbeenreadalternatelyasindicativeoftheplaybetweenthequotidianand

thedistinctive,asHolmes(2005)pointsout,ortoshowupthecontradictionsbetweenthe

Star’sprivateandpubliclife,anobservationmadebyEllis(1992),andPhilipDrakeandAndy

Miah(2010),amongstothers.Theparadoxhasalsobeenapplied,asRixon(2011)notes,to

theplaybetweentheintimacyanddistancethattheStarisseentoembody.

Theintroductionofanelementofimperfectionintothedefinitionofwell-knownnessagain

changedthewaythisjuxtapositioncouldbeinterpreted.Inthelate20th-centuryfigure,

textualevidenceofimperfection,shortcomingandsupposedflawseemstobeemphasised

mostofteninordertomarkordinarinessinakindof‘theymakemistakes,justlikeus’

narrative.Byextension,the‘theyarepeople,justlikeus’statementisaneasyonetomake,

whichofcoursemakesamagazinetitledPeopleaseeminglyaptchoiceforthisinvestigation.

‘Ordinarybecauseflawed’,whichseemstobeadominantthemeintheformofwell-

knownnessunpackedhere,canagainbecontrastedwithwhatistocome,whena

connectionbetweenextraordinarinessand,particularly,misbehaviourbecomesnoticeable.

Thisisanotherdistinctionthatmotivatedfortwoseparatefiguresaroundtheturnofthe

20thcentury.

Followingtwoprevioussuccessiveformsoffamethatseemtoavoidanymentionof

imperfectionand/ormisbehaviour,theEpicHeroandtheStar,comesthisnewdominant

figure,whichappearstodeliberatelysurfaceofasenseofflaw.Theterm‘dominant’is

importanthere,asthisprojectisspecificallyfocusedonthemainordominantfigures

emerginginpopularweeklymagazinecoverage.Althoughthenotionofflawadmittedly

startedsurfacinginpopularmagazinesbeforethelate20thcentury,mostnotablyinearly

copiesofConfidential,foundedinthe1950s,asVictorDavis(2002)andHolmes(2005)

correctlypointout,itisonlylaterthatmisbehaviourandimperfectionbecomedominant

themesincoverageofentertainmentpersonalities.Itgainsdominancearguablybecauseit

alsobecomessanctionedbythestarsthemselvesonlylaterinthecentury;thisisevidentin

thefactthattheentertainment-personalitymisbehaviouronlyheadlinedinConfidentialfor

fiveyearsbeforetheso-calledcourt‘Trialofthe100Stars’forcedthemagazinetochange

editorialcourseandfocusonpositiveratherthanexposé-drivenshowbusinessstories.

Tolookahead,apointingoutofflawcontinuedtobeaprominentelementofmagazine

coveragegoingintothe21stcentury.Itarguablybecomesmorepronouncedinvarious

ways,anditalsooftenmoredeplored.Itisthisoften-bewailedidentificationofimperfection

andflawthatissounmistakableinthefirst21st-centuryincarnationofwell-knownnessthat

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originallyinspiredthisresearchproject.Whileitwasinitiallyprojectedthattherewouldonly

bethreecategoriesoffameinthetrajectory,withthecorrespondingfiguresbeingtheEpic

Hero,theStarandtheCelebrity,afourthoneseemedtoemergefromthearchivalevidence

consulted.

ThereisanintermediateortransitionalformoffamelocatedbetweentheStarandthe

Celebrityofthefirstdecadeofthe21stcentury.Itisintermediatepreciselybecauseitwas

ontheonehandbuiltupontheHollywoodblueprintyet,ontheother,undoubtedly

preparedfortheformoffamewithitspreferenceforflawthateventuallydominatedearly

21st-centurymagazinecoverage.

Beforethismoreradicalkindoffame,whichwillbeunpackedindetailinthefollowing

chapter,cameitsmorerudimentaryandperhapsseeminglylesscoherentpredecessor,andI

foundthebestlocalexampleofthisformoffameintheSouthAfricanPeoplemagazine.As

theargumentisthatthereisaforeshadowingofthe21st-centurytrendinthelate20th

century,thefinalcategoryoffamehasbeensplitintwo.Thusthetwofiguresthatemerged

incoveragearoundtheendofthe20thcenturywerenamedEmergingCelebrityand

CelebrityProper.

AsitisbasedontheconceptoftheStar,yetisanearlyincarnationofamoreextremeand

radicalunderstandingoffamethatcomestocharacterisetheearlyyearsofthe21stcentury,

theEmergingCelebrityisbestexploredinrelationtoitspredecessorandsuccessor.Using

someexamplesfromearlyissuesofPeopleSA,thenextpartofthischapterwillbriefly

comparethethreeconsecutivecategoriesandemphasisehowthisprecursortothemore

radicalCelebrityProperdistinguishesitselffromthelatter,aswellasfromtheStar.

Thepossiblelate20th-centurymediaandsocio-culturalelementsthatmighthave

influencedtheappearanceofthisparticularfigureatthispointwillalsobehighlighted.Yet

thelinkbetweentherepresentationoffameinmagazinecoverageandthereigningsocial

andculturalfactors,especiallyonthelocallandscape,becomesmorecomplextodefine,at

leastcomparedtodiscussionsoftheStarandtheEpicHerointheprecedingtwochapters.

PioneersfromtheGreatTrekandmilitaryheroesfromtheSouthAfricanwarsoftheturnof

the19thcenturyheldobviouscachetforthefledglingAfrikanernationtargetedasthemain

readershipofthenewearly20th-centurymagazineHuisgenoot.AsSparks(1990:277)

explains,fortheAfrikaners,“Justastheheroicpastbecamesanctified,sodidtheheroes

becomedeified”.Similarly,theStarheldparticularappealfortheurbanisingblackreadersof

Drummagazineinthemiddleofthecentury.Nixon(1994:31)explainshow,“Hollywood

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offeredamixtureoftransportandrecognition;areprievefromapartheid’ssuffocating

prohibitions”.Inaddition,Hollywoodofferedaroughblueprintforthepublicisationof

privatelivesofentertainersthatcouldapparentlybesuccessfullyappliedtolocalblack

musicians,actorsandsportsstarsinDrum.

However,thefactorsthatmayhaveinfluencedtheemergenceoftheEmergingCelebrity

towardstheturnofthecenturyinthelocaleditionofPeople,withitsapparentlylargely

whitereadership,arechallengingtoidentify.Therewasgrowingexposuretoglobalmedia

andspecificallymagazineinfluencesintermsofproductsandmeansofproduction,

specificallytothosefromtheUnitedStates.Nixon(1994:160)notesan“accelerated

AmericanizationofSouthAfricanculture[…]sincethemid-1970s”andattributesitmainlyto

SouthAfricabeingisolatedfromculturalmaterialfromBritainthankstoaboycott

contributingtowardstheglobalcampaigntoendapartheid.Subsequently,alocalversionof

theUSmagazinebrandPeoplewaslaunchedinthe1980s.Atthispoint,theAmerican

influencethathadundoubtedlyplayedapartintheemergenceoftheStarinDruminthe

1950sandalsotheEpicHeroinearlyHuisgenootbecameexclusiveandconcentrated.

ComparedtoitsUSnamesake,PeopleSAseemedtoveermoretowardssensationaltabloid-

likecontentfocusedonentertainmentpersonalitiesbehaving‘badly’.Butcomparedtoits

moreradical21st-centuryincarnation,themisbehaviouroftheEmergingCelebrityof1980s

Peopleisstillfairlytameandmodest.ThepreparatorynatureoftheEmergingCelebritycan

partiallybeattributedtothepositionofmagazinesvis-à-visthelocalcensorshiplawsatthis

point.Jan-AdStemmet(2005:206)arguesthatinthe“dramaticmid-1980s”,thelocal

apartheidgovernment’s“censorshipofnon-politicalmaterialgraduallybecamesomewhat

morerelaxed,albeitinaverysubtleway”.SofromaroundthetimePeoplelaunchedinSA,

thereappearedtobemorefreedomtopublishmaterialthatmighthavebeendeemedtoo

controversialandevenbannedafewyearsbefore;Stemmet(2005),forinstance,recallsthe

banningofissuesoflocalwomen’smagazinesSarie,FairLadyandCosmopolitanintheearly

1980sduetocontentthatwasdeemedtoosexuallyexplicit.Peoplewascertainlyrelatively

accustomedtocontroversial,even‘risqué’andsubversivematerial,asitbelongedtothe

sameparentcompany(RepublicanPress,laterPerskor)aslocalweeklymen’sinterest

magazineScope,andtherewasevensomeoverlapintermsofstaffmembers.Yettherewas

presumablyanexpectationforPeopletokeepitsmaterial,andcoverageofentertainment-

personalitymisbehaviour,withincertainacceptablelimits,sinceitwasafamilymagazine;

moreoverasFroneman(2011:50)remindsus,itwaspublishedbyPerskor,“acompanythat

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hadNationalPartycabinetministersasdirectorsandsidedwiththemoreconservative

elementsingovernment”.

Againsttheconservativesocio-politicalclimateof1980sSouthAfrica,itisperhapsnot

surprisingthatcoveragerevealingthemisbehaviourandflawsofwhitepeople,suchasthat

appearinginPeopleSA,wouldintentionallyavoid‘incrimination’oflocalpersonalitiesand

thusfocusoninternationalentertainersinstead.Thefirsthalfofthecenturysawplentyof

localpersonalitiesemerginginmagazinecoverage,firstasEpicHeroandthenasStarfigures.

Bycontrast,duringthesecondhalfofthecentury,thefocusshiftedfromlocaltoglobal,and

magazinecoveragewasmoreoftenofinternationalthanSouthAfricanpersonalities.

Sinceitsestablishment,thefocusinPeoplewasdecidedlynon-politicalinnature;the

individualpeopleitcoveredwerealmostallentertainers,andnospacewasaffordedto

contemporarypoliticians.Thisisparticularlyinterestingtoconsiderinthelightofthefact

thatgreatchangeswereafootinSouthAfricainthelate1980s,asthecountryfacedits

importanttransitiontodemocracy.Thenotionofthe‘politicalcelebrity’wasalready

established.Bythetimehewasinaugurated,NelsonMandela,thefirstdemocratically

electedpresidentofSouthAfrica,wasalreadyinternationallyacclaimed.Hewasaglobal

iconandthefaceofSouthAfrica’sgroundbreakingtransitiontodemocracyandwasoften

seeninthecompanyofacoterieofentertainersincludingNaomiCampbell,Bonoand

others.MandelaandF.W.deKlerk,themanwhoprecededhimasstatepresident,jointly

wontheNobelPeacePrizein1993.

Inotherwords,therewasundoubtedlythepossibilityforPeopleSAtoparticipateinwhat

Driessens(2012:643)calls“celebrification”,atermhereservesfor“theprocessbywhich

[…]publicfiguresaretransformedintocelebrities”,ofsomeoftheprominentpoliticiansof

1990sSouthAfrica.Yetthelocalweeklydidnothaveanycoverageofpoliticianswhatsoever

duringthistime,notevenatkeymomentssuchaswhenMandelawasreleasedin

November1990,afterspending27yearsinprison.Thesameappliesduringthefirst

democraticelectionsinApril1994andthemonththatfollowed,whenMandelawas

inaugurated.

Giventhealmost‘golden’opportunityithadtocelebrateaprominentforceinthetransition

likeDeKlerkoraglobaliconlikeMandela,People’somissionofpoliticalcontentanddearth

ofcoverageofpoliticiansinPeopleSAduringthedawnoftheNewSouthAfricais

extraordinary.However,thislackofinterestinpoliticianscontinuestocharacteriseweekly

entertainmentmagazinesinSouthAfricaandglobally.Theabsenceofcoverageofpoliticians

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inthelate1980sandearly1990sinPeopleSAcouldpartlybeattributedtothefactthat

thesepersonalitiesdidnotquitefitwiththemagazine’seditorialfocusatthetime,andthe

politiciansoftheNewSouthAfricawouldhavebeenmoresuitedtoHerothanCelebrity

coverage.Also,itmighthavebeentheeveofthedawnofdemocracy,yetSouthAfrican

societystillremaineddividedalongraciallines,withthemajorityofthewhitepopulation

quiteconservative.ThissuggestsPeopleSAprobablyanticipatedthatgivingprominenceto

blackpeopleinitscoveragecouldalienateitsoverwhelminglywhiteandmostlikely

conservativereadership.

TheconservatismoftheSAgovernmentatthetimePeopleSAlaunchedinthelate1980sis

importanttoconsiderforotherreasons,notablytheintroductionoftelevision,andthe

impactthathasonthewaythemagazinerepresentedfame.Foryears,theapartheid

governmentprotected(especiallywhite)SouthAfricans“againstwhatwereseenasthe

behavioursrepresentingthedisintegrativeeffectsofmodernity”,JonathanHyslop(2000)

argues.Thiscampaignincludedanumberofmeasuresaimedatcontrollingthedailylifeof

SouthAfricans,includingintensified“censorship[…]ontheculturalandpoliticalfront”,the

banningofcertainkindsofmusicfromstateradio,“draconianmeasuresagainstdrug

abuse”,a“legalclampdownonhomosexuality”and,crucially,arefusaltointroduce

television(Hyslop2000:38).Consequently,despitetelevisionbeingintroducedtocountries

suchastheUnitedStatesandBritainasearlyasthe1930s,itwasonlyintroducedona

commercialscaleinSouthAfricain1976.

TelevisionwasmuchmalignedbytheSouthAfricangovernment(Nixon,1993;Hyslop,

2000),80andforthesamereasonHollywoodstarswereoftencriticised:forbeing

instrumentalinmoraldecay.81TheUnitedStates,homeoftheHollywoodfilmindustry,and

exclusivesupplieroftelevisionprogrammingbroadcastedinSouthAfricaatthetimePeople

80TelevisionwasextensivelyvilifiedbymembersoftheSouthAfricanNationalPartyindefenceofthegovernmentbanofthemediumupuntil1976(Nixon1993),asitwasfearedthatforeignprogrammingwouldexposeSouthAfricanviewersto“unwantedliberalinfluences”(Hyslop2000).DrAlbertHertzog,MinisterofPostandTelecommunicationsatthetimeoftheban,forinstance,calledthemedium“spiritualdagga”,a“schoolforcrime”,“thatevilblackbox:sickly,mawkish,sentimentalistic,andleadingtodangerousliberalistictendencies”.Hertzogisalsosaidtohavewarnedthat“insidethepill[oftelevision]thereisthebitterpoisonwhichwillultimatelymeanthedownfallofcivilizations”(asquotedinNixon1993).81Theintroductiontoa2002surveyofglobaltelevisioninTheEconomist(2002)notesthat:“Televisioncontinuestoenjoyarobustholdonthepopularimagination.Therearefewsocialphenomena,perniciousorbenign,forwhichtelevisionisnotbeingheldresponsiblebysomeoneorother:thestiflingofchildren’simagination,theincreaseinobesity,thedeclineofthefamilymeal,theerosionofmorality,thevulgarisationoftaste,theworshipofcelebrity,thepromotionofviolence,theunderminingofauthority,themaintenanceofAmericanculturalhegemony—andthespreadofdemocracy”.

95

SAwaslaunched,wascastasthe“dominantsourceofculturalimperialism”(Nixon1993:

121).Thus,itistobeimaginedthattheremightbeanexpectationthattheentertainers

associatedwiththismediumwouldsomehowberepresentativesofthe‘moraldecay’that

televisionwassupposedtosymbolise.Detailsoftheirless-than-perfectprivatelives,as

documentedinSouthAfricabymagazinessuchasPeople,couldthusbeviewedasfurther

‘evidence’oftherotspreadbythemediumoftelevision.

3.1EmergingCelebrityunpacked

Malignedornot,televisioncertainlyloomedlargeonthecoveroftheveryfirstissueof

PeopleSA,whichisdated27May1987,andcouldbereadasanindicationtothereadership

thatpersonalitiesfromthe‘smallscreen’wouldbeincludedinthemagazine’seditorialmix.

Supportedbyadramaticred,whiteandblackcolourpalette,sensationalcoverlines

‘scream’,mostlyinallcapitalletters:“BARNARDBOMBSHELL:CHRIS,62,SETTOWED

KAREN,22”,“BizarresecretsofCharles’andDi’smarriage”,“NEWPROOFUFO’S[sic]ARE

REAL”,“IWASEATENALIVEANDSURVIVED”,“Beerandwinearegoodforyou”,“NEWHOPE

FORHEADACHESUFFERERS”,“MrTturnslawyer”,“Higginsfallsfor‘MurderSheWrote’

sleuth”.

Themain(full-colour)imageisofasmilingChrisandKarin,andinsetsecondaryimagesare

full-colourportraitsofthemanwhoclaimedtohavebeeneatenaliveandofJohnHillerman

(whoplayedHigginsinTVseriesMagnum,P.I.).Thereareeightcoverlines,plusapromotion

ofacompetitionto“WINAWEEKATTHEWILDCOASTSUN”andthreephotographs–allin

starkcontrasttothecoversoftheearlyandmid-20th-centurymagazinesanalysedinthe

previoustwochapters.The1950sDrumandearly20thcenturyHuisgenootcoversgenerally

hadonlyoneimage,andcoverlinesweresparse.EventhoughPeopleSAisnotexclusivelya

showbusiness-personalitymagazine,atleastfourofthecoverlinesrefertofamouspeople,

orcharactersfromtelevisionseries.Lesspagespaceandfewerwordsdevotedtoeach

personalityorcouple,agrowingtrendinshowbusinessjournalismasthe20thcentury

progressed,meanttheopportunitytoincludemoreofthesepersonalitiesinanyoneissueat

atime.

Italsomeantlesspagespacewasdevotedtoeachpersonalityinsidethemagazine,

comparedtomagazinecoverageearlierinthecentury.Comprisingatemporal‘hook’,People

SA’scoverstoriesweregenerallyallottedamaximumofonepageinsidethemagazine,

whilefeatures,whichwerenottime-bound,sometimesspannedmorepages.This

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diminishingpagecountallocatedtoeachpersonality’sstoryisanindicationofhowthe

approachtocoveragehadchangedovertime.Whereearlyandmid-20th-centurymagazines

tendedtocoverlifestoriesinlengthyfeaturesspanningmultiplepages,thetrendinthelast

decadesofthecenturyseemedtobetoallocatefewerpagesand,crucially,movetowards

coveringcover‘storyarcs’withinthelifestory.Thesestoryarcsareshort(spanningafew

weeksatmost),episodicandrefertotime-bound,‘newsy’events,orthosecurrentlytaking

placeinapersonality’slife.

Thisiscrucial,asthistrendtowardscoverageofstoryarcswouldcontinueintothenew

millennium.PeopleSAinthe1980sstillincluded‘lifestory’coverageofentertainersinits

editorialmix,buttheselifestorieswereaffordedfewerpagesandwerealsocombinedwith

coverageofstoryarcs,aboutentertainmentpersonalities’privatelives.Themagazine’sbi-

weeklypublicationfrequencyenabledthepublicationoftime-boundnews.People’s

approachisinstarkcontrasttothatof1950sDrum,whichsometimesdevotedmultiple

pagesatatimetothevariousaspectsofthelifestoryofasingleentertaineroverseveral

monthlyissues,aswesawwiththeserialisedDollyRathebecoverage.Thenewselement

wasalsoentirelymissingfromearly20th-centuryHuisgenoothagiographies,whichwerethe

resultoflargelyposthumouscoverageandthemagazine’sdedicatedfocusatthetimeon

theepic,whichnecessarilyimpliedtheelementofalifestoryoralongjourney.

ThePeopleSAcoverstyleundoubtedlyannouncedthisnewpublicationontheSouthAfrican

marketaspartofthetraditionof‘tabloidjournalism’.Thisinfluenceissignificant,asithelps

toexplainthemove,atthispoint,towardscontentpointingoutimperfectionandportraying

behaviourasflawed.JohnMerrill(2005)notesthattheterm‘tabloid’originallyexclusively

referredtotheformat.Tabloidsareroughlyhalfthesizeoftheirbigger‘broadsheet’

newspapercounterparts,whichmakestheformereasiertoreadonpublictransport.Butthe

ideaoftabloidjournalismhasalsocometopresupposeaspecifickindofcontent,focusedon

“sensational,splashyentertainmentjournalism.Bigheadlines,gaudyandoftenlurid

pictures.Aminimumoftextandamaximumofphotographs.Andcolour.Andbizarre

stories,sexywomen,andscandalandgossip”(Merrill,2005:264,emphasisadded).The

“luridpictures”and“minimumoftextandmaximumofphotographs”(Ibid.)wouldonly

reallybecomeentrenchedintheSouthAfricanmedialandscapeinthe21stcentury,when

thefirstofficiallocaltabloidnewspaperwaslaunchedhere,asHermanWasserman(2006)

notes,butPeopleundoubtedlypavedthewaybyfeaturingtherestofthecharacteristic

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tabloidelements:thebigheadlines,thegaudiness,thecolour,thebizarrestoriesand,most

importantlyhere,thefocusonscandal.

JosteinGrisprud(inStrelitz2006,nopagenumber)pointsoutthatbesidessensationalism,

thetabloidindustryalsohasaproclivityfor“personalisation,andthefocusonprivate

concerns”.This“focusonprivateconcerns”(GrisprudinStrelitz,2006,nopagenumber)is

evidentinthecoverlinepromotingthearticleonlocalcardiacsurgeonDrChrisBarnard

(“BARNARDBOMBSHELL:CHRIS,62,SETTOWEDKAREN,22”)andraisesthesecondreason

thecoverofthelaunchissueofPeopleSAissignificant.Themaincoverimageandcover

headlinecomprisedapersonwho,inyearsgoneby,wouldprimarilyhavefeaturedinthe

mediaforactionsandspecificallyachievementsinhisprofessional/publiclife,namely

performingtheworld’sfirsthearttransplant,in1967,twentyyearsbeforePeoplewas

launched.Inotherwords,earlierinthe20thcentury,thecoverageofBarnardwould

arguablyhavefocusedonhispioneeringworkinthefieldofcardiacmedicineandconfigured

himasEpicHeroforusinghisextraordinarytalentandskillforthegreatergood,forthe

advancementofthefieldofmedicineandforSouthAfrica’sreputationalike.

People’schoiceofBarnardasthemaincoversubjectforitslaunchissue,combinedwiththe

approachthecoveragetakes,canbeseenasanindicationofthetransitionalnatureofthe

figureweencounterinweeklymagazinesatthetime.Ontheonehand,thereistheclear

acknowledgementoftheepic,themaindriverofmagazinecoverageofindividualsinthe

earlyyearsofthe20thcentury.ThechoiceofBarnardpayshomagetothefigureoftheEpic

Hero.However,thefocusandstyleofthePeoplecoverage,clearlydepartedfromtheearlier

magazine’srepresentations.Thisisbecausethecoveragefocusedalmostexclusivelyonhis

privateratherthanhispubliclife.

Ofallthevariousaspectsofprivatelife,itistheromantic,andeventuallythesexual,thatis

usuallymostcompelling,withRobertToll(1982)pointingouthowhigh-profileHollywood

couplingssetthetrendinthefanmagazinesbyattractingmostattention.Hollywood’s

legacyensuredthatrelationships,specificallyifbothpartnershadpublicisedprivatelives,

weresomeofthemainnarrativesthroughwhichwell-knownfigureswererepresentedin

magazinesofthelate20thcenturyandbeyond,asisevidentinthePeoplecoverageofDr

Barnardandhisfiancée,modelKarinSetzkorn.Thecoverofthelaunchissuealready

indicatedthatthefocusofthearticlewouldbeonthecoupleratherthanexclusivelyon

Barnard,themorefamouspartneratthetime.Andtheadmittedlyrepetitiveinsidearticle

deliversonthispromise;thereisnomentionofanypublic-lifeinformationotherthan

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identifyingBarnardasa“world-famousheartsurgeon”,82andthededicatedfocusisclearly

ontherelationshipandtheimpendingnuptials.

TheleadstoryPeopleranwithinitslaunchissuein1987couldeasilybeclassifiedas

conformingtothetypicalcoverageaffordedtoentertainmentpersonalitiesfromtheearly

20thcenturyonwards.Yetthereareafewsubtleindicationsthatthearticleinthelaunch

issue,whicharguablysetthetoneforthewayPeopleproduceditsspecificbrandoffame,

couldbeconsideredasindicativeofathresholdmomentbetweentheStarandthe

EmergingCelebrity.

Retrospectively,itisinterestingtoseehowPeople’s1980sportrayalofChrisBarnardas

hybridfigurewithenduredwellafterhisdeathin2001.Inanarticlemarkingthe50th

anniversaryofthehistoricfirsthearttransplant,MarinaJoubert(2017),forinstance,argues

that,“BarnardremainstheonlySouthAfricanscientistwhoeverachievedglobalcelebrity

status”.Shenotesthat:

Hiscelebritystatuswasboostedbyhisuniqueblendofcharisma,mediaflairand

boyishgoodlooks.Barnardsustaineditinyearstocomebyhishigh-profileprivate

life,publicengagementswithroyaltyandworldleaders,aswellasaseriesof

flirtationswithmodelsandmoviestars.(Joubert2017)

LetusconsiderthedetailsofPeople’srepresentationofBarnardtheEmergingCelebrity.

Firstthereisthealliterativeindicationrenderedinuppercasetypefaceonthecoverofthe

magazine:“BARNARDBOMBSHELL”,withitsassociatedmeaningsofsomethingsurprising,

amazingorsensational,anditscolloquialusetodescribeaperson,usuallyawoman,whois

consideredveryattractive.Theterm“bombshell”hasstrongconnectionstotabloid

journalism.Usingthistermtopromotetheleadarticleonthecoverofitslaunchissueisan

indicationofPeopleSA’seditorialvision.

Withitscover’swordchoice,themagazinearguablysentamessagethatitsintentionwasto

givepreferencetoanelementofsurprise,shockorsensationalisminitsnewsselection.By

extensionthen,itcanalsobereadasanindicationofthekindoffigurethatitwoulduseto

conveythiskindofjournalism.Itsreaders,inotherwords,couldexpectstoriesaboutpeople

doingshocking,surprisingandsensationalthings.AlthoughtheBarnardcoverlinesalmost

pre-empttheirreaders’shockbymerelysuggestingorhintingatwhatitactuallyisthat

82Morris,Rose,“BOMBSHELL!CHRIS,62,TOWEDKAREN,22”,People,27May1987.

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mightcausethebrouhaha,forthe20th-centurytrajectoryoffame,theyheraldanimportant

shiftinhowfamousfigureswererepresented.

Asindicatedonthecoverpage,theleadstory’selementofshockliesinthebigage

differencebetweenChrisandKarin.Bigagedifferencesinfamouscouplescontinuetobe

coveredinthemediaassensational,especially,perhaps,whereitconcernsanelementof

theheroicorthemodel,83asitsuggestsadeviationfromgeneralsocietalexpectation.

Barnardproveshimselfasatransitionalfigureinthisway,depictedasexemplaryintermsof

hisprofessionallifebutmuchlesssoinhisprivatelife,especiallyintermsofhisromantic

relationships.Notonlydidhehavemultiplemarriages,buthealsohadapreferencefor

womenmuchyoungerthanhimself.84Inconservative1980swhiteSouthAfrica,whichwas

stillculturallyisolatedthankstothegovernment’sdivisiveapartheidpolicies,85athird

marriage,andonethatinvolvedasubstantialagegap,couldsuccessfullybe‘spun’or

manipulatedbythemagazinetoevokeconcern,shockandevenperhapsoutrageamongst

itsreadership.Whatisconsideredcontroversialorscandalousisinfluencedbythe

“prevailingnormsandexpectations”,JohnB.Thompson(1995:145)remindsus:

Scandalsgenerallypresupposesetsofnormsorexpectationswhicharecontravened

ortransgressedbytheactivitiesinquestion,andwithreferencetotheactivities,once

disclosed,aredenounced.Thesenormsandexpectationsvaryfromonesocial-

historicalcontexttoanother.Hencewhatcountsasscandalous,andtheextentofthe

damagethatitcancausetoanindividualoradministration,willdependonthe

prevailingnormsandexpectations.

ThesecondwayinwhichtheBarnardcoverstorymarksashiftawayfromtheStarand

towardsadifferentrepresentationoffameconcernsthenotionsofordinarinessand

extraordinariness.Specifically,whatcouldbegatheredfromtheBarnardstoryisthatthe

latternotion,extraordinariness,couldbeinterpretedasbeingmorecomplexbybeing

associatednotonlywithpositiveelementssuchastalent,perfectionandexemplarinessand

soforthbutalsowithextremityandexcessthatcouldbeviewedasalarming.Thereis

somethingextremeandextraordinaryaboutBarnard’sthreemarriages,twoofthemfailed

bythetimePeoplelaunched,aswellasthosesubstantialagegapsbetweenhimandhis

83Thetwenty-five-yearagedifferencebetweenCanadianpresidentEmmanuelMacronandhiswife,Brigitte,wasforinstancewidelycoveredascontroversialin2017.84HissecondmarriagehadbeentoBarbaraZoellner,in1970.Shewasnineteen(thesameageashissonfromhisfirstmarriage),andheforty-eight.85See,forinstance,Hyslop(2000)andMalan(1991).

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secondandthirdwives,whichareallelementsofthestorybeingemphasisedonthecover

ofthelaunchissueofPeople,aswellasinthearticleinsidethemagazine.

AsisvisibleintheBarnardcoverage,adeliberateemphasisontheintersectionoftheideaof

anelementofextraordinarinesswiththenotionoftheimperfectortheflawedappearsto

startcharacterisingweeklymagazinecoveragetowardstheendofthe20thcentury.This

couldbeconstruedasadeparturefromcoveragesurfacingextraordinarinessintermsof

positiveelementssuchaselevation,distance,talent,distinctivenessandsoforth,which

couldratherbeclassifiedassurfacingtheStarandnottheCelebrityfigure.

NotonlyisthereevidenceofashiftawayfromtheStarintheBarnardcoverage,therealso

appearstobeaforeshadowingoftheCelebrityProperfigure,andthissupportstheclaim

thattheEmergingCelebrityisatransitionalunderstanding.Theforeshadowingisevidentin

whatappearstobean(perhapsawkward)attemptatironyandhumourinthewaythe

articleispresented.Specifically,itconcernsthecombinationofapersonalanecdotefrom

Karinusedinthearticle,whichagainpointstotheagedifferencebetweenthepartners,and

theselectionofthemainphotographaccompanyingthearticle.Theanecdotereads:

Karenstilltreasuresthephotographshehasofayouthful-lookingChrisBarnard

dandlingalittlegirlonhisknee.ThephotographwastakenwhenChriswas46.The

smilinglittlegirlonhiskneewasKaren.Littledidsheknowthatinamere16yearsshe

wouldbewalkingdowntheaislewithhim.86

Itisthecouplingofthisanecdoteinthecopywiththemain‘holding’image,showinganow-

adultKarinagainseatedonChris’slap,withhisarmsaroundherwaistandhishandsclasped

overhersonherbelly,inwhatlooksliketheloungeoftheirprivatehome,thatsuggestsan

ironicreading.Thecaptionevenexplicitlyconnectstheanecdoteinthearticlewiththe

stylingoftheposedimage:“Wife-to-benumberthreeKaren,thechildheusedtodandleon

hisknee”.Gamson(2001:275)notesthatironyis“oneoftheclearestlatertwentieth

centurydevelopments”inmagazinecoverage,withthereadership“invitedtotake[…]a

new,cynicaldistancefromtheproductionofcelebrityandcelebrityimages”.Itappearsasif

1980sPeopleusedironysparinglyandinarelativelyunderstatedwaywhenitdid,especially

comparedtomagazinecoverageoftheearlyyearsofthe21stcentury,yetitispresentanda

distinguishingcharacteristicofthecoveragethatcanbecategorisedassurfacingthe

Celebrityphenomenon.

86Morris,Rose,“BOMBSHELL!CHRIS,62,TOWEDKAREN,22”,People,27May1987.

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Barringtheabove,thecoverageevincesanapparentabsenceofscepticismonthepartof

journalistRoseMorris,whoacceptsKarin’spersonalconfessiontoherthatsheis“reallyin

lovewithChrisBarnardandhelovesme”andquotesananonymousfriendwhoagreesby

saying,“ThereisnodoubtChrisisthegreatloveof[Karen’s]life”andyetanotherclaiming,

“Theyloveoneanotherverymuch.”Withtheanonymousfriends’contributionswesee

gossipcontinuingtoservecoveragesurfacingtheEmergingCelebrity,asithaddonewiththe

Star.Inotherwords,gossipcontinuestobeadeviceofchoiceforshowbusinessjournalists

longafterthefanzineshadfirstemployedit.

Karinisnottheonlyonewhoisportrayedasbeinggenuinelyinlove,judgingbythearticle’s

concludingparagraph,whichclaimsthatChris,“wasashatteredman[afterhissecond

divorce]buttimeandKaren’slovehavehealedthewounds.Nowitseemshehasfoundthe

womanwithwhomhecanhappilyspendhisdecliningyears”.

Giventhefactthatthiswasconservative1980sSouthAfrica,andhismarriagetoKarin

wouldbehisthird,muchmorecouldarguablyhavebeenmadeofChris’smanyfailed

relationshipsandtheimperfectionandunhappinessbeingsuggestedinthesedetails.Yet

Peopleburieshiscontroversialromantichistoryinthelastfewparagraphsofitsarticle,

whichintraditionalnews-storystructuretheorieswouldindicateitslowpriority,with

prioritytraditionallydwindlingasthestoryprogresses.Beyondthe‘knee-dandling’

photographandtherelativelyobviousparadoxinthenarrativeofa‘maker’ofheartsinhis

publiclifebeingaserialbreakerofheartsathome,thereisverylittleironyandscepticismto

betracedintherestofthestory.TherumoursofhisinfidelitytosecondwifeBarbara

Zoellnerarementioned,forinstance,butswiftlydismissedwithhisownapparent

explanationthat,“ThetruthofthematteristhatIwassickandthegirlwasvisitingme.She

wassittingonthefootofthebedanditwasinbroaddaylight”.Theratherunderstated

expressionofhumanfallibilityinthePeoplecoverage,despitethefactthatthestory

obviouslypresentsmuchmoreopportunityforthiskindofemphasis,predictsthemuch

moreexplicituseofstorylinesfocusedonimperfectionandflawinthewaymagazinescover

personalitiesgoingintothe21stcentury.

New-millenniumcoveragewouldalsostronglycometobecharacterisedbyanexplorationof

thepersonalities’innerpsychologicallives.Thereisperhapsevidenceofmovementinthat

directioninthisarticleonChrisandKarininPeople,butitisstillarguablyintheearlystages,

asthereseemstobescopeformuchdeeperanalysisofherdecisiontomarryamanmore

thanfortyyearsolderthanherontheonehand,and,ontheother,hisapparenttendencyto

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woomuchyoungerandspecificallyhighlyattractive,high-profilewomen.(Barbarawasan

heiressandKarinamodel.)“KarenhasalwaysbeenopenaboutherfeelingsforChris”,

Morriswrites,beforegivingarathersuperficialoverviewoftheemotionssheexperienced

aftermeetingChrisforthefirsttime:

“IhadjustleftschoolwhenIfirstmetChris.MyfriendssaidIwascrazy,thatIwas

throwingmylifeawayonamanmucholderthanmyself.

“Nowtheyhavechangedtheirideasandtheyreallyalllikehim.

“Theagegapdoesn’tmatteratalltous.

“Heisaveryyoungmanatheart.

“Wethinkthesameway.HeunderstandshowIfeelaboutthings.Wedoeverything

together.

“Itravelwithhimeverywherehegoes.”

Onecouldconvincinglyarguethatthemagazineavoidedscepticism,aseeminglycritical

approachor‘deep’psychologicalanalysisinwritingthislocalstory,possiblyinorderto

maintaingoodrelationswithtwoindividualsintheverysmallandlimitedcommunityof

localpersonalitiesandensuretheirwillingnesstocooperatewiththemagazineinfuture.An

existingrelationshipwithKarinisalreadyclearfromMorris’scommentthattheformerhad

“toldmesometimeago”thatChriswasheronetruelove.

Establishingandmaintainingproductiveandsustainablerelationshipswithentertainment

personalities,inordertoensuretheirongoingcooperationand,crucially,divulgenceof

preferablyexclusive,intimateandhopefullycontroversialdetailsoftheirprivatelives,were

the‘tricksofthetrade’ofentertainmentjournalismtowardstheturnofthe20thcentury.It

hasbeenarguedthatmaintaininggoodrelationswithcurrentandpotentialsubjectsarethe

mostimportantmechanicsofgoodjournalismperse,notjustCelebrityorentertainment

journalismandthesemechanicshavearguablyalwayscharacterisedentertainment

journalismanddidnotonlyemergetowardstheendofthecentury.Andwhiletheseclaims

arecertainlyjustifiable,itisimportanttoconsiderthekindofchallengeithasalwaysbeen

tocreateandsustaintheveryspecific,symbioticrelationshipbetween

reporter/writer/profilerandentertainmentpersonalityrequiredbymodernshowbusiness

mediawithitsseemingpreferenceforexposingimperfectionandbadbehaviour.

The‘jobspecification’forentertainmentwritershasperhapsgrownorganicallyfromthe

1950sonwards,whentheHollywoodfilmstudiooligopolyendedviacourtorder,andfilm

actorsbecame“proprietorsoftheirownimage”(KinginGamson,2001:12)insteadof

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relyingontheproductionstudiowithwhomtheyheldacontracttoprescribewhattheir

publicimageshouldbeandcontrolthedamageifanydeviationwaseverrevealed.Asthe

Hollywoodstudiosystemwasdismantled,Sternheimer(2011:148)writes,theentertainers

“lostaccesstothetightlyrunpublicitymachine,whichnotonlycontrolledtheirimages,but

alsoprotectedthemfrombadpublicity”,whichimplied,amongstotherthings,thattheyhad

verylittlecontroloverthereleaseofmaterialrelatingtomisbehaviour.

Probablyacutelyawareoftheirlegacyasthemainarchitectsoftheimageofthe

entertainmentpersonalityeversincethefirstHollywoodfanzinehadbeenlaunched,the

entertainmentmediafromthe1950sonwardsweresuddenlyfreetoexposethekindof

detailthestudioshadkepthiddenforfearof‘badpublicity’anddwindlingfilm-ticketsales.

Someofthesepublications,theabove-mentionedConfidentialbeingoneofthemain

pioneers,exclusivelyspecialisedincontentexposingentertainment-personality

misbehaviourandcontroversy.

Othersdeliberatelyeschewedallscandal.Launchinginthe1940s,Spanishweekly

personality-newsmagazine¡Hola!,forinstance,deliberatelychosenottochangeitseditorial

preferenceforpositivestoriesontheprivatelivesofentertainersfollowingthedismantling

oftheHollywoodfilmindustry.Launchedinthe1970s,¡Hola!’sUK-basedfranchise,Hello!,

followedsuit,asdidtheoriginalUSeditionofPeople.Withitseditorialfocusonpositive

entertainmentstoriesandastrategiceditorialdecisiontoexcludeexposésofscandalous

behaviourforthemostpart,itisnotsurprisingthatPeopleUShasbeendescribed,by

Sternheimer(2011)andothers,asareplacementforthebynow-defunctHollywood

fanzines.TheUSeditionofPeoplehasbeenoneoftheleadingmagazinestocloak“the

appealtovoyeurism–theverymostattractive,albeitshameful,aspectoftabloidjournalism

–intherespectableclothesofpersonalityjournalism.Itwasnotembarrassingtoreadthese

publications[…]becausetheywereostensiblyupright,positive”,AnneHelenPetersen

(2011:229–230)writesinherhistoricalaccountofthegossipindustryintheUnitedStates.

AttheotherendoftheCelebrity-manufacturingprocess,theentertainmentpersonalities

themselvesstartedtoemployavarietyofprofessionalstomanagetheirimages.Quoting

Balio,Gamson(2001:12)providesanexhaustiveoverviewoftherangeoffilm-industryrole-

playersthatsuddenlyemergedfollowingthe“shake-upofthe[Hollywood]moviestudio

system”inthe1940sand1950s:independentproductioncompanies,studiosthatnow

contractedactorsonapicture-by-picturebasisratherthanowningthemforlongperiodsof

time,andtalentagents.“Whiletheeconomicdrivetowardastarsystemremainedinthis

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changedenvironment,newplayersenteredthegamefromthenow-dispersedsub-

industriesofstar-makingandfromthenew[intheUnitedStates]televisionindustry,and

strategiesbegantoshifttomeetthenewenvironmentalrequirements”,Gamson(2001:12)

writes.

Theseshiftingstrategiesnecessarilyincludedentertainmentjournalists,theentertainers

themselvesaswellastheirsupportcontingent(agentsand,morerecently,representatives

andpublicists)carefullycarvingoutagreementsonhowtorepresentandperhapsevenco-

producetheCelebrityimagethatwaseventuallypresentedtothepublic,agreementsthat

wouldsatisfyboththeentertainmentmediabyincreasingreadershipandthepersonalities

themselvesbygrowingtheirexposureandsubsequentpopularity.Agreementsweremost

likelynegotiatedovertimeandculminatedinanunderstandingthatcontentpurportingto

revealtheauthentic,realandordinaryoftheentertainmentpersonality’sprivateself,which

necessarilyincludedexposureofflawandimperfection,waslucrativeforthemedia.But,if

correctlymanaged,thiskindofcontentcouldalsobemanipulatedtoincreasetheallureof

thepersonalities.

Itcouldbearguedthatthemoretexturedcoveragefoundintheentertainmentmediaofthe

early21stcenturyisanindicationofamature,established,symbioticrelationshipthat

existedbetweenentertainmentjournalists,nowwidelycalledCelebrityjournalists,andthe

personalitiestheycovered.Bythe21stcentury,therewouldevenbetertiaryeducation

coursesdedicatedtothedisciplineofCelebrityjournalism,asHowardAltman(2010)points

out.Altman’sdiscussionincludesanaccountofthekindofcurriculumcoveredinoneof

theseCelebrityjournalismcourses,whichwastaughtattheCentralMichiganUniversityin

Mt.PleasantbyLorrieLynch,thenaneditoratUSAWeekend,andwhichrevealsthe

uniquelychallengingnatureofthediscipline:“Lynch[…]willcovercelebrityjournalism

rangingfromstagedeventstouncoveringscandal,includingfiguringouthowcelebrities’

publicityoperationsworkandmeetingstars’demandswithoutabandoningjournalistic

integrity”(Altman2010:18).

YetinatimebeforeCelebrityjournalismuniversitycoursesandthemorepolishedcoverage

oftheearly21stcentury,entertainmentmediaandpersonalitiesalikewerestillnegotiating

theirrespectivepositionsnowthattherewasnomoreintegratedHollywoodfilm-production

industrytoprotectthem.Whiletheywerejostlingtoreachsomekindofagreement,there

werestillmagazinestobeproducedandentertainment-personalityimagestobecirculated,

whichmeantthatmagazinesofthelate20thcenturyproducedarathercrudeandrough

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firstversionofsomethingthatwouldbecomemuchmorerefined.Hencetheinsistencein

thisthesisthattheCelebrityunderstandingoffamethatemergesaroundtheturnofthe

centurybedividedintotwocategories.

Iftheinternationalentertainmentmediaindustryfounditdifficulttomanagetheir

relationshipswiththepersonalitiestheycoveredinthelate20thcentury,howmuchmore

sothenascentSouthAfricanentertainmentmediafraternity.Thiswasthepre-internetera,

andSouthAfricawasstillculturallyisolated,soexposuretointernationalmediaand

Celebritycoveragewasseverelylimited.SoRoseMorris,thewriteroftheBarnardarticle,

andhercolleaguesatPeopleSAandits(few)localcompetitors,musthavefoundit

extremelychallengingtounderstandthemechanicsofthisnewunderstandingoffamethat

wasonlystartingtoemergeontheinternationalentertainment-medialandscape.

ThePeopleSAstaffcouldnotevenreverttothemagazine’seponymousparentbrandinthe

UnitedStatesforguidancesince,fromtheoutset,thelocalmagazine’seditorialvision

deviatedsubstantiallyfromthatofPeopleUS,possiblyanintentionalstrategytotake

advantageofacleargaponthelocalentertainment-magazinemarketforscandal-driven

content,whichseemedtoboostsalesintheUnitedStates.Thepublic-relationscampaign

promotingthelaunchofPeopleUSin1974emphasisedthemagazine’sfocuson“people,

notissues”(Time,1974)andspecifically“OPP:otherpeople’sproblems”(Stolley,in

Sternheimer2011:191).YetunlikePeopleSA,PeopleUSrarelycarriedcontentrevealing

scandal.Inkeepingwiththetraditionstartedbyitsfanzinepredecessors,PeopleUSstrived

tomaintainamicablerelationshipswithitsfamoussubjects,Sternheimer(2011)pointsout.

ThiscontinuestobethestatusquoatPeopleUStoday,whichisonereasonthemagazine

oftenmanagestosecureexclusiverightstofirstphotographsofsignificantlife-eventssuch

asweddingsandbirths.Ithaslaidclaimtoaweeklyreadershipinexcessof46million,the

largestaudienceofanyAmericanmagazine.

Withwhatseemstobeadecisiontodeviatefromtheeditorialfocusoftheeponymous

brandintheUnitedStatesandlittleguidancefromtherestoftheinternational

entertainment-mediaindustryintermsofthemechanicsofthisemergingformofCelebrity

journalism,itcomesasnosurprisethatPeopleSAinitsearlyyearsratheroptedtoavoid

beingtoocriticaloforscepticalaboutthesmallcircleoflocalentertainmentpersonalitiesit

probablyhopedtoincludeinitscoveragegoingforward.Thisdecisionoftenmeantscant

coverageoflocalpersonalities,atrendthatpersistedinto21st-centurySACelebrity

journalism,andthatimpliedafairlystraightreading,sono(oratleastverylittle)irony.

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TheelementofironyisoneofthekeydistinguishingfactorsbetweenEmergingCelebrityand

itsmoreradicalisedsuccessor.TracinghowentertainersarecoveredintheUSmediaover

the20thcentury,Gamson(2001:14)noteshowinthelaterdecadesofthecentury,“The

discourse[inprintmedia]broughtaboutanincreasingself-consciousnessandironyabout

celebrity”.Heprecedesthisstatementbyexplainingthattheself-consciousnessandirony

emergesasaresultoftheentryofseveralnewelementsintothefamediscourse;these

includetheexposureofthemechanismsusedtorepresentfame,theacknowledgementand

evenembraceoffameasa“commercialenterprise”andthefactthattheaudience“has

beeninvitedtoincreaseitsknowledgeandpower”ofandoverentertainers.

ThetextualevidencegatheredforthisprojectseemtoshowthatinSouthAfricanweekly

magazines,too,onecouldidentifytheentryofaspecificsetofelementsintothe

representationoffameandthesubsequentincreasein“self-consciousnessandironyabout

celebrity”(Gamson,2001:14).However,ironyandself-consciousnessonlybecamearegular

featureoflocalCelebrityjournalisminthe21stcentury.Thisrealisationpartlyinfluencedthe

categorisationandspecificallythedecisiontoproposetwoCelebritycategoriesinthe

trajectory:EmergingCelebrity,inwhichironyislargelyabsentornoteasilydiscerned,andits

radicalisedsuccessor,whichstronglyreliesupontheironicinitsrepresentationand

productionoffame.

SettingthetoneforPeopleSA’srepresentationofwell-knownness,theleadarticleinthe

magazine’slaunchissueallowsforonefinalconclusionabouttheEmergingCelebrity.This

observationconcernstheideaofephemerality.Discussionsoffameusuallytendtoconsider

howtemporaryorpermanentanindividual’swell-knownnessis,andthismatterisvery

oftenconnectedtothereasonforgainingfameinthefirstinstance.

Thislinkbetweenwhatitwasthatattractedfameinthefirstplaceandthelifespanofthe

publicattentionpaidtothewell-knownfiguredefinitelyseemstoemergeinthematerial

gatheredandanalysedforthisthesis.Thelargescope,almostawholecentury’sworthof

magazines,allowstheobservationthattheideaofthetemporarybecomespartoftheway

inwhichfameisrepresented:howitbecomesmorepronounced,andalsohowitseemsto

belinkedtothereasonforfameinthefirstinstance.

Intheearly20th-centurymagazines,fameisgenerallypresentedassomethingthatis

infinite.Mostofthecoverageisposthumous,withthiscelebrationoflifeonlyafterdeath

beingacharacteristicelementoftheheroic,ashasbeenpointedoutbymanyincluding,

amongothers,Wallace(1994)andDruckerandCathcart(1994).Thefactthattheindividual

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ismostlycelebratedposthumouslyseemedtobethemagazine’swayofindicatingthateven

afterlifehasended,legacy,andthusfame,survives.

Andthen,arguablyfromthetimetheHollywoodmarketingmachinewasdreamtup,the

Starfigurewascriticisedfornot‘meriting’thefamethatwasbestoweduponthemand

merelybeing“well-knownfor[their]well-knownness”,touseDanielBoorstin’s(1971)often-

citeddescription.Anddespitesubsequentpredictionsthattheirfamewouldbeshort-lived,

thenamesofthestarsfromHollywood’sso-calledglamorous‘goldenyears’dogenerallylive

on:JeanHarlow,FredAstaire,LucilleBall,IngridBergman,MarlonBrandoandmanymore.

ThesamecanbesaidforDorothyMasuka,DollyRathebeandtheotherlocalStarfigures

selectedtoexploreDrummagazine’scontributiontothe20th-centurytrajectoryofwell-

knownness.ThanksinparttoarevivaloftheglorydaysofDrummagazine,followingthe

dawnofdemocracyinthecountryin1994,thelegacyoftheseentertainersisstillbeing

celebratedwellintothe21stcentury.

Bycontrast,typicalwell-knownnessfromtheturnofthe20thcenturyseemstodisplaya

constantlygrowingelementoftheephemeral,asChrisRojek(2001:20)hassuggested,

venturingtocallthesepersonalitiesenjoyingfleetingfame“celetoids”:

Iproposeceletoidasthetermforanyformofcompressed,concentrated,attributed

celebrity.Idistinguishceletoidsfromcelebritiesbecause,generally,thelatterenjoya

moredurablecareerwiththepublic.

Inhisetymologicaldiscussionoftheword‘celebrity’,Marshall(1997:6)alsoalludestothe

connectionbetweenephemeralityandmodernunderstandingsoffame,drawing,

interestingly,theconnectionbetweenthewordandtheLatinwordcelere,whichmeans

swiftorfleeting.

TheinclusionofmodelKarinSetzkornintheleadarticleofPeopleSA’slaunchissuecanbe

readasanearlyindicationofanelementofephemeralityintheEmergingCelebrity.

Althoughthe1980sisadmittedlyatimewhenmodelsinternationallyweremakingsmall

gainsinthefamestakes,87thelocalbeautywasrelativelyunknown,saveforherrelationship

87MuchtothedismayoffamedetractorssuchasJosephEpstein(2005),the1980swasatimewhenmodelsmadesomegainsinthefamestakes,probablythankstotheterm‘supermodel’becomingprominentinpopularcultureatthetime.Butthegainsincludedlittlemorethannamebilling;ratherthanenduretheobscurityofanonymity,themodelsnowbecameknownbytheirfullnames.Somenames,includingChristieBrinkley,MargauxHemingway,PaulinaPorizkova,YasminLeBonandBrookeShields,amongstothers,becameknowninternationally,earningthesemodelsthe‘supermodel’designation.Thisnamebillingwasanimportantmomentinthemodellingindustry,

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withChrisBarnard,ofcourse.Infact,herrelativeobscuritymightexplain,atleastpartially,

whythePeopleSAleadstoryconsistentlymisspelledheractualnameKarinasKaren.Asher

famewasbasedonherrelationshipandneverreallydevelopedanyfurther,itwasofvery

shortduration.NotonlydidPeopleSAopttoleaditslaunchissuewithastorythatincluded

arelativelyobscurepersonalityand,importantly,featureheronitscover,itsinsidearticle

wasalsopredominantlypresentedfromherperspective,relyingongossipfromhermother,

herfriendsandapersonalinterviewwithauthorRoseMorris.Thiscouldbeinterpretedas

PeopleSA’sattemptatintroducinghertoitsreadershipandbuildingherimage.Butitcould

alsobeanindicationthatthemagazine’sapproachtofamedidnotalwaysrelyona

personality’sstayingpowerandthatitwaswillingtoacceptamodicumofephemeralityas

partofthegreaterfamepackageitrepresented.

PeopleSA’slaunchissuemighthaveledwithastoryaboutacouplehappilyinloveand

abouttogetmarried.Butitwasalsoclearfromthelaunchthatthesefairy-talecharacters,

thesuggestionofinfidelityandinappropriateagedifferencenotwithstanding,arenotthe

onlycastmemberscontributingtothelate20th-centuryunderstandingofwell-knownness.

Infact,thecontrastcouldnotbemorepronounced:theBarnard-Setzkornleadstory

appearsonapageoppositeanarticleonthedemiseofarguablythefairy-talemarriageof

thecentury,thatofthePrinceandPrincessofWales.Thesetworelationshiparticlesonone

spreadcanbereadasagoodexampleofwhatthenewunderstandingoffamecomprised:

coverageoftheprivatelifeand,moreover,exposureofelementsofimperfection,flaw

(failedrelationships)andhintsoftransgression(suggestedinfidelity)inthisspace.Withthis

newformoffameemergesanewfigure,onethatdistinguishesitselffromitsstar

predecessorbybeingrepresentedasimperfectandflawed.

Alsopromotedonthecoverofthelaunchissue,thisarticleontheUK’sPrinceCharlesand

PrincessDiana88isagoodexampleoftypicallate20th-centurymagazinecoverage.Withthe

headline“Differentinterests,differentfriends–separatelives:INTIMATESECRETSOF

CHARLESANDDI’SBIZARREMARRIAGE”,thearticlefocusesmainlyontheirprivate

relationshipandspecificallyonthemaritalproblemstheywererumouredtobehavingat

thetime.Theinclusionofwordssuchas‘intimate’and‘secrets’andeventhetabloidreminiscentofthetimeinearlyHollywoodfilmhistorywhen,asToll(1982)explains,theproductionstudiosrealisedthepotentialvalueofreleasingthenamesoftheircontractedleadactors.YetunlikeinHollywood,wherenamebillingcouldbesaidtohaverepresentedoneofthefirststepsintheconstructionofthe‘starsystem’,modelnamebilling,forthemostpart,didnotheraldtheentryofthemodelintotheworldofthestar,whichwasbuiltuponprivate-lifepublicisation.88“Differentinterests,differentfriends–separatelives:INTIMATESECRETSOFCHARLESANDDI’SBIZARREMARRIAGE”,People,27May1987.

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buzzword‘bizarre’intheboldtypeoftheheadlinesetupanexpectationoftherevelationof

thesalacious,mostprivatedetailsoftheirrelationship;yetthestoryitselfisreserved.It

focuses,rather,ontheideathatthereisaconcertedefforttoavoidsensationandscandal:

Theroyalcouplehaveverylittleincommonandfindmanyoftheother’sinterests

totallyboring,saypalaceinsiders.

But,toavoidscandal,theywillmaintaintheirbizarremarriagebydrivingdifferent

cars,seeingdifferentfriendsandspendinglittletimetogether,exceptonofficial

duties.

“Theyhavecometoaveryspecialandcivilisedagreementtoallowtheprincessmore

timetoherself,”saysroyalexpertHaroldBrooks-Baker.

Thefocusonseparatelivesandinterestsinthisstorysurfacestheideaofmiscalculationand

misjudgementonthepartofthepartners.Thestoryalsocontainsactualtransgressionin

termsofrumouredinfidelity,butthisisnotemphasisedinthe‘displaycopy’89andisalso

givenalessprominentpositionfurtherdowninthestoryitself.Thepossibilityofinfidelityis

alsosoftenedthroughcontextualisationintermsoftheirthirteen-yearagedifference.This

contextualisationandexplanationisevidentinthisquoteinthestoryfromEarlClancarthet,

describedasapalaceinsiderandconfidantoftheroyalfamily:

“Charlesis38goingon50[…]Thesadfactisthathehasneverbeenyoung.

“CharleshasbeenincreasinglyirritatedbyDiana’sflirtingatparties–whichisnomore

thantheharmlessexuberanceofayoungwoman.”

Theearlusestheword‘sad’todescribethefactthatPrinceCharleshadneverreallybeena

youngman.Combinedwiththefocusonthecivilisedwayinwhichtheseparationisbeing

conducted,thesurfacingofsadnessinthisstorylineinawayclosesupthepossibilityfora

full,trulyscandalous,sensationalexposé.

Moreover,thereisalsoanabsenceofvisualevidencetosupporttherumoursofinfidelity.

Thestoryrevealsthat,“Di’sbodyguardwasmovedtoanewjobbecausehewasreportedly

becomingtooclosetoher”andidentifieshimasthe“handsomepolicemanHarry

Manikee”,90yettherearenophotographsofhimorofthetwoofthemtogethertosupport

theseclaims.Theonlyphotographthataccompaniesthearticlecanbedescribedas

89Theterm‘displaycopy’referstotextthatisemphasisedthroughlargertypefacesize,boldingorcontrastingcolour.Typically,thiswouldbetheheadlineortitleofthearticle,the‘blurb’orbriefparagraphlinkingtheheadlinewiththearticleitself(whichalsooftencontainstheauthorcredit),citationsfromthebodycopyandcaptions.90ThecorrectnameisactuallyBarryManikee,butPeoplemisspelledit.

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illustrativeofthereportedestrangementratherthanasevidenceofanyspecific

transgression;itshowsthecoupleinpublic,assumedlyatanofficialevent,sidebysidebut

lookingawayfromeachotherandthecamera,andtheideaofseparationisexacerbated

withathevisualdeviceofatear-marksuperimposedontothephotograph,betweenthetwo

partners.Thefactthatthecoveragelacksvisualevidenceoftransgressionisoneofthe

reasonswhyitcanbecategorisedassurfacingEmergingCelebrityratherthanitssuccessor.

IalsoidentifytheEmergingCelebrityinthisstorybasedonthecontextualisingcomments

fromtheearlandalso‘royalexpert’HaroldBrooks-Bakerandasecond“palaceinsider”,

BaronTollemache,whichcanbeseenasveryearlyindicationsofthekindof

‘psychologisation’thatwouldincreasinglycometocharacteriseCelebrityjournalismgoing

intothe21stcenturyandsubsequentlysurfacetheCelebrityProper.

ThisPrinceCharlesandPrincessDianastorywasselectedtoprovideevidenceforthe

argumentthattheEmergingCelebritycategoryisaboveallatentativeonethatinessence

preparesforitssuccessor.Theexplorationofthepsycheofthepersonalityisonlyjust

beginning,andalthoughthereareclearindicationsofflawandimperfectionintheprivate

realm,theyareforthemostpartnotsupportedvisuallyandoftennotemphasisedorfully

explored.Thereisadiscerniblefocusonwhatisportrayedasimperfectionandtransgression

incoverageoftheCelebrityProperfigure,andthemagazinecoverageoftheEmerging

Celebritypreparesthewaywithanarguablymorediscreetapproach.Sternheimer(2011)

foundthattowardstheendofthe20thcentury,themediagenerallystartedoptingfortales

ofheartbreak,illness,loneliness,divorce,adultery,singleparenthoodandchildrenbornout

ofwedlock,alongsidetheoccasionalidealisationofnuptials.Inotherwords,only

occasionallydowefindaglimpseofglamourinentertainment-personalitycoverage.And

fromtheevidenceinPeopleandotherlocalmagazinescoveringshowbusinesspersonalities,

theSouthAfricanmediaseemedhavefollowthisglobaltrend.

Physical‘imperfection’

Inadditiontostoriesaboutbrokenlivesandpromises,thenotionofsupposedphysical

imperfectionisessentialtohowtheCelebrityProperisrepresented.Thankstopaparazzi

photography,magazinesofthe21stcenturywouldcometousephotographic‘evidence’to

revealthese‘imperfections’,whicharguablydonottranslateasconvincinglyintotextual

description.Yetbeforewegettothismoreradicalexposureofsupposedphysical

imperfection,itismadeexplicitinlate20th-centurymagazinetexts.APeoplearticlefrom

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1987entitled“NOBODY’SPERFECT–NOTEVENTHESEFAMOUSFACES”isagoodexample.91

Spanningtwopages,thearticlefeaturesphotographsmostlyillustratingthequestionable

make-upchoicesofahandfulofwomenincludingDonnaMillsandDallas’sMorganBrittany.

Ablack-and-whitephotographpurportstoshowsingerCher“beforeherbeautytreatment”

with“acomplexionlikeagravelpit”,atleastaccordingtooutspokenmake-upartistStan

Place,thearticle’smainsource.ThearticlenotesthatPlace“ismake-updirectorfortheMiss

Universe,MissUSAandMissTeenUSApageantsandhasworkedonsuchstarsasLynda

Carter,KimBasinger,SusanDeyandLaurenHutton”.AnotherphotographofCher,notably

infullcolourinsteadoftheblackandwhiteofthe‘before’picture,whichlookssuspiciously

likeitwastakenyearsbefore,thistimesupposedlyafterherbeautytreatment,elicitsthe

commentfromPlacethatthesingerlooks“Strikinglybeautiful”.

Thearticleencouragesreaders,byaddressingthemdirectly,to“TAKEheart:Nobody’s

perfect–notevenHollywood’smoststunningwomen”.Thedirectaddressissparinglyused

inthisarticle,andindeedinPeopleSAgenerallyatthispoint,yetitshouldbenoted,asit

goessomedistancetowardspreparingforhowCelebrityProperwillbepresented,thelatter

makingabundantuseofthisliterarytechnique.Thegrowinguseofthistechniquein

magazinesgoingintothe21stcenturyisinteresting,as‘breakingthefourthwall’inthisway

isgenerallythoughtofasanacknowledgementtothereaderoraudienceintheatrethat

whattheyarebeingpresentedwithisfictional.Itisalsoemployedinordertorelaxthe

bordersofthefictionbeingpresentedandtoincludethereaderinthefictionalscenarioor

community.

Itcouldalsobeinterpretedasanotherindicationandconfirmationofthepresenceofsome

oftheelementsGamson(2001:13)identifiesasenteringrepresentationsoffametowards

theendofthe20thcentury,notablytheexposureof“themechanismsbywhichimagesare

madeandbywhichcelebrityisbuilt”andtheinvitationtotheaudience“toincreaseits

knowledgeandpower”.Inthe“NOBODY’SPERFECT”article,theemphasisonthesupposed

physicalimperfectionsofthestarscanbereadasasubtleinvitationtothePeopleSAreader

togrowtheir“knowledgeandpower”oftheentertainerswhousuallyappearsopicture-

perfect.TheuseofthedirectaddressherecanbereadasahinttothePeopleSAreaderto

takecognisanceofthepossibilitythatwhatisbeingpresentedhereisfictional.This

identificationofapossibilityoffictionisnotaspronouncedorself-evidentinPeopleSAin

thelate20thcentury,butitcanundoubtedlybesaidtohavepreparedthewayforCelebrity

91“NOBODY’SPERFECT–NOTEVENTHESEFAMOUSFACES”,People,December1987.

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Proper,which,touseGamson’s(2001:18–19)words,enlightensreadersaboutthe

“falsenessofcelebrity”and“thedisruptivenotionthatthereisnothingbehindafabricated,

performedimagebutlayersofotherfabricated,performedimages”.

TheuseofdirectaddressinPeopleSAcanalsobereadasindicativeofanearlyattemptat

creatingafictionalised‘family-like’communitythatincludesthemagazine,the

entertainmentpersonalitiesthemselvesaswellasthereaders:whatJokeHermes(1995:

127)callsthe“extended-familyrepertoire”.Thissenseofcommunity,whichisalsofostered

bythearticle’sfocusonthekindsofflaws(bushyeyebrowslikeBrookeShields,crossedeyes

andscrawninesslikeJoanvanArk)andmisjudgements(unfortunatemake-upchoices,

althoughthatmightjustbethebeauty-burdenofthe1980s?)readerssharewiththe

entertainers,againemphasisesordinariness.

Itmustbenoted,however,thatalthoughasenseofordinarinesscanbederivedfromthe

NOBODY’SPERFECTarticle,itisstillrelativelysubtle,especiallycomparedtocoveragethat

canbeclassifiedasexemplaryoftheCelebrityProper.Thissubtletycanforthemostpartbe

attributedtotheuseofstyledandposedfull-colourportraitphotographs,someofwhich

evenappeartohavebeenshotinaprofessionalstudio.Comparedtotheoverwhelming

senseofordinarinessthatonegainsfromtheunposedandcandidpaparazziphotographs

thatwereemployedasevidencefortheCelebrityProper,thesenseofordinarinessinthe

NOBODY’SPERFECTarticlereliesmoreonthetextualdescriptionthanonthesupposed

photographicevidence,whichhasclearlybeenamelioratedbyprofessionalbeauticiansand

photographers.ComparedtotheordinarinessthatunderliestheCelebrityProperfigure,the

EmergingCelebrityinPeopleSApresentsuswithamuchmoreobscureandrudimentary

version.

Thepackagingofmisbehaviour

Visualevidenceofwhatisrepresentedasphysicalimperfection,andalsomisbehaviour,is

nottheonlythingdistinguishingthetwoCelebritycategories.Thereisalsoamarked

differenceinthewaymagazinesaroundtheturnofthecenturypresentedquestionable

behaviouraspartoftheCelebritypackage.Thepurportedmisbehaviouritselfremained

roughlythesame,namely“excessiveconspicuousconsumption,exhibitionistlibidinous

gratification,drugabuse,alcoholaddiction,violence”,toquoteRojek’s(2001)observation.

Butthetwosubcategoriesconcernasubtlydifferentapproachtotheseexcesses.

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Thedifferenceisslight,andIcouldonlyseeitinretrospect,incomparisontotheevidence

fortheemergenceoftheCelebrityProper.Intherepresentationofthelaterfigure,typicalof

Celebritymagazinesoftheearly21stcentury,misbehaviouristypicallycontextualised,often

throughspeculativepsychologicalanalysis.Arguablylendingthecoverageasympatheticand

perhapslessjudgmentalovertone,thisapproachcouldbesaidtobeaimedatapossible

identificationwiththeentertainmentpersonalitythatisagainindicativeofthe“extended-

familyrepertoire”thatHermes(1995)identifiedamongstreadersofthesemagazines.

ComparedtoCelebrityProper,thekindofapproachtakentomisbehaviourinthecoverage

surfacingtheEmergingCelebrityismuchmoresynoptic,perhapsreminiscentofanirregular

‘catch-up’withadistantrelativewhogivesanoverviewofwhathastranspiredinthepast

year.Withouttheverydetailedinformationaboutthelatestpieceofmischiefattheir

disposal,abenefitofthededicatedsocalledshowbusiness-newsagenciesofthenew

millennium,themagazinesofthelate20thcenturyrathergiveabroad-strokesoutline,with

littleofthesuspensethatischaracteristicofcoverageofthe21stcentury.Unlike21st-

centuryCelebrity-magazinecoverage,thereishardlyanyreferencetoindividualCelebrity

storyarcsthathavebeentracedoverrecentissues,andtheissues’lowerfrequency

comparedtonew-millenniumtitlesisofcourseahandicapinthisregard.Sosometimes

thereareincoherent,evenseeminglyhaphazardindividualstoryarcsthatemergeovera

relativelyshortperiodoftime,suchaswithTVactorJohnRitter,whoisportrayedashappily

marriedbyPeopleinJanuary198992andquitetheoppositeinaMarch/Aprilissuethat

year,93withoutmuchwarningoranyreferencetotheearlierarticle.

BoththesestoriesmentionthenameofHooperman,thecharacterJohnplayedinthe

eponymousseries,anditisinterestingtoseehowthereisevenwhatseemstobea

deliberateblurringbetweentheprivateandpublicpersonalityinthelaterheadline;itis

Johngoingthroughdivorce,yettheheadlineclaimsthatitisHooperman’smarriagethatis

disintegrating.Wealsosawotherevidenceofthistrendonthecoverofthelaunchissue.94

Specifically,thecovermentionedHiggins,thecharacterfromthetelevisionseriesMagnum

P.I.,insteadoftheactor,JohnHillerman.Inthissamecoverline,the“‘MurderSheWrote’

sleuth”appears,withoutthenameofthecharacteroractor(AngelaLansburyplayedthe

roleofJessicaFletcher).Itappearsasifthistreatmentisspecificallyextendedtotelevision

92“WHYJOHNRITTERGAVEUPLIFEINTHEFASTLANE:HOOPERMANSTARLOVESHISFAMILY”,People,11–24January1989.93“THEENDOFAFAIRY-TALE:HOOPERMAN’S11-YEARMARRIAGECRUMBLING”,People,29March–11April1989.94People,27May1987.

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personalities,andnotasmuchtofilmperformersormusicians,anditisalsoanapproach

specifictotelevisionactorsthatwouldcontinueintothenewmillennium.Thistrendin

PeopleSAseemstoprovideevidencefortheargumentthattelevisionpersonalitiesgenerally

simplyperformasthemselves,asGraemeTurner(2004:11)argues,“themoreseamlessly,

thebetter”.Ifonefollowsthisargument,notionsofordinarinessandauthenticityemergein

thewaythepersonalitiesarecovered,evenifonlysuggestively.

Itissuggestedabovethattheadditionoftelevisionpersonalitiestothegroupofpeople

beingcoveredinmagazinesbroughtaboutade-glamorisationandordinariness,factorsthat

couldbeseenasby-productsoftheinternationaltrendinCelebrityjournalismtowardsthe

endofthe20thcenturyofemphasisingtheideaofimperfectionandmisbehaviour.Yet

DeborahJermyn(2006:81)pointsoutthat,“fornonUS[television]audiences,the

programmes’geographicaldistancefeedsintoasenseoftheirstarsbeinglessimmediately

ordinaryandfamiliar,andperhapsmoreparticularly‘desirable’”.

ThisisaninterestingobservationtoconsiderfortheSouthAfricancontext,as‘desirability’is

hardlythetermonewouldusetodescribethemainsentimentunderlyingcoverageof

televisionpersonalities(andotherperformers)inPeopleSA.Quitethecontrary,infact.But

despitethestoriesabouttheirrelationshipsfailingandtheirbehaviournotalwaysbeing

‘acceptable’,themerefactthattheUSpersonalitieswerephysicallyfarawayfromand

beyondthereachoftheSouthAfricanreadersofPeopleperhapscontributedtotheir

desirability.

Thisdesirabilitycouldalsobeseenascontributingtotheextraordinary,whichneedstobe

presentforapersonalitytowarrantcoverage.Moreover,theextraordinarinessshouldnot

beovershadowedbytheordinary;thereshouldalwaysbeabalancebetweenthetwo.The

ideathattheordinarymightdominatetheextraordinaryinthefigureofthetelevision

personality,consequentlydiminishingtheirdesirabilityandreaders’interestinthem,might

beawaytoexplainthepreferenceforinternationalactorswiththeirdistance-induced

desirability,andthesimultaneousabsencegenerallyoflocaltelevisionperformersinthe

PeopleSAcoverage.

AsthedetailscomingfromthesourcesinHollywoodwerenodoubtscantanderraticatthe

time,timelinesinarticlesweregenerallykeptvagueanddidnotspecifydetails,asisclear

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fromthearticle“CHILDSTARDREWBARRYMORETREATEDFORDRUGADDICTION”.95The

articlenotesthatthethirteen-year-oldactor“hasbeenadmittedfortreatmentinadrug

clinic”and“isundergoingamonth’sintensivetreatmentforherdrugproblemsatspecial

centreinLosAngeles,USA”,buttherearenospecificsaboutwhenshewasadmittedor

whenshewasexpectedtoleave;theabsenceofsuspensehereispalpable.Likethemajority

ofthepersonalitiescoveredbyPeopleSA,theactorisidentifiedintheheadlinebybothher

fullname(forenameandsurname)andashorttitle,“childstar”,whichseemstoindicate

thatreadersmightnotbefamiliarwithheryet;aswiththeBarnard-Setzkornarticlecited

earlier,the“extended-familyrepertoire”isyettoemerge.Thisalsoseemstobeevident

fromthefactthatthearticlegivesasobering,ifsomewhatcondescending,near-

chronologicaloverviewofherlifesinceshegainedglobalfamefromtheleadroleinthe

StevenSpielberg-directedfilmETattheageofseven:

Spielbergdescribedherthenas“seven,goingon29”.[S]tartedhercareerinadog-

foodcommercialwhenshewas11monthsold.[…]Shetookoveradiscountil2amfor

her10thbirthdayparty[…]Bythetimeshewas12,shehadthebodyofan18-year-old

[…]At13she[…]developedsuchacrushonMoonlightingstarBruceWillisthatshe

hadtobebarredfromthestudiosaftershekeptpesteringhimduringfilming…

TherumoursabouttheteenageDrew’sapparentlyinappropriate‘adult’behaviourinthis

excerptarefurthersupportedbyherfirst-personadmissionsanddenials.Ithasbeenargued

thatcoveragesurfacingCelebrityseemstodistinguishitselffrommagazinerepresentations

oftheStarbecauseitreliesnotonlyongossipandrumourbutalsoonconfession,infirst-

personaccounts,which,withitsstrongreligiousconnotationtosin,wouldofcourse

necessarilysuggestthenotionoftransgression,especiallyso-calledsinsoftheflesh.Momin

Rahman(2008)arguesthatconfessiontestifies“tothevoyeuristicandscandalousimpulses

ofcelebrityculture”and“providesaspecificformatinwhichscandalorcriticismisreplayed,

confronted,managed[…]providingadramaticcomponenttocelebrityculture”(Rahman

2008:134).

Iwouldratherrelegatethefirst-personaccountincludedinthisarticle,ofDrew’schildhood

being“anythingbutnormal”andalsoher“favouritefantasy”ofherandafriendgetting

theirdriver’slicencesand“jumpingintoa450SLMercedeswithapinkinteriorandablack

exterior.We’llcruisetheBoulevardandpickuptwocuteguys.Laterwe’llgetridofthemand

pickuptwomore.Intheafternoonwe’llgetamassageandafacialandmake-up”tothe95“CHILDSTARDREWBARRYMORETREATEDFORDRUGADDICTION”,People,25January–7February1989.

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realmofadmission,althoughtheelaborateandlavishfantasydoessucceedininjectinga

senseoftheextraordinaryintothecoverage.However,theintimateandinvasivequestion

aboutwhethersheisstillavirginandherevasiveanswerhasadefinitesenseofthe

confessionalaboutit:

“Iamjusta13-year-oldgirlwhohappenstoworkinthemovies.Thatgivesyouinsight

toposeforthecameraandgiveoffanyimageyoucaretoproject.Howmuchisthe

realmeandhowmuchisrole-playingismysecret”.

AstheCelebrityindustrybecomesmorenuancedtowardsthebeginningofthenew

millennium,confessionwouldcometobeusedmuchmorestrategicallybytheCelebrity

Proper,asthereappearstobemorecontrolovertheirrelease,especiallywithregardsto

exclusiverightsforspecificpublicationsortelevisionshows,whichimpliesusingthem

strategicallytoserveratherthandetractfromtheimageoftheentertainmentpersonality.

Televisiontalk-showhostOprahWinfrey,forinstance,wouldbecomeoneofthefavoured

confessorsofmanyentertainmentpersonalitiesinthe21stcentury.Ontelevision,aswellas

intheprintedmediaandespeciallytheweeklymagazines,theseconfessionswouldoften

cometobesupplementedbymoreextensivecontextualisationofthetroubled

entertainment-personalitysoul,throughpsychologicalanalysisonthepartofthetalk-show

hostormagazinestaff.

3.2BarbraStreisanddoesEmergingCelebrity

Asenseofconfessionandaglimpseintotheinneremotionallifeareamongstthereasonsan

articleonHollywoodactorandsingerBarbraStreisandinPeopleSAof1989isagood

exampleofcoveragesurfacingtheEmergingCelebrity.96

Thearticle,whichcouldbesaidtobeatypicalexampleofPeopleSA’scoverageof

entertainmentpersonalitiesatthetime,wasprominentlyplaced(onpagetwo)inthe

magazineandlinkedtothemaincoverimageandcoverline.

Thepageallocationinsidethemagazineisonesinglepage,andthereisnoexplicittime-

boundelementor‘newshook’giventoexplainthestory’spublicationatthispoint.

Consequently,thearticletakessomewhatofa‘life-story’approach,givingdetailsof

Streisand’schildhood,aswellasmorerecentinformation.PeopleSAstillincludestheselife

storiesofindividualentertainersinitseditorialmix,butallocatesmuchlessspace,page-

96“Poor-little-rich-girlBarbraStreisandisstillinsecure”,People,11–24January1989.

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wise,thanmagazinesearlierinthecentury,andtakesadifferentapproach,inthatitfocuses

onthe‘highlights’ofthepersonality’slifebutalsoontheircontinuousfallibilities,doubts

andanxieties.DescribingBarbraas“theworld’smostbankableactress”,atanestimated

net-worthofR170millionatthetime,thearticle,forinstance,pointsouthowthe

Hollywoodfairytaleeludesher,maintainingthat,“[S]he’sstillasinsecureaswhenshewas

growingupintheharshenvironmentofBrooklyn,NewYork,USA,clingingtoahot-water-

bottlecover,heronlytoy,forcomfort”.

Itcouldbearguedthatthemagazinedeliberatelyusedthe(possible)vulnerabilityand

anxietysheapparentlydisplayedinherprivatelifetocontradictorresistwhatDyer(1979:

111–113)callsher“on-screensocialtypification”,whichshelikelyacquiredby

characteristicallybeingcastasastrongandindependentfemalecharacter.AsJuneSochen

(1998:78)argues,Streisand’sfilmroles“allqualifyasthoughtfuleffortstoportraywomen

asintellectuallyformidable,interestedandengagedintheirsociety”.Localfilmaudiences

andentertainmentmagazinereaderswouldforinstancehaveseenherintheleadingrolein

the1983filmYentl,inwhichsheplaysaJewishgirlwhoassumesamaleidentityinorderto

acquiretheJewishTalmudiceducationreservedformales.Notonlydoessheplayafeisty,

precociouscharacterinthefilm,butshealsodirected,co-wroteandco-producedYentlata

timewhentheHollywoodfilmproductionindustrywasstillverymuchmaledominated.

Yentlwasnominatedforanumberofawards,andStreisandwonthe1984GoldenGlobefor

filmdirection,thefirstwomantoreceivethisaccoladeinthethenforty-year-oldexistence

oftheHollywoodForeignPressAssociation’sannualawardsceremony.97

Asawomanpioneerinthefilm-productionindustryandindependentlymindedscreen

heroine,Barbra’spublicimageisapparentlyoneof“ferocity”,themagazineargues,yetit

emphasiseshercontradictoryprivatelife:“Oddly”,thearticleargues,“theactresswhohasa

publicreputationforferocityisseldomdifficult,obstructiveortemperamentalinprivate.She

isanxious,guilt-drivenandfearfulofbeingseenasvulnerable,especiallytomen.”Shealso

acknowledgesthat“she’sstilldrivenbyself-doubt”despiteherself-confessed“bigego”.

Betweenthisconfessionaboutbeinginternallyconflictedandthethird-personobservation

aboutherpersonalityinprivate,weseeevidenceoftheexplorationoftheemotionalor

innerlife,acharacteristicthatdistinguishesCelebritycoveragefromthatsurfacingtheStar.

Theapparentpsychologicalobservationsapplytoherpersonalitygenerallyandbringa

senseofthe‘lifestory’tothisarticle.Thisisimportant,aspsychologisationbecomesmore

97By2018,shewasstilltheonlywomantohavewonthisaward.

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pervasiveaswemoveintothe21stcentury.Thisisperhapsbecausegoingforward,wewill

seehowthe(oftenamateur)analysisandobservationinthecoverageisappliednotasmuch

tothegeneraltemperamentandcharacterofthepersonality,andthustotheirlifestory,but

moreoftentoaspecificincidentorseriesofincidentsofquestionablebehaviour.Inthis

way,thedelvingintothepsychewillstarttakingplacearoundstoryarcsratherthanaround

thegenerallifestoryofthepersonality,whichensuresasteadystreamofmaterialor

episodesforweeklymagazine-publishing.

Insteadofidealisingherhigh-profilerelationshipswithotherentertainers,thePeopleSA

articledeliberatelyemphasisestheirflawed,problematicnature.Bythetimethearticle

appeared,shewasalreadyadivorcée,asshehadbeenmarriedtoactorElliottGouldfrom

1963to1971,andremainedtheprimaryparentfortheirson,JasonGould.Notonlydoes

thearticlediscussherdivorcefromElliott,butitalsomentionsthat,“[s]he’sdatedalong

lineofcelebrities,includinghairstylistJohnPeters,formerCanadianPrimeMinisterPierre

TrudeauandicecreammogulRichardBaskin.”HerrelationshipwithfellowactorDon

Johnson,whomSouthAfricanreaderscertainlywouldhaverecognisedfromthetelevision

seriesMiamiVice,“hadmoreupsanddownsthanarollercoasterandintheendthey

collapsedinacrimony”.Streisandspeculatesthatherdismalromanticlifeistheresultofher

loversfeeling“intimidated”byher.“Iprobablyscaredthehelloutofthem”,sheexclaims,

“SoIlostmyselfinmywork,alwaysthinkingthatthenexttimetherewouldbeaguywho

wouldn’tturntailandrun”.

Besidesexposinglonelinessandheartache,thearticlealsoinacertainwayappearssubtlyto

piercetheimageoftheStarthathadbeensocarefullyproducedbytheHollywoodfilm

industryovermuchofthe20thcentury,whichwasoneinvolvingperfectandglamorous

privatelives.Itundoubtedlyretainsanelementoftheextraordinaryandtheglamorouson

theonehandbymentioningBarbra’simmensewealth.Itforinstancenotesthatthe“ranch-

stylehouseonthebeachinMalibu”,whereshewasinterviewed,isbut“oneofsevenhomes

shehasinCalifornia,USA”andthatthe“househasarichcollectionofpaintingsand

antiques.Sheadmitsaflockofdealerscombtheauctionhousesoftheworldseekingnew

treasuresforher”.Thearticlealsonotesthatbyherownadmission,“[S]heearnsR2200an

hour–everyhourofthedayofeveryweekofeveryyear.”

Yetthereisarguablyalsoahintofthelessglamorous,oratleastthemoreordinaryand

domesticated,inthearticle’sobservationthatsheactuallycooksforherself.Notonlydoes

BarbramentionherowncookingtotheauthorofthePeoplearticle,shereportedlyactually

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demonstratesit,bywhiskingeggsforanomelettewhilebeinginterviewed.Notehowthe

much-discussedordinary-extraordinarydividesurfaceshere;shemightbeextraordinary

giventhefactthatsheownsmultiplehomesinCaliforniaalone,hasa“flockof[artsand

antiques]dealers”atherbeckandcallandearnsafortune,yetsheisalsoquiteordinary,as

shedoesnotappeartohavealargedomesticteamwithacookpreparingmealsforher;she

takescareofthisherself.Thefactthatthereisaneyewitnessaccountinvolvedinthisarticle

couldbereadasanattemptatmakinganevermorecompellingcaseforwhatChristine

Geraghty(2000:184)hasdescribedasthe“surprisinglyordinarydomesticlife”oftheStar.

Asomewhat“watered-down”legacyoftheNewJournalismmovementofthe1960sand

1970s,asGeraldRussello(2005)argues,thelate20th-centuryentertainmentpersonality

profile’strendofweavingfirst-handobservationsmadeduringtheinterviewingprocessinto

thefinalarticleisimportant.Notonlydoesitcontributetothenotionofaccessibilitytothe

entertainmentpersonality,whichcanbeseentocontributetotheideaoftheirordinariness,

butitisalsosignificantasitforegroundsakeyelementofthenextrepresentationoffame

identifiedinthisthesis,ofshowingthe“surprisinglyordinarydomestic”(Geraghty2000:

184)lifeofthestarbyprovidingphotographicevidence.ThuswhereasEmergingCelebrity

coveragereliesuponthewriter’seyewitnessaccountsofthepersonalitiesengagedintheir

ordinaryeverydayactivities,CelebrityPropercoverage,asthenextchapterwillshow,will

cometorelyonphotographicevidenceofit.Inacertainway,EmergingCelebritycoverage

finallyallowsthereadertobecomeakindofeyewitnesstotheCelebrityphenomenon.

AnothertrendthatappearstoemergeinthisPeopleSAprofilepiece,thatofinterviewing

theentertainmentpersonalityintheprivatespaceoftheirhome,isalsosignificant,asitcan

besaidtosymbolisethecontinuingcollapseoftheboundariesbetweenthepublicand

privatethatcharacterisesthetrajectoryof20th-centuryfame.Comparedtoearly20th-

centurymagazinecoverage,whereverylittleornomentionwasmadeofprivatelife,

depictionsoftheprivatelifeoftheStarpermeatedmagazinecoverageofthemid-20th

century.Laterinthecentury,thispenetrationoftheprivaterealmwastakenonestep

furtherasthehome,thatinnersanctum,waspenetratedandsubsequentlyincorporated

intothecoverageandtheentertainerimage,asthisPeopleSAarticlesosubtlydoes.Ifthe

homeisviewedassymbolicoftheStar’sprivatelife,itissignificanttonoteinthisinstance

thatinthehierarchyofroomscontainedwithintheconfinesofthewallsofahome,the

kitchenisusuallyconstruedasmoreprivatethanreceptionareassuchaslivingroom,

lounge,dininganddrawingroom.Theonlytworoomsmoreprivatethanthekitchen,

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arguably,arethebedroomandthebathroom.Thus,thefactthatatleastasectionofthe

interviewissaidtotakeplaceinthekitchencanbereadasanindicationthatherprivatelife

hasbeenatleastmoderatelyexposed,notasexposedasitwouldhavebeenhadthe

ultimatelyprivatespacesofbedroomorbathroombeeninfiltrated,yetconsiderablymore

exposedthaniftheinterviewhadtakenplaceinareceptionareaofherMalibubeach

house.

TheeyewitnessaccountofBarbra’somelettepreparationleadsintoabriefexchangethat

revealsherreasonsforcookingforherself:“WhenI’mnervous,Ineedtoeat”,sheisquoted

assaying.“Iusedtohaveacook,butshewasalwayspilingmyplateevenwhenIwasn’t

nervous.Cookingformyselfisonewaytoavoidgainingweight.”Heradmissionthather

weightandbyextensionherphysicalappearanceisnotquiteperfectisinteresting,asit

seemstosignalamoveawayfromadominantperceptioninStarcoverage;theperception,

asLiesbetvanZoonenandEmilyHarmer(2011:94)havepointedout,thatentertainers,

especiallywomen,areendowedwith“beauty,enigmaticappealandcorporealperfection”.

Thisconfessioncanalsobeinterpretedasanindicationthattheentertainerisordinaryand

‘justlike’thereaderintermsofhavingtobevigilantnottogainweight.Thiscommentcould

simultaneouslybereadasasubtleindicationofaselfthatisvulnerabletostressandabody

thatislessthanperfect,abodythat,itseems,isinterpretedassomewhatproblematicor

flawed.

Conclusion

Asentertainersstarteddominatingweeklyconsumer-magazinecoveragetowardstheendof

the20thcentury,theheroicelementthathadbeensopervasiveincoverageofindividualsin

early20thcenturymagazinesdwindled.Furthermore,asthecoveragefromPeopleSA

magazineseemstoshow,coverageoftheseentertainersfurthererodedthedividebetween

theirpublicandoftenchoreographedandproducedprivatelives.Thiserosionwasachieved

byadeliberatedismantlingoftheneat,sanitisedprivateexistenceportrayedundertheso-

calledHollywoodmarketingmachinebeforeitsfinaldisbandmentinthelatterhalfofthe

20thcentury.Exposureoftheshortcomings,flaws,errors,misjudgementsand

transgressionsintheprivatelivesoftheseentertainers,oftenthroughtheirownadmission,

inconfessionsthatweresubsequentlydisclosedtothepress,withorwithouttheir

knowledgeandpermission,wasthemainwayinwhichthemagazineswentabouttheirtask

oftakingaparttheStarimagetheHollywoodpublicitymechanismhadsocarefullycrafted

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foritsperformers.Itwasamechanismthatwasalsoappropriatedbyotherentertainersand

personalitiesbentonalifeinthepubliceye.

Ithasbeenproposedthatasignificantdistinctioncouldbedrawnbetweenhowweekly

magazinesportrayedwell-knownnessinthemid-20thcenturyandhowthiscametobedone

towardstheendofthemillennium,andthatthisdistinctionmeritsaseparate

categorisation.Eventhoughtheterms‘star’and‘celebrity’areusedinterchangeablyinboth

popularandacademicliterature,thetermStarisusedheretosignalthefigureconceivedby

HollywoodandthetermCelebrityfortheStarimagetingedbyimperfection,flawandalsoa

senseofmisbehaviour.

Thisisanunderstandingofwell-knownnessthatbecamedominantinpopularmagazines

fromtheendofthetwentiethcenturyonwards.InSouthAfrica,themagazinetitlesthat

surfacedthisunderstandingasthenewmillenniumapproachedincludedPeoplebutalso,

evenifmoresubtly,theweeklyfamilytitlesDrumandHuisgenoot,whichbecamestable-

matesintheearly1980s,98andalsoPersonalitymagazine.Yetitisarguablythelocaledition

oftheBritishCelebrityweeklyheatthatseemedtoradicalisethenotionofCelebrityonthe

SouthAfricanmedialandscape.Consequently,usingcoveragefromheat,themoreradical

CelebrityProperfigurewillbeexploredinthefollowingchapter.

Thischapterhadconjureduptheimageofdescentorfall,fromtheheavenstotheearth,

fromStarstoPeople,soastoopenthediscussionofanunderstandingoffamebasedonthe

notionofimperfectionandmisbehaviour.Theemphasisinthecoverageisonentertainers

showingimperfectionsandbeingbadlybehavedandgenerallytroubled.Thisdepartsfrom

contemplation,intypicalcoverageearlierinthecentury,oftheglamour,successand

otherwisealluringelementsoffigureexportedthroughtheHollywoodfanzinestardom

blueprintoftheearly20thcentury.ButsomethingoftheglamourofoldHollywoodis

regainedinspiteofthecontinuedpresenceofimperfectionandmisbehaviourinthe

representationofCelebrityProper.Atleastonereadingoftheword‘hot’,impliedinthetitle

ofthemagazineheat,suggestsappealorcachet,andanunderstandingoffamethat

appearedtobebasedlargelyontheenticingappealofflawwillbeexploredinthenext

chapter.

98NasionalePers,thefoundingcompanyofHuisgenoot,acquiredDrummagazinefromitsfounder,JimBailey,in1984.

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Chapter4:CelebrityProper:heatSAintheearly21stcenturyTheemergenceofthenotionof‘imperfection’ofmanykindsinmagazinecoverageof

entertainmentpersonalitiesaroundtheturnofthe20thcenturyhasbeennotedinthe

literature.Hereitisarguedthatthisgrowingfocusinentertainmentjournalismcanbetaken

further,andthatonecouldidentifytwodifferentkindsoffiguressurfacingfromcoverage

predominantlypreoccupiedwithwhatcouldbroadlybedescribedasflawsorproblematic

behaviour.

IncoveragesurfacingtheEmergingCelebrity,imperfectionandfallibilityarereferencedwith

errorsofjudgementandmisbehaviourintheprivatelifeandeventhefirsttentative

mentionsofwhatareportrayedasphysicalflaws.Whatweseeinthecoverageofthe

privatelifeoftheEmergingCelebrityis,inmanyways,theoppositeofwhatweseeinthatof

theStar:fairy-taleromancesandhappyfamiliesrepresentedasessentiallyidealand

‘perfect’makewayforstoriesofeverythingbut,namelyheartache,loneliness,divorceand

singleparenthood.Thisemphasisonimperfectioninitsvariousguisesseemstobefurther

elaborated,refinedandamplifiedgoingintothe21stcentury.Hencetheclassificationofthe

transitionalfiguredominatinglate20th-centurycoverage,asanemergingone,aselements

characterisingthisfigureappeartobecomemoreradicalisedinthefirstdecadeofthenew

millennium.Thiswasoneofthemajorreasonsinfluencingthedecisiontodistinguish

betweenwhatiscalledEmergingCelebrityanditssuccessor,CelebrityProper.Although,

withthepredominantfocusinthecoverageonproblematicandevensometimesdownright

risquébehaviour,itwastemptingtocallthisfiguretheCelebrityImproper.

Theradicalisationisachievedinpartbyashifttoalargelyvisualapproachtoproviding

evidenceofimperfectionandmisbehaviourinCelebrityPropercoverage.Thevisualevidence

referredtohereisforthemostpartcandidandapparentlyunauthorisedpaparazzi

photographyofpersonalitiesseeminglygoingabouttheirprivatelives.Thisgroupof

photographersareamongthosethat,asRedmond(2006:33)argues,“functiontoshowus

thestar,celebrityorpersonalityasblotchy,spotty,over/underweight,drunkanddisorderly,

dishevelled,drugged,angry,violent,deceiving,hiding,lying,stealing,naked,knickerless,

bra-less,lewd,promiscuous,ormetaphysically‘lost’”.

Thisdescription,whichtosomeextentresemblesadolescentmischief,isimportant,asit

summarisesthekindofbehaviourthatismostoftenincludedinthecoverage.Inother

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words,itanswersoneoftheguidingquestions,namelyhowapersonalitygetscovered,by

givingaclearindicationofthekindofbehaviourthatwouldbeexposedinthemagazine.

Thecandidphotographcanbesaidtobeamaincontributortothesenseofordinarinessand

truthsupposedlysurfacingfromthecoverage.WithreferencetoAllanSekula’s“theoryof

thehighertruthofthestolenimage”,AdrienneLai(2006:219)notesthatthereisa:

presumptionthatcandid,unguardedimagesaremorenatural,andthusmore

truthful,reflectingmoreofthesubject’s‘innerbeing’[…]Thisnotionofthecameraas

atoolofpenetrationandrevelation[…]isparticularlycogentinthecelebritycontext,

whereartificeandimagedominate.

Theideaofthesesupposedlyunposedphotographsbeingreflectiveofthe‘innerbeing’of

theentertainmentpersonalityisextended,inCelebrityPropercoverage,withafurther

explorationoftheinnerlifeoftheentertainer.Wesawsomeinitialindicationsofamoveto

theinteriorinEmergingCelebritycoverageintermsofevidenceoffirst-personadmissions

andreflections,oftenofself-doubt,misgivingsandanxietyorwhatcouldbroadlybecalled

‘beingtroubled’.

Theseadmissionsgenerallyseemedtorevealerrorsofjudgementorofbehaviourdeemed

asinappropriateorunfortunate.Andalthoughtherewasnotnecessarilytheideaofsinina

religioussense,thenotionofconfessionseemstosurfaceinthecoverage.Bolsteredbythe

evidenceprovidedbycandidpaparazzi-stylephotographs,CelebrityPropercoverage

appearedmorefocusedontheconfessional,whichRedmond(2008:110)definesas“any

momentinwhichastar,celebrity,orfanengagesinrevelatoryacts”.

Theideaofconfessionconnotestransgression.Confessionisalsounderstoodtorevealat

leastsomethingabouttheinnerlifeoftheentertainmentpersonality,orwhatJoLittler

(2004:13)calls“emotionalinteriority”.Thereseemtobeevenfurtherattempts,inCelebrity

Propercoverage,torevealandsupposedlyunderstandtheinnerlifeoftheentertainer.This

isdonethroughamateurishpsychologisationoranalysisofoften-photographedbehaviourin

public.

TypicalCelebrityPropercoverageavoidscareerhistoriesandcharacteristicallyapplies

psychologicalanalysisatparticularmomentstostoryarcsunfoldingoveroneormore

consecutiveweeksatatime,withakeeninterestinminutiaethatisevidentalsoinaspecific

kindofvisualapproachtothestorytelling.Thisinterestinthesmalldetailisadistinctive

characteristicintermsofthetrajectory.Untilthe21stcentury,thelifestoryofthefamous

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figure,whichwascoveredinlengthy,text-heavyaccountsandevensometimesserialised

andpublishedoverseveralmonths,hadaclearpresence.Butwiththedawnofthenew

century,nodoubtdrivenbytheweeklypublicationscheduleandalsotheideaof‘breaking’

Celebritynews,magazinecoverageincreasinglybecameorientedaroundthesmalldetail

andstoryarcofaparticularmomentratherthanthebiographicallifestory.

Tosummarise,CelebrityPropercoverageistypicallyhigh-frequencyexposureof

entertainmentpersonalities’privatelivesandspecificallywhatcouldbeportrayedas

physicalflawsandscandalousbehaviouratcertainkeymoments.Photographic‘evidence’

andasustainedpsychological-analysis-stylenarrativesupportthis.Withitskeen

preoccupationwithimperfectionandmisbehaviour,thiskindofeditorialapproachcertainly

rantheriskofgivingwaytocoveragethatwouldbeunappealingtoitsintendedreadership.

Yet,despitethepotentialforlosingreaderinterest,theCelebrityProperfigurewouldremain

acompellingone,atleastforawhile.Thisisperhapsbecause,atleastinheat,thisthreatof

amuch-too‘ordinary’,bleakandeventragicfigurewassuccessfullycounteredortempered

by,inthefirstinstance,carefulselectionofpersonalitiestobeincludedinthecoverageto

exudesomeglamour,glossandappeal.Thiswastodeliberatelybringaboutacountervailing

senseoftheextraordinary.Soeventhoughthefocusofthecoveragewasonscandalous

behaviour,therewasenoughbalancingallureintheselectionoffigurestoappearinthe

magazine.Inaddition,themagazinetookanironic,satiricaleditorialapproachtocoverage.

heatisarguablyoneofthepioneersofthisearly21st-centuryrepresentationoffame,hence

theselectionofthistitletoexploretheCelebrityPropercategory.Thisjuxtaposition

betweenthe‘appallingandtheappealing’isevidentinthecommentsfromMarkFrith

(2008),oneoftheearlyeditorsoftheoriginal(British)editionofheat,inhismemoirs,that

gossip,glamourandfashionwere,forinstance,thethreeelementsthatmadeDavidand

VictoriaBeckhamtheperfectcoupletofeatureforheatUK.Feasyalsodescribesheatas

simultaneously“nosy”,connoting‘exposé’andthustransgression,and“cooland

glamorous”(Feasy,2008:688).Inaddition,SarahJaneBaker(2006:8)writesthatheatUK

wastargetedatthoseinterestedinfashionaswellas“celebritygossipandscandal”.

heatSouthAfrica,whichwasestablishedinMay2004,fiveyearsaftertheoriginaledition

hadbeenlaunchedintheUK,remainedtruetothiseditorialformulaofexposing

entertainment-personalityscandalwhilesimultaneouslyshowcasingthecoolandthe

glamoroussideoffame.

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AswiththeEmergingCelebrity,thereasonsfortheCelebrityProperdominatingthelocal

weeklymagazinelandscapearelessevidentthantheywerefortheStardominating1950s

DrumandtheEpicHerobeingdominantinearly20thcenturyHuisgenoot.

Thereaders’interestcouldbesaidtobeinmisbehaviourinthesenseofpleasuresofthe

flesh,or,tobemoreexplicit,sexscandals,withtheterm‘heat’ofcoursealsohavingthat

connotation.Thelocalinterestinsexscandalsisperhapsnotsosurprisinggiventheswift

andsuddenchangeintermsofsexualfreedomfollowingthedawnofdemocracyinSouth

Africain1994.DeborahPosel(2005:129)explainshowbeforedemocracy,“stringent

censorshipandaregimeofmoralprohibitionwereseenascriticalweaponsineffortsto[…]

preservetherigoursofa‘civilized’wayoflife”,yetafterwards,“[T]herehasbeenaveritable

explosionofsexualimagery,displayanddebate”andthat,“Issuesofsexualityhavean

extraordinaryprominence”.Shealsowritesofhowafter1994therewas“anabundant

circulationofmovies,magazines,andpornography,previouslyconsideredtaboo”(Posel

2005:130).

Inanewandradicallychangedenvironmentinwhich,heatSAcapitalisedonitsstatusasthe

onlyweeklymagazinethatwasnotbrandedandmarketedasafamilytitletofocusmainly

onsexscandals.Allheat’slocalcompetitorswereeitherfamilytitlesorhadareligiousethos,

andthisprobablyhadtobefairlydiscerningaboutthenatureoftheirshowbusinesscontent

andsteerclearofespeciallyvisuallyexplicitmaterial.Thesecompetitorsincluded

HuisgenootandYOU,itsEnglishequivalent;People,itsAfrikaansequivalent,Mense;Drum;

andMove!,aweeklymagazineaimedatanaspiringmiddle-classblackwomenreadership,

whichwaslaunchedin2005.

AlthoughheatSAemulatedheatUKinitspublicisationofsexualmischiefandother

scandalousbehaviourthatshowbusinesspersonalitiesgotuptointheirprivatelives,itis

interestingtonotethatthetwoeditionsdifferedintermsofthespecificpersonalities

represented.Inotherwords,thereisadivergenceintermsofwhowascovered.Whois

deemedworthyofcoverageorwhomeritscoveragehasbeenaguidingquestioninthis

thesis.Coverageinbotheditionswasprimarilyofshowbusinessand,toalesserextent,of

sportspersonalities,soitcouldbesaidthatthesametypesofpeoplewerecoveredinboth

heatUKandheatSA.However,ifonelooksmorecloselyatwhereorinwhichmediumthese

entertainersachievedfameintheirpubliclives,therearedifferencesbetweenthelocaland

theoriginalbrand.

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Inparticular,onthebackofwhatTurner(2010)callsthe“demoticturn”,referringtothe

greaterpresenceof‘ordinary’orrealpeople,inthemediaandelsewhere,theoriginal

editionofheathasalwaysfeaturedastrongcontingentofreality-televisionperformers.

Holmes(2005:23)notesthat,withspecificreferencetoheatUK,thesemagazines“have

developedasymbioticrelationshipwiththecelebritycultureofRealityTV”,99particularly

becausetheycouldensuresustainedcoverage,atleastforalittlewhile,ofthenotoriously

ephemeralfameofthereality-televisionpersonality.

Despiterealitytelevisionalreadyhavingarelativelystrongpresenceinthecountrybythe

timeheatSAlaunchedandpotentiallycontributingalargenumberofperformerswhocould

becoveredinthemagazine,100heatSA,aswellasitslocalcompetitors,offeredthemscant

coverage.OntheadviceofheatUKfollowingtheirsuccesswithreality-television

personalities,someoftheveryearlyissuesofheatSAdidincludefairlyregularcoverageof

thesepersonalities,butheatSAlauncheditorMelindaShawexplainstheearlyindications

werethatcoverageofthesepeopledidnotresonateaswellwiththelocalreadershipasit

didwithheatUK’saudience.Storiesoftheirlivesbeyondtherealityshowssubsequently

onlyappearedsporadically.“Wedidofferrealitytelevisionasoneoftheoriginalmotivations

forlaunchingheatSA”,Shawexplainedduringapersonalconversationon21January2014.

“Butwhenitcametoit,wedidn’treallyhaveenoughrealityTVatthetime,atleastnotof

thecalibretheyhadintheUK.Thelocalproductionbudgetswerecomparativelysmallerfor

theserealitytelevisionshows,whichmeanttheywereperhapslesssophisticatedthantheir

internationalcounterparts.Andalso,norealityseries,noteventheinternationalones,really

gotthewholenationtalking”.

Thedearthoflocalpersonalitieswentbeyondrealitytelevision,however.Generally,heatSA

coveredahigherpercentageofinternationalthanlocalentertainers,especiallywithregards

toexposureofcontroversialbehaviourthatcouldpotentiallybeportrayedasscandalous.In

thisregarditisperhapsinterestingtoconsiderthecoverofthelaunchissueofheatSA,101

whichfeaturedSouthAfrica-born,butHollywood-basedactorCharlizeTheron.Thestory

promotedonthecoverwith,“Charlize!WhytheEastRandangelwasdestinedtobeastar!”

99Holmes(2005:31)arguesthatthisisinpartbecauseintheworldofrealitytelevision,“thebasisofthecelebrityas‘ordinaryperson’clearlyhasaparticularcurrency”,especiallyformagazinessuchasheatUKanditspeers,consumedwiththetaskofsimultaneouslyarticulatingordinaryandextraordinaryelementsintheirrepresentationofentertainers.100ThefirstseasonofthelocaleditionoftheinternationalBigBrothermadeitsdebutin2001,andthefirstseasonofIdolsSouthAfricadebutedin2002.Internationalreality-televisionseriessuchasSurvivorwerealsobroadcastonlocaltelevisionbythetimeheatSAlaunched.101heat,6–12March2004.

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leansmoreinthedirectionofCharlize’spubliclifeandespeciallyherwinninganAcademy

Award(Oscar)thepreviousyear.Yetthiswasoneoftherareexceptionstoaneditorial

traditiongenerallyfocusedonprivate-lifescandal,especiallyprominentlyupfrontonthe

coverofthemagazine,andalsostoryarcsratherthanlifestoriesencompassingseveral

yearsandentirecareers.AlthoughthistreatmentofCharlizeinthelaunchissuedidnotseta

precedentforthemagazine’sapproachtointernationalentertainersgenerally,itcouldbe

saidtohavesetthedirectionforthetreatmentoflocals.Notonlywastheremuchless

coveragegenerally,inheatSA,ofindividualsfromthelocalshowbusinesscommunity

comparedtotheirinternationalcounterparts,butthefocusoftherelativelyoccasionallocal

storyalsolargelyavoidedcontroversy,scandalandtheinnerlifeofthoseitcovered.

ThereadershipofheatSAalsoseemedtoindicatethatwhenitcametolocalpersonalities,

theypreferredcoverageofthekindthatcouldbecategorisedassurfacingmoreoftheStar

orHerothantheCelebrityfigure.ThispreferencecouldbereadinthewaySouthAfricans,

comparedtothereadershipofheatUK,respondedtotheregular“Spotted”slotonthe

letterspage.Readerswereaskedtosendintheirownpicturestakenoffamouspeople

‘spotted’inpublic,andthebestimageoftheweekwouldbepublishedandthe

photographergivenaprize.WhileheatUK’sreadershipgenerallysentinwhatlookedlike

candid,paparazzi-typeimages,heatSA’sreaderssentinposedphotographs,mostlywiththe

readerinthepicturealongsidethefamouspersonality.Thisadulationwouldbereservedfor

aHerooraStarfigure,onethatisheldinhighesteem,andcertainlynotaCelebrityfigure

thatisgivenpublicitybecauseofhisorhertransgressions.

Thistrendmightbeattributedtothegeneralabsenceofalocalpaparazziindustry,with

21st-centuryCelebritymagazinesstronglyrelyingonpaparazziphotographytoprovide

visualevidenceofscandalousbehaviourand,subsequently,editorialcontent.Arelatively

‘young’localentertainment,andespeciallyfilm,102industrycouldalsobesaidtohaveplayed

apart,withlocalactors,musiciansandsportspeoplebeinggenerallyguardedorhesitantto

exposetheirprivatelivesandespeciallypotentiallycontroversialaspects.

OneistemptedtoattributethisstateofaffairsmainlytothefactthatSouthAfricawasa

developingcountrywithanextremelyconservativerecenthistory,butthenitisinteresting

toconsiderthat,asGandhyandThomas(1991)argue,inIndia,alsoadevelopingcountry

102Specificreferenceismadetofilm,ashowperformersfromthisgenrearetreatedinweeklymagazinestendstosetthetrendforotherentertainersaswell.ThisisofcoursearesultoffilmbeingtheindustrythatoriginallyestablishedtheHollywoodmarketingmachine,fromwhich,ithasbeenargued,thenotionofCelebritydeveloped.

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withapredominantlyreligiousandthereforearguablyconservativepopulation,thereisa

thrivinglocalBollywoodequivalentofHollywood’smarketingefforts,completewith

exposure,ingossipmagazinesandelsewhere,ofprivate-lifescandals.Thesescandals

encompass“behavioursthataredecidedlysubversiveofthestrictsocialmoresofIndian

societyandwouldbeconsidered‘scandalous’[…]evenbymanyoftheirmostdedicated

fans”,noteGandhyandThomas(1991:109).

Ithasbeenarguedthatcomparedtootherentertainers,filmactorsseemtonaturallyhavea

senseoftheextraordinaryaboutthem,especiallyindevelopingcountries.Gandhyand

Thomas(1991:107–108),forinstance,arguethattheBollywoodactorsarevaluedinIndia

because,“theyofferaudienceswhoselivesarelimitedinvariousways–materiallyand

emotionally–thevicariouspleasuresofidentificationwithandexplorationoftherealmof

theextraordinary”.

AlthoughtheSouthAfricanfilmindustryisoneoftheoldestintheworld,asMartinBotha

(2012)notes,andhasbeenwelldocumentedinaselectionofimportanttexts,103its

marketingeffortshavealwaysbeenrelativelysmallcomparedtothoseofIndiaandother

developingcountries.Thepotentialforgaininganecessarysenseoftheextraordinaryin

marketingtheprivatelivesofperformerswasarguablylimitedintermsofSAfilmactors.By

extension,iftherewaslittlepossibilitythatlocalfilmactorswouldcontributeasenseofthe

extraordinary,therewasalsoariskthatrepresentationofotherpersonalitieswould

engendertoomuchofasenseoftheordinarywithouttheextraordinarytomaintainthe

balance.

Consequently,comparedtotheBritishoriginal,heatSAdidnotcovernearasmanylocal

performers.However,inmostotherways,thelocaleditionofheatfollowedtheoriginal

quitecloselyintermsofcontentandeditorialapproachandstyle.Thisisinteresting,

especiallysince,asLittler(2011:1)argues,thereoftenseemstobeageneraltrendtowards

‘glocalisation’andpersonalitiesbeing“consumeddifferentlyindifferentplaces,their

meaningsshiftingalongsidetheirgeographicalcontext”.Asanofficialinternationaledition,

infacttheonlyone,oftheBritishoriginal,heatSAwasundersomewhatofanobligationto

followaspecificeditorialformula,yetcould,ofcourse,adaptittosuitthelocalreadership.

103ThelmaGutsche’s1972TheHistoryandSocialSignificanceofMotionPicturesinSouthAfrica1895–1940isseenasaseminalworkabouttheearlyyearsoftheSouthAfricanfilmindustry.OtherauthorswhohavedocumentedtheindustryincludeAndréleRouxandLillaFourie(1982),KeyanTomaselli(1989),BothaandJohanBlignault(1992),BothaandAdrivanAswegen(1992),PeterDavis(1996),JacquelineMaingard(2007),LuciaSaks(2010)andVanNierop(2016).Inaddition,thereareeditedvolumesbyIsabelBalseiroandNtongelaMasilela(2003),Tomaselli(2006)andBotha(2007).

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Perhapsthebiggestdeviationwastheselectionofentertainerstofeatureinthemagazine,

with,ashasbeenmentioned,relativelylimitedrepresentationoflocalperformersanda

largerselectionofinternationalfiguresknowntothelocalmarket,whichoftenmeantUS

filmperformersandmusiciansratherthanthepredominantlyBritishcontingentof

entertainerscoveredinheatUK.

Theeditorialapproachandstyleofthetwoeditionsremainedquitesimilar,however.From

thesatiricalandironicapproach,whichcouldbesaidtobetypicalofBritishhumourandalso

so-calledlad-magcultureofthe1990s,tothelargelyvisualrepresentationofimperfection

andscandalousbehaviour,heatSAcouldbesaidtohavetakenitsleadfromheatUK.

4.1UncoveringtheCelebrityProper

IthasbeenarguedthattheEmergingCelebrity,thefigureemerginginweeklymagazines

towardstheendofthe20thcentury,deviatedfromtheStar,theimagetheHollywoodfilm

industryconstructedforitsleadingmenandwomenfromtheearly20thcenturyonwards.

TheliteratureindicatesthatthisdeparturefromtheHollywoodblueprintcouldbe

attributedtoscreenartistsbecoming“proprietorsoftheirownimage”(King,inGamson

2001:270)followingthedisbandmentoftheHollywoodstudiosystemfromthelate1940s

onwards.Aswehaveseen,thecarefulcontroltheHollywoodstudioshadexertedoverthe

imageoftheiractorswasnowabsent,andweeklymagazinesnolongerbelongedtothefilm

studiosastheyhadinthefirsthalfofthe20thcentury.Instead,independentpublishersnow

producedweeklymagazinesbasedontheoriginalHollywood‘fanzine’formula,butwithless

loyaltytotheStarimage,whichmeantthattherewasnowscopetointerrogatethe

constructedimageofeveryindividualactor.

Thisinterrogation,ofcourse,startedtakingplacegraduallyfromthemiddleofthe20th

centuryonwards,withmagazinesappearingtoshattertheillusionthatentertainment

personalitieswereallleadingprosperous,healthyandhappylives.Inaddition,thekindof

figurethatemergedfromthesemagazineswasoftenrepresentedas‘onlyhuman’;the

coveragethereforeconcentratedonshowingthattheyarenot‘perfect’physicallyandalso

pronetoerrorsofjudgment,misstepsandmisbehaviour.Classifyingthistrendasthe

emergenceoffame’s“darkside”,asSternheimer(2011:153)does,isperhapssomewhat

exaggerated,yetisnonethelessinstructiveatthispoint.

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Deliberateexposésofscandalousbehaviourbyentertainersintheirprivatelivesalsostarted

appearing.IntheSouthAfricaneditionofPeople,themagazineusedtoexaminethenotion

ofEmergingCelebrity,thisbehaviourcouldbesaidtobewhatRojek(2001)identifiesinhis

explorationofthephenomenonofCelebrity:“excessiveconspicuousconsumption[…]drug

abuse,alcoholaddiction,violenceandsoon”(Rojek2001:31).Peoplepublishedstoriesof

suspectedalcoholandnarcoticsabuse,domesticviolenceandoutrageousandexcessivestar

behaviourthatoftentransgressed“ordinarymoralrules”(Rojek2001:31).

Celebritiesmakingtrouble

Goingintothe21stcentury,representationsoffameincludedevidenceofentertainment

personalitiesgettinguptoallsortsofmischief.Infact,itcouldbearguedthathighjinksor

misbehaviourwasoneofthemostimportantdistinguishingcharacteristicsoftheCelebrity

Propercategory.heatindicatedtheimportanceofscandalforitseditorialvisionbyplacingit

mostprominentlyonitscoverpageforeachofitsweeklyissues,saveforahandfulevery

year.(heatSA’slaunchissueandtheannualChristmasandNewYear’seditionsalso

generallytendedtofavourfameoverinfamyonthecover.)Themostprominentcover

positionwasusuallydedicatedtoanimportant‘breakingnews’storyfromtheweek,

preferablyonethatcontainedsomeelementofscandalousprivate-lifebehaviour.

heatwasnotthefirstmagazinetofocussocloselyonscandal,asHolmes(2005)pointsout,

makingreferencetoConfidential,theUSmagazinethatlaunchedinthe1950s.Rightfrom

theoutset,ConfidentialwassetonexposingHollywoodsecrets(Davis2002;Petersen2010).

Thisquarterlyandlaterbi-monthlypublicationindeedappearstobeoneofthepioneersof

scandal,introducingittotheinternationalmagazine-publishingindustry.Itpublishedits

storiesabout“whowashavingsexwithwho,whowascoveringuphiddenpasts[and]who

wassecretlyflauntingsocietalrules”,intheprocesssuggestingthat“sexualandmoral

devianceranrampantinHollywood”(Petersen2010).Andalthoughitcouldcertainlybe

arguedthatitsetthetrendforthelaterweeklysupermarkettabloids,itdoesappeartohave

beenalone,isolatedvoiceduringitstwenty-seven-yearexistence.Confidentialmighthave

“counteredthewholesomenarrativesoftraditional,conservativegossipoutlets”(Petersen

2010),yetthiswasamereforeshadowingofthemagazinerepresentationsoffamethat

wouldappeartowardstheturnofthe20thcenturyandintothe21st.

Firstly,thecoverageofscandalousbehaviourinheatanditscontemporarieswasmuchmore

visuallydriventhanConfidential’seditorialoffering.BothPetersen(2010)andDavis(2002)

discusshowConfidentialgathered“surveillancetechnology”(bothaudioandvisual)largely

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asevidencetobeusedifthemagazinehadtofacelegalaction(Petersen2010).Bycontrast,

heatuseditsphotographstoprovemisbehaviourandphysicalimperfectiontoitsreaders.

Second,thekindofwell-knownnessthatemergedinheatanditsclosecompetitorswas

arguablyreliantonthe(admittedlycontrolled)revelationorexposéofscandalousbehaviour

and,crucially,alsoonitsincorporationintotheEmergingCelebrityimage.Thisapparent

incorporationofcontroversialbehaviourintotheentertainerimageisonewayinwhichthe

CelebrityPropersetsitselfapartfromitspredecessor.

Itisadelicatebalance,whichappearstohingeonaestheticappeal.ElizabethCurrid-Halkett

(2010)quotesRichardJohnson,editoroftheNewYorkPost’sgossipcolumn,PageSix,ina

discussionofwhybehaving“badlyinpublic”appearedtotarnishsocialiteandactorTara

Reid’simageyetnotthatofhercontemporaryParisHilton:

[Reid]alsobehavedbadlyinpublic,butinsteadofbeingfascinatedbyher,thepublic

dismissedher.Johnsonhasanexplanation:Parisbehavedbadly,butshelooked

goodwhiledoingit.Asheexplainedtome,“Despiteherimageasared-carpet-

hoggingpartymonster…sheisintenselyawarethatsheisbeingwatchedand

photographed,andsherarelytakesabadpicture.”Tara,ontheotherhand,didn’t

strikeParisHilton’soptimalbalanceofscandalandglamour;shewaspitied,not

revered.AsJohnsonsummeditup,“TaraReidseemedtohaveaproblematparties,

andregularlybecame,astheBritssay,‘tiredandemotional.’Shealsohadaweight

problematonepoint,andthenshehadthebadplasticsurgery.Peoplejustlost

interestinherasshecontinuedherdescent.Andherrealityshowmadematters

worse.(Currid-Halkett2010:28)

An“optimalbalanceofscandalandglamour”(Currid-Halkett,2010:28)isperhapsasimple

wayofexpressing,atleastinpart,whattheCelebrityProperencompassesandwhatappears

toemergeinheatmagazine.Holmes(2005:24)notesthatitisproblematictoassertthat

heatsurfacesa“‘new’discursiveformationintheconstructionofcelebrity”,asConfidential

hadalreadydonethisahalf-centurybefore.Yetitcancertainlybearguedthatitisnotso

muchtheexposureofscandalorwrongdoingthatsetsheatapartfrompredecessorssuchas

Confidential,butthewayinwhichthisexposureisapproachedandthekindof

understandingoffamethatemergesintheprocess.

Sowhatwasheat’sidiosyncraticapproachtoscandal?Oneofthemostimportantaspectsis

thatitappearedcarefullytoselectthekindofwrongdoingitexposed,thekindof

misbehaviourthatwarrantedcoverage.Preferencewasobviouslygiventobehaviourthat

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couldbeshownor‘proven’withphotographicevidence,asthemagazinewasmorevisually

thantextuallyoriented.

Moreover,inwhatcanbeconstruedasanattempttoensuretheretentionofappeal,the

magazineavoidedexposingorengagingwithserious‘transgression’.Rather,heatchoseto

revealwhatcouldbedescribedasfoibles,follies,indiscretionsandpeccadilloes,manyof

themrelatedtosex.Typicalindiscretionsthemagazinecoveredwerethoseassociatedwith

“excessiveconspicuousconsumption”,touseRojek’s(2001:31)phrase.

OneexampleistheexposéofthecontentsofParisHilton’ssecretlocker,104with‘caught-

red-handed’typeofphotographicevidenceofdruguseandsexualbehaviouraswellas

copiesofwhatappeartobelettersandpersonaljournals,providingintimatedetailabout

theUSsocialiteandoccasionalactor’s‘bad’behaviour.Wordsandphrasesdottingthecopy

including“wildnightsout”,“outrageous”,“massivepileofcocaine”,“sexvideoshowingParis

goingatitwithex-boyfriendJoeFrancis”(emphasisadded),andappeartounderlinethe

excessivebehaviourseeminglylegiblefromtheaccompanyingphotographs.

Likemanyotherexamplesofcoverageinheatthatcouldbecategorisedassurfacingthe

CelebrityProper,thearticleonParis’ssecretlockerisfirmlyrootedinthatinnersanctumof

privatelife,thebedroom,andfurtheralsoappearstoexposeher‘privateparts’(breastsand

genitals,oratleastasmuchasthemagazinecouldshowwithoutgettingintotrouble;much

ofthenudityhasbeencoveredandlabelledbythemagazineas“toorude”).Thisis,of

course,interestingfromtheperspectiveofthetrajectoryoffameoverthe20thcenturyasa

whole.Ithasbeenarguedherethroughoutthatonecouldtraceacontinuouscollapseofthe

boundarybetweenthepublicandtheprivateincoverage,correspondingwiththe

postmoderntrendofwhatJeanBaudrillard(2007:58)describesasthe“forcedextroversion

ofallinteriority”broughtaboutbythe“universeofcommunication”(Baudrillard2007:53).

Baudrillardreferstotelevisioninparticular,buthiscommentscouldbeextendedto

magazinesalsoaspartofthe‘communicationuniverse’.Intheshowbusinesspublishing

industry,nudity,andspecificallynudityintheveryprivaterealmofthebedroom,couldbe

saidtosymbolisethefinalfrontierinthe“forcedextroversionof[entertainmentpersonality]

interiority”.Nudityintheprivatespaceisalsosomethingthatcouldbereadasarevelation

oftherealself,whichhasbeenanimportantelementinformingrepresentationsoffame.

Revealingthe‘real’isespeciallyimportantintherepresentationofentertainment

104“TheSmutInsiderParis’sSecretLocker!”,heat,10–16February2007.

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personalities,sincetheircontrastingpublicliveslargelycompriseacting/performing,orin

otherwordsbeingsomeoneotherthantheirtrueself.

Anotherofthemeaningsoftheterm‘heat’isanundesirableamountofattention,asinthe

phrase‘feelingtheheat’.Thisispalpableinthisarticle,whichnotesthatParistookactionto

closedownthewebsitethatfirstleakedthecontentsofhersecretlockerandwas

apparently“incrediblyupsetandangry”andfelt“victimised”bythebreach.Yetthe

magazinealsoquestionswhyPariskept“suchdamningmaterialinthefirstplace”,inwhat

couldbereadasaveiledsuggestionthatitmayhavebeenmadepublicdeliberately,for

publicitypurposes.Ithasbeenarguedbefore,byLynnHirschberg(2009)andLolaOgunnaike

(2006)amongothers,oftenwithspecificreferencetoParis’sfirst‘sextape’,salaciously

named1NightinParis,thatintheworldofshowbusiness,sensationalvisualmaterial,

particularlynudityandsextapes,havebeensuccessfulmarketingtools.

“Ms.Hiltontriedtostopdistributionof[herfirstsex]tape,althoughitsnotoriety

paradoxicallycatapultedhertoanevenhigherorbitoffame,establishingherasakindof

postmoderncelebrity,leadingtoperfumedeals,amemoirandcoversof[consumer

magazines]VanityFairandW”,arguesOgunnaike(2006).heat’simplicationthattheleak

mighthavebeenpartofadeliberatequestforpublicityisaprimeexampleoftheexposure

ofthe“celebrity-making”mechanism,withGamson(2001)identifyingthiskindofexposure

astypicaloflate20th-centurytexts.

Theapparentlydeliberatereleaseofintimateprivateandpersonalinformationcouldbe

construedasaformofconfession.Specifically,theevidenceofnudityinParis’secretlocker

couldbeinterpretedassuch.ThisobservationfollowsRedmond’s(2008)apparentallusion

tonudityasconfessional,inhisreferencetoa‘naked’photoshootofUSpopsingerBritney

Spears,publishedinthemagazineHarper’sBazaar.“Britney’sconstructedstarorcelebrity

imageislargelybuiltonthecarnalconfessionalmode”,Redmond(2008:150)argues.

Confessionhasbeenidentifiedasoneofthechannelsthroughwhichanelementof

transgression,specificallyofanintimate,sexualnature,surfacedinthemedia

representationofCelebrityfromthelate20thcenturyonwards.Previously,inmagazine

representationthatsurfacedtheStar,revelationsaboutprivatelifetypicallycameabout

throughthemechanismofgossip,withclosefriends,relativesorotherconfidants‘leaking’

orreleasinginformationtothemedia.Butfromtheturnofthe20thcentury,first-person

confessionseemstobecomecommoninsurfacingtheCelebrityfigure.

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Thisisinteresting,asitcouldbereadasanindicationthatthereissomethingdeliberate,

strategic,controlledandmeasuredabouttheCelebrityconfession.Inessence,confessionis

therelease,‘first-hand’,ofprivatesensitiveinformationthatcouldbepotentiallydamaging

toaCelebrity’simage.Thedeliberateandseeminglystrategicreleaseofevidenceof

controversial,possiblyscandalous,behaviourintheprivaterealmisafactordistinguishing

theCelebrityProperfigurefromitspredecessor,whoseprivatelifecouldbesaidtobe

imperfectinsomewaybutwhowasgenerallyguardedaboutrevealingdetailsandevidence

ofimpropriety,imperfectionandthelike.

Theliterature(see,forinstance,Redmond,2008)seemstoidentifytelevision,notprint,as

thepreferredmediumforCelebrityconfession,withan“omniscient[television]talkshow

host[…]blessedwithprescience,counsellingandtherapeuticskills”(Redmond2008:150)

theconfessorofchoice.Butitcanconsequentlybearguedthatwhatappeartobe

deliberatelyexposed,measureddetailofmisbehaviourinprivatelifeisprintmedia’sanswer

tothe‘first-hand’(andoftenlive)Celebrityconfessiononatelevisiontalkshow.Holmesand

Redmond(2006)notethat:

celebritymagazines[…]wouldnowseemstrangelyemptywithoutcelebrity

disclosuresrangingacrossthehorrorsofplasticsurgery,eatingdisorders,anddrug

andalcoholabuse,nottomention‘confessions’aboutdepressionorinfidelity.To

observethisisnottotrivializetheexperienceofanyofthesematters[…]butonlyto

pointtotheirincreasingconventionalizationwithintheparametersofcelebrity

discourse.(Holmes&Redmond2006:287–290)

WhereasthegoalofCelebrityconfessionviathemediumoftelevisionappearstobe

absolutionfromsin(Redmond2008),theobjectofthemeasuredreleaseofdetailsof

transgressionthroughtheprintedmediumcanbearguedtobeanenhancementofthe

CelebrityProperimage.Confessionisusedto“authenticate,validate,humanize,resurrect,

extendandenrich”entertainment-personalityidentities,Redmond(2008:109)argues.In

addition,hewrites,byconfessing,thesepersonalities“confirmtheirstatusastruthful,

emotive,experientialbeingswho–asdevotionalfans–wecaninvestin”(Redmond,2008:

109–110).

Whilethepotentialforimageenhancementisnotalwaysexplicitlysurfacedinthecoverage,

itisonoccasionmadeabundantlyclear,albeitoveralongstretchoftime.BritishmodelKate

Moss’scocainehabitwas,forinstance,revealedviaunclearstillframesextractedfroma

videoseeminglyshotclandestinely.heatSApublishedtheseinanarticleentitled,“Thiscould

135

costKatehercareer”,105withnoindicationinthearticlethather“partygirl”behaviour

addedanyalluretoherimage.

Infact,theKateMossarticleseemedtoarguethecontrary:thatherwildwayswererather

unappealingandwouldcostherdearlyinsponsorshipsandcouldbringonapotential

criminalinvestigation.However,fouryearson,“CocaineKate”,asheatnicknamedthe

model,wasseemingly‘absolved’inanarticlepublishedin2009.106“ItistheCocaineKate

storyalloveragain”,readstheopeningsentence.ThearticlegoesontoexplainhowKate’s

“bad-girlimagehasalwaysbeenpartofherappeal”andseemstosuggestthatitwasfor

thisveryreasonthatshehadmanagedtoreclaimmostofthesponsorshipcontractsshelost

inthewakeofthe2005exposé.Inotherwords,the“fashionindustrybyandlargeforgave”

her.

Theterm‘forgave’,ofcourse,reinforcestheideaofconfession,althoughitishardto

imaginethatKatedeliberatelychosetoreleasethevideofootageofherallegeddruguse,as

shemusthaveanticipatedthedamageitcoulddo.Whatperhapsemergesinheat’s

coverageofKate,overtimeandthroughvariousstoryarcs,isthatthemodelinessence

exudedCurrid-Halkett’s“optimalbalanceofscandalandglamour”(Currid-Halkett2010:28),

thatmadeheratrueCelebrityProperfigure.

Thiscontinuouscontrast,orthedelicatebalancebetweenscandalandglamour,isevidentin

howheatSAmarketeditselfonitsowncoveratonestage,as“SouthAfrica’sonlyweekly

celebrityglossy”.Themagazinewasknownaspredominantlyfocusingonentertainment-

personalityscandal,yetitwas‘glossy’andthussufficientlyglamorousnottorisklosingits

appeal.MehitaIqani(2012)writescompellinglyaboutthiscontrastintherepresentationof

Celebrityinthemediumofmagazines:

Celebrityisoperationalizedthroughglossiness,bothmaterialandsymbolic.These

manylayersofcelebrityfunctionthroughthemanyelementsofthemechanicsof

gloss[…]:theirmaterialtechnologiesofglossypaper,colourprinting,thecomplex

utilizationofsmoothshinytexturestocommunicatevalueandluxury,the

employmentoflightingtosuggestdivinity,andthestrategicjuxtapositionacross

magazinesoftheseaestheticizedformswith‘real’imageswhichworktoreiteratethe

tangibilityandhumanfallibilityofcelebrity,therebymakingtheiraestheticizedimages

allthemoreseductiveandappealing.(Iqani,2012:99)

105DeMatos,Lara,“ThiscouldcostKatehercareer”,heat,1–7October2005.106“Joostinsexanddrugsscandal”,heat,21–27February2009.

136

Shemighthavebrieflylostherseductivepowersandappeal,yetheatarguedthat‘Cocaine

Kate’regainedthemovertime.Inthe2009articleinwhichthemagazinemadethisclaim,107

Kateisreferredto,bywayofcomparison,inanexposéofascandalousstoryarcinvolving

theleakingofacontroversialvideoofJoostvanderWesthuizen,aretiredlocalSpringbok

rugbycaptain.Withthisstoryarcinvolvingthevideoscandal,Joostisoneoftheveryfew

localpersonalities,arguablyeventheonlyone,toverybrieflysurfaceasaCelebrityProper

figure,butforanumberofreasonsthisstatuscouldnotbesustainedovertime.Thevideo

scandalwas“somethingnewfortheSouthAfricanpublicandsomethingwhichhasnot

reallyhappenedtoanyoneelsesince”,AntoinetteMuller(2017)writes,“[I]tperhapsserves

tofurtherunderlineVanderWesthuizen’s“celebrity”status”.

Oneofonlyahandfulofsportspeopleandalsolocalpersonalitiestoreceiverelatively

frequentcoverageinthemagazine,JoostwascelebratedinheatSAmainlyforhistoned

physique,inafeatureentitled“BuffedUp”,108forinstance,withhisnakedtorsoondisplay

relativelyoften,mainlyduringrugbytrainingsessions.109

Hewasalsoofinterestaspartofa‘showbusinesscoupling’byvirtueofhismarriageto

singerandactorAmorVittone,whoappearstoencouragethemagazine’scelebrationofher

husband’smasculinity;“SometimesIwatchhimtrain”,sheisquotedassayingina2004

interview,underliningthesexappealofimpliedbythemagazine’stitlewiththefollowing

sentence:“That’shot”.110

Forthefirstfewyearsofheat’sexistence,JoostandAmorwerecastasalocalversionof

DavidandVictoriaBeckham.“Wedocoordinatewhatwewearwhenwegooutsothatone

ofusisn’tinjeansandtheotherineveningwear!”,Vittoneisquotedassayinginthe

interview.“IlovethewaytheBeckhamslooklikeastyledunitwhentheygoout”.Theyeven

imitatedtheBritishcoupleinphotographsonmorethanoneoccasion,seeminglyproving

Gamson’s(2001)assertionthatthe“ironic,winkingtone”throughwhichfameis

communicatedthatappearsinthelate20thcenturyhasledtopersonalitiesincorporatinga

kindofironyintotheirownbehaviourandpublicimage.

Yet,unlikethatofhisself-confessedrole-modelDavidBeckham,Joost’simagecouldnever

quitecompellinglyaccommodatetheevidenceinthesecretlyshot“sexanddrugsvideo”

107Ibid.108BuffedUp,heat,17–23July2004109SeeforexampleWeekinPicturessection,heat,31July–6August2004110Adams,Alyn,“Ihaveathingforsportsmen…changingroomssmellsexy”,heat,21–27August2004.

137

thatwascoveredinheatandbecomeCelebrityProperoverasustainedperiodoftime.

FormerEnglishfootball-teamcaptainDavidsuccessfullymanagedtoincorporaterelatively

similarindiscretions,namelyrepeatedaccusationsofinfidelity,intohispersonalimage,asit

seemedtoaddtoratherthandetractfromhisappeal.ThemaindifferencebetweenJoost

ontheonehandandDavidBeckhamandKateMossontheotheristhattherewasadefinite

lossofallurethatcameaboutthroughthescandal,notleastfromevidenceinthevideoof

hiswell-wornunderwear,whichheatpointedoutwithanarrowdevicesuperimposedon

thestillimage.

Davidneverdeniedaccusationsofinfidelity,ratherchoosingtoappearin‘loved-up’

photographswithVictoriashortlyafterallegationsarose,keepinghisfansguessingandthus

adding,perhaps,tohisimageasasexsymbol.Byflatlydenyingthatitwashimintheleaked

video,Joost,however,precludedhimselffromaddingtohisownappeal.Butevenifhehad

triedtousethescandaltoaugmenthisimageassexsymbol,hemightnothavesucceeded,

byvirtueofthefactthathecouldneverquitecountertheelementofordinarinesshe

representedasalocalpersonalitywiththerequiredlevelofextraordinarinessthatKateand

Davidhadasinternationalfigures.Inotherwords,inhiswornunderwear,Joosthadtoo

muchbleakordinarinessandnotenoughappealingextraordinarinesstoremainatrue

CelebrityProperfigure.

Notallofheat’sexposéswereasseriousasthoseinvolvingJoostandKate,however.There

was,forinstance,amuchlighter-hearted,dedicatedandseparateweekly“Scandal!”

section,whichcamecompletewiththickredpage-framesandtears,exclamationmarksand

myriadothervisualdevicesreminiscentofthetabloidtradition.Injustoneissue,111the

following‘scandals’wererevealedinthissection:UKglamour-modelRebeccaLoos’s

admittedlyembarrassing,bytheirverynaturebutalsoperhapsfortheirworking-class

associations,“porcinehand-jobs”forrealitytelevisionshowTheFarm,IrishrockbandU2’s

carbreakingdown,USactorRenéeZellwegerbeingissuedwithatrafficfine,evidenceof

AustralianpopsingerKylieMinoguenottakingsufficientcareduringabeautyroutine,anda

trioofwhatwereinterpretedbythemagazineasfashionfauxpascommittedbysinger

MariahCareyandactorsMaggieGyllenhaalandKateWinslet.

Gamson(2001)arguesthatoneoftheimportantcharacteristicsoflate20th-century

magazinecoverageisanembeddedinstructiontoreaderstonotonlyrecognisethatthe

entertainmentpersonalitiesthemselvesare“constructs”butalsotoidentifytheactual

111heat,23–29October2004.

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constructionprocessinthemagazineitself.“Theaudiencehasbeeninstructednotsimplyin

viewingtheselfbehindtheimage(whatthestarreallythinks,wears,does)butinviewing

thefabricationprocess(howthecelebrityisbeingconstructedtoamuse)”,Gamson(2001:

17)writes.

Itissurelysignificantthatinheat,thisinstructionappearedtobeespeciallyforthcomingin

itslight-heartedweekly“Scandal!”section.See,forinstance,howthemagazineappearedto

showthefame-makingmachineinactionintheRebeccaLoosarticle.112The“self-confessed

Becks-bonker”,referringtoRebecca’swidelypublicisedclaimsthatshehadhadanaffair

withDavidBeckham,wouldstopatnothingtogainfame,evenifitmeantparticipatingin

theartificialinseminationprocessofapig:“Itseemstherereallyarenolimitstowhat

RebeccaLooswilldotogetfamous”,thecopyreads,goingontoarguethat“thelimelight-

hoggingPAjumpedatthechance”tobecomeinvolvedinananimalartificialinsemination

programmethatwasscreenedaspartoftheUKreality-televisionshowTheFarm.With

considerableamountsofirony,heatappearedtoalertitsreaderstotheideathatRebecca

continuedtobuildherfamewiththelateststepbeingthisappearanceontelevision.

In“Kylie’sfaketanstripe”,itispointedout,notdisapprovingly,howentertainment

personalitiesdofakecertainthings,suchasa“flawlesstan”inthecaseofAustralianpop

singerKylieMinogue,therebyappearingtosubtlysuggesttoitsreadersthatthekindof

physical‘flawlessness’associatedwithfigureslikeKylieis,infact,aruse,andintheprocess

ofcoursealertingthemtotheconstructionoftheimage.Againwithgeneroususeofirony,

Kylieisreprimandednotfor“faking”her“flawlesstan”–infact,themagazineactually

seemstocongratulateherforbeingcautiousinthefaceof“horrorstoriesaboutsun-

damage”–butratherfornottakingenoughcareinapplyingthetanandsubsequently

displaying“thatglaringwhiteinstep”.A“mediapro”likeKylieshouldnotbemakingthis

kindoferror,themagazineargues,inanothernotetoitsreadersthatentertainmentfigures

maintaincertainconstructedappearancesforthemediainordertocreateaspecificpublic

image.

Thefactthattheseapparenthintsattheactualconstructionprocessofthepublicimage

emergeespeciallyclearlyinaregularsectiondevotedtowhatisportrayedasscandalis

arguablyanindicationoftheimportanceofanelementofscandalormisjudgementinthe

CelebrityProperfigure.

112Adams,Alyn,“RebeccaLoospullsaporker!”,heat,23–29October2004,p.57.

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Showing(imperfect)skin

Theexposureofless-than-perfectbehaviourwascomplementedbyregularphotograph-

drivenfeaturesonwhatheatoftencalled‘bodyflaws’.Theseinclude,amongstothers,

physicalimperfectionssuchasskin‘break-outs’,visiblecelluliteand‘badhairdays’.In

addition,themagazineseemedtodojusticetotheideaoflawenforcementalso

encompassedintheterm‘heat’,by‘policing’Celebritywardrobechoicesandindiscretionin

termsofpersonalitiesrevealingpartsoftheirbodythatthemagazinearguedshould

perhapshaveremainedhiddenbecauseoftheirdampeningeffectonvisualappeal.

heatmagazinewasoneofthefirst,ifnotthefirst,magazinetoincludethesefeatures

revealingorshowcasingspecificpartsoftheCelebritybodyinitseditorialformula.Although

themagazinehasbeencriticised,byBaker(2006),amongstothers,fortheprominenceit

givestophysicalflaws,asitoftenfeaturestheseinthemostvisiblepositiononitscover,a

closeexaminationoftheseeditorialfeaturesseemstorevealanattempttousethe

photographsnotsomuchasproofof‘flaw’butasjustificationoftheargumentthatthe

entertainersare‘justlikeus’.Noteforinstancethesignificantuseoftheword“equaliser”,

apparentlyinanattempttocreatetheimpressionthatreadersandentertainerssharethe

sameburden,intheintroductorylineofafeatureoncellulite,afavouredandoften-covered

‘physicalflaw’:“TheA-listmayberollingindough,buteverynowandthenthatgreat

equaliser,cellulite,provesthatthey’reallhumanafterall…”.113Thisintroductoryline,typical

ofheat’seditorialstyle,againcontainstheterm‘human’,withallitsconnotationsof

fallibilityandordinarinessthataresuchcrucialelementsintherepresentationsurfacingthe

CelebrityProper.

Whetheritbea‘badhairday’,anunfortunatechoiceofoutfitoraquestionableboyfriend,a

senseofthelessthanperfect,orthenotsoideal,isoneofthekeyfocusareasforcoverage

oftheCelebrityProper.Anditisacharacteristicthatagainshowsupthecontrastbetween

theordinaryandtheextraordinaryintherepresentation,withphysicalimperfectionin

particularoftenusedtojustifyordinariness,whileasenseoftheextraordinarycanbesaid

oftentopermeatecoverageofscandalousbehaviour.

113“WobbleAttack”,heat,11–17December2004,pp.40–45.

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4.2ProducingtheCelebrityProper

Thewaycoveragewasexecutedintheweeklymagazineschangedmarkedlyoverthe

century.Inheatandothertypical21st-centuryweeklyshowbusinessmagazines,this

executionreliedonacombinationofelementsthatrevolvedaroundtheprovisionofa

specifickindofvisualevidenceofmisbehaviourandwhatwasportrayedasphysical

imperfection.Notably,photographsareusedasevidencetoexposetransgressionand

supposedflaw.Butitisnotonlytheuseofspecificphotographicimagerythatcharacterises

CelebrityPropercoverage;italsoconcernsthewayinwhichthisvisualevidenceisappliedin

themagazineingeneralandevenseemstoinfluencethecopy.Thewritingisinfluencednot

onlybytherelianceonvisuals,butalsobythedemandforadelicatebalance,inthe

coverage,betweentheextraordinaryandtheordinary,theglamorousandthescandalous.

Allofthesetechniquesareunpackedandillustratedhere,usingheatSAasanexample.They

leaveonewithagrowingsensethatmorethananyothercategoryoffamediscussedinthis

thesis,theCelebrityPropercouldperhapsbesaidtohaveedgedtowardsbeingproducedby

themagazinesratherthanmerelyconsumedbythem.

Thevisualsupersedesthetextual

AsatypicalweeklyCelebritymagazineoftheearly21stcentury,heatreliedheavilyon

photographicimagestorepresenttheCelebrityProper,withtextualrepresentation

becomingevermorebrief,seeminglyinanillustrationoftheoldadagethat‘apictureis

worthathousandwords’.

Thereis,forinstance,asteepdeclinebetweenthetotalwordcountgenerallydedicatedto

therepresentationoftheEpicHerofigurethatemergedinearly20th-centurymagazines

suchasHuisgenootandtheaveragewordcountaffordedaCelebrityProperinheat.For

instance,atypicalhagiographicprofileofapoliticianorchurchministerinearly20th-

centuryHuisgenootwouldcompriseroughly2500words,withapopularstatesmansuch

SouthAfricanPresidentPaulKrugerbeingcoveredinregularprofilepiecesoverthefirst

coupleofdecadesofthemagazine’sexistence.Asimilarapproachwastakenin1950sDrum,

withaseriesoflengthyandwordyarticlesdevotedtoDollyRathebe,amongstotherpopular

localentertainmentpersonalities.Towardstheendofthe20thcentury,serialisedcoverage

wasathingofthepast,withPeopledevotingbetween400and800wordsperarticletoits

coverageofperformers.Bycomparison,heat’sstorieswere,onaverage,muchshorter,

sometimesnoteven100words.Inheat,onlyapproximately3000wordsweretypicallyused

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totellthestoryofanentertainmentpersonalitywhoremainednewsworthyoverarelatively

longperiodoftime.Referenceismadetothelongevityofthepersonalitiesintermsofnews

valuehere,asmanymorepersonalitiesarecoveredinoneissueofheatcomparedtoone

issueofearly20th-centuryHuisgenoot.Thisimpliesthattheaveragededicatedwordcount

foramorefleetingkindofpersonalityisevenlower.

Aswordcountsdeclined,theemphasisonthevisualincreased.Forexample,eachof

PresidentKruger’sprofilepiecesinHuisgenootweregenerallyillustratedbyasingle,small,

black-and-whitephotographicportraitimageonly,whileafull-pagecolourphotograph

accompaniedeventhemosttext-heavyfeaturesinheatmagazine(theinterviews).Inother

words,photographscompletelydominatedothertypesofeditorialmaterialinheat,withthe

weekly“WeekinPictures”sectiontypicallyfeaturingseveralpagesofphotographs(some

individualimagescoveringafulltwo-pagespread)with,bycomparison,onlyminimalcopy,

i.e.approximately100wordsperillustratedstoryinthesection.

Withitsgrowingrelianceonphotographs,andsubsequenteconomicuseofwords,to

conveyitsmessage,heatwasprobablyoneofthemostextremeexamplesofthegeneral

late20th-centurytrendofsteepword-countdeclineinprintedmedia,withpublicopinion

lamentingthedemiseof‘long-form’journalismandmourningtheso-called‘deathofthe

printedword’.

Usedmoreprominentlythaninweeklymagazinesofpreviousyears,photographsinearly

21st-centurymagazinesappearedtohavetofulfilmorefunctionsthanmereillustration.

Specifically,photosappeartobeusedto“incriminate”and“justify”,touseSontag’s

terminology(1990:5),inherseminalseriesofessaysonphotography.heatused

photographsasevidenceofwrongdoing,suchasinfidelity.“Brad&Angelina:Proof!”,read

thecoverlinethataccompaniedtheimagethemagazineusedasevidenceofHollywoodfilm

actorBradPitt’saffairwithHollywoodfilmactorAngelinaJoliewhilehewasstillmarriedto

televisionactorJenniferAniston.114Theuseofillegalsubstanceswasalsoexposedthrough

photographs;themagazine’s1–7October2005cover,forinstance,statesthatKateMoss

was“caughtoncamera”takingcocaineandthatinadditiontotheoneonthecover,there

are“shocking”photographsinsidethemagazinetoprovidefurtherevidence.

Crucially,theincriminationwasachievednotonlythroughthehigherratioofphotographs

tocopybutalsobythechoiceofthespecifickindofimages,namelyunclear,paparazzi-type

114heat,7–13May2005.

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imagesthatmaylacksharpness(the‘CocaineKate’imagesareanexcellentexample).

QuotingSekula,Holmes(2006:26)remindsthat,“theblurredfocusandgrainyaestheticof

[candidphotography]tradesnotonlyonanaestheticofrealismbutalsothebeliefin‘the

highertruthofthestolenimage’”.Paparazziimages,whichareoutoffocus,badly

composed,and,asBecker(inBull2010:174)sodescriptivelyexplains,maycontain

“intrusiveforegroundobjects”andcapture“strangefacialexpressionsandposes”,are

believedtoshowwhatthepersonwhoisthesubjectofthephotograph“isreallylike”

(Becker,inBull2010:175)andbyextensionprovetheir‘authenticity’.Astheprevioustwo

chaptershaveattemptedtoillustrate,‘authenticity’hasbeenakeythemeinthe

constructionofentertainer-dominatedwell-knownness.Whereasapublicisedprivatelife

appearedtobeusedtoestablishauthenticityforthekindofentertainerthisthesiswould

classifyasaStar,anelementofwrongdoing,generallyrepresentedincopy,didlikewisefor

theEmergingCelebrity.InthecaseoftheCelebrityProper,aspecifickindofphotograph,

mostoftenconfirmingbehaviourthatcouldbeinterpretedasscandalous,appearstobethe

nextstepintheauthenticationprocess.

Notonlyimagesofmisbehaviourseemtosupporttheideaofauthenticity,however.

Photographsofentertainersineverydaysituations,withStephenBull(2010:181)identifying

someoftheseas“outshopping,onthebeach,inparksandeventhroughwindows”,that

emphasise“thevisibilityofcelebritiesinpublicspaces”,asHolmesargues(Holmes2005:26,

originalemphasisretained),alsoseemtofurtherentrench‘authenticity’inthekindof

Celebrityfigureheatmagazinerepresented.

Theimagesthatappeartounderlinethisvisibilityoftheentertainerinpublicwere

ostensiblygenerallyusedtojustifyakeyfactorintherepresentationofCelebrityProper,

namelythattheentertainersare‘justlikeus’inthattheyare‘ordinary’intheirbehaviour

andappearance.Butthereisalsoanelementoftheextraordinarythatseemstosuggest

itselfinheat’scoverageofpersonalitiesintheirprivatecapacityoutinpublic.This

extraordinarinessperhapsarises,inthisinstance,fromthemagazine’sdedicatedfocus,ona

weeklybasis,onafairlywiderangeofpersonalitiesgoingabouttheirrelatively‘ordinary’

privateexistencesinpublic,specificallyintheso-called“WeekinPictures”sectionbutalso

elsewhere.Plus,ofcourse,extraordinarinessisassumedinthesectionsseeminglydevoted

toordinariness,evenifittheformerelementisonlyhintedatorevenomittedinthe

coverage;arandom,truly‘ordinary’personwithoutanypriorextraordinarinesswouldnever

beselectedforinclusioninthemagazinesimplyforgoing“outshopping”.

143

Photographsarealsousedasevidencetocontextualisebehaviour.Inthe“WeekinPictures”

articleentitled“Britney’sbreak-upblues”,115largeimagesofpopsingerBritneySpears

“dressedinhernewandunflatteringfavouriteuniform–truckerchic”and“lookingrather

drawnandhaggard”areusedtojustifythecontention,inthecopy,thatitisherproblematic

lovelifethatistoblameforherchoiceofattireandapparentlowmood.Butitcanalsobe

arguedthat,inaddition,thephotographsareimplicitlyusedtoadvancethe21st-century

weeklymagazine’scontinuedattempttoexposethesupposedly‘ordinary’elementsofthe

personality’sprivatelife.

But,importantly,asmuchasthemagazineseemedtousephotographsasevidenceof

ordinariness,italsohadanequallyvisuallydrivenapproachto‘proving’extraordinariness,

theothersideofthecomparisonthat,ashasbeenarguedintheliterature(seeDyer1979),

hasbeenunderlyingentertainer-dominatedwell-knownnesssinceitfirstappearedinthe

Hollywoodfanzinesoftheearly20thcentury.

Inheat,‘extraordinariness’seemstoemerge,atleastinpart,fromphotographsshowingthe

kindoflifestylewealthyentertainmentpersonalitiesareabletoaffordandalsophotographs

showingtheirglamour,typicallywithafocusonfashionandbeauty.Holmes(2005:34)

arguesthattheextraordinarinessheatseemstoportrayappearstobeeitherattachedto

their“wealthandthelifestyle”ortheir“special,God-givenbeauty”,especiallyinthecaseof

women.Holmes(2005)alsopointsoutthattheelementof‘merit’,intermsoftalent,which,

ithasbeenargued,formedanimportantpartofthejuxtapositioninthepast,appearstobe

largelymissinginheat’sreadingofwell-knownness;thisomissioncouldperhapspartiallybe

explainedbythechallengeinportraying‘merit’inheat’svisualapproachtostorytelling.

Focusingonthedetails

Thekindofwell-knownnessemerginginheatmagazinewasalsoinfluencedbythewayin

whichimageswereused.Specifically,magazinessuchasheatoftenmanipulateimages,as

Bull(2010:181)explains,“supplementingtheexistingeffectsofthepaparazzipicturebythe

useofcropping,enlargementsandcolourcasts”,witharrowedtextboxesand“words

layereddirectlyontophotographs[…]tofixtheirmeaning”.Inheat,thissupplementationof

fixedmeaningdirectsthereader’sfocustospecificpartsofthepicture,veryoftensmall

detail/sthatmightotherwisehavebeenmissedinthegrainyblurtypicalofpaparazzi

115“Britney’sbreak-upblues”,heat,14–21May2004.

144

images.ThetreatmentofthesetofphotographsofBritneySpears116isagoodexample,with

arrowsandtextlayeredontotheimagespointingoutwhatthemagazineportraysasvices,

smallonesinthisinstance:tobaccoandunhealthyeatinghabits.

Infact,visualelementssuchasarrowsandtextlayeredontoimagesweresomeofthemain

devicesusedbyheattoportraysupposedbodilyimperfectionsormisbehaviour.Circles,

arrowsand‘sticker-like’elementsareusedtofocustheattentiononavarietyofbodyflaws

includinglargehandsandwhatarecalledoutbythemagazineas“terribleteeth”,“spider

toes”,hugeforeheads,lopsidedlips,monobrows,“freakyfingers”,“gnarlyknees”,a

protrudingbacksideandaso-called“trophyhead”ina‘main’feature(i.e.thefeaturethat

occupiesthemostprominentpositiononthemagazine’scoverthatweek).117

Again,aswiththe‘cellulitearticle’,thetextaccompanyingthephotographsseemsto

emphasisethe‘justlikeus’or‘ordinary’notionofthefigureoftheEstablishedCelebrity:

“We’realljusthuman,afterall,andweallhaveourimperfections–andtheseA-liststarsare

noexception”,readstheintroductorytexttothisfeature.

Itmightbetemptingtoviewthe‘devil-is-in-the-detail’approachthatisachievedthrough

theadditionofelementssuchasarrows,circlesandtextlayeredontophotographsasmere

visualembellishmentandthereforequitesuperficial.Yetamorein-depthexamination

appearstorevealthatthisvisualapproachis,infact,anenactmentoftheeditorialfocusof

early21st-centuryentertainmentweeklies:asharpgazeontheminutiaeorthesmalldetails

ofeverydayprivatelife.Everyaction,eventhesmallestone,seemedtohavebeenobserved.

Thus,anygivenweekwouldgiveanaccountofwhereapersonalityhadwalked,shoppedor

goneforabeautytreatment,whattheyhadwornand,mostimportantly,since

showbusinesscouplingscontinuetobesomeofthemostinterestingpartsoftheprivate-life

construction,withwhomtheyhadmet.Ifapersonality’sprivatelifewasvisibleatthetime,

iftheyhappenedtobea‘hot’topic,ornewsworthy,weeklymagazinescreatedthe

impressionthattheywereabletogiveaso-called‘blowbyblow’accountoftheiractions.

Perhapsoneofthemostsalientillustrationsofthisfocusoneveryactionisthe“Weekin

Pictures”section.Placedprominentlyupfrontinthemagazine,withthiskindofplacement,

ofcourse,indicatingimportance,the“WeekinPictures”sectionprovidedwhatappearedto

beakindofvisualdiaryofwhathadtranspiredinthe‘Celebrityworld’construct(often

colloquiallycalledTinseltownbyheatanditspeers)intheprevioussevendays,eachpageor116Ibid.117“CelebrityFlaws!”,heat,23–29October2004.

145

double-pagespreadshowingascenarioinwhichoneofaselectionofentertainershad

foundthemselvesinthepastweek.Sometimes,thecoveragedescribedanisolatedscenario

orspotting,butoftentimes,therewouldhavebeensomecontextualisationofanindividual

scenariointermsofthebiggernarrativeoftheentertainer’simageatthetime.This

contextualisationisoneofthekeycharacteristicsofCelebrityProper.Inotherwords,a

personalitywhoisdeemednewsworthyatagivenpointoftenappearedinsuccessiveissues

ofthemagazine,andthroughthemagazine’sfocusonsmallchangesinbehaviourand

appearance,thereigningCelebritynarrativeunfoldedepisodically,onaweeklybasis,not

unliketheindividualstorylinesinasoapopera.118

Importantly,itcouldbearguedthat,morethaneverbefore,theweeklyfrequencypreferred

byCelebritymagazines,framedthekindofepisodic,cumulativestorytellinginvolvedin

representingtheCelebrityProper.Bycomparison,titlessuchasPeopleandDrumseemedto

takemoreofa‘monthly-magazine’approachintheircoverageofentertainment

personalities,reportinginverybroadstrokesonprivateandpubliclivesratherthanthe

subtlelittleshiftsandchangeshappeningoveraweek.

A2004appearanceofBritneySpearsinthe“WeekinPictures”section119isagood

illustrationofthisfocusontheminutiae,intermsbothofsmalldetailsindicatedonthe

photographsthemselves(againwiththeaidofvisualdevices)andalsoanapparentlyclose

examinationoftheindividualeventsthathadtranspiredinthesinger’slifeduringtheweek.

Britneyisoneofagroupofwomenconsideredtobeparticularlynewsworthyor‘hot’by

Celebritymagazinesinthefirstdecadeofthe21stcentury,astheyengagedinhighlyvisible

private-lifeactivities,someofwhichcouldbeclassifiedattheveryleastascontroversial,in

somecasesevenas‘transgressive’.Theyear2004(whenheatSAlaunched)wasarguablyan

eventfuloneforBritney,thankstoaseriesofhighlyvisiblepubliceventsthathavesince

beeninterpretedassignallingtheearlystagesofthekindofpubliciseddownfall

characteristicofthisselectgroupofwomenentertainers(Fairclough2008).Amongstother

things,shemarriedchildhoodfriendJasonAlexanderandhadthemarriagedissolvedfifty-

fivehourslater.Shelaterhadanaffairwithoneofher‘back-updancers’,KevinFederline,

118Othershavealsosurfacedsimilaritiesbetweensoapoperasandgossipmagazines.Hermes(1995)forinstancearguesthatpeopleseemtothesemagazinesandwatchsoapoperasforthesamereasons;thatthetwomediaholdthesamekindofattraction.QuotingModleski,Hermes(1995:126)explainshowinsoapoperasandingossipmagazines,“Whatevermayhappentotheenormouscast[…]theytendtocomebacktothefamily,thehospitalorsmallvillageinwhichthestoryisset”.119“Britney’sbreak-upblues”,heat,15–21May2004.

146

whomsheendedupmarrying,andmostofthefootagefortheir2005realityshow,Britney

andKevin:Chaotic,wasshotduringthesecondhalfof2004.

Throughitsfocusonthesmalldetailsofherbehaviourandmovementsjustinthepreceding

week,thetwo-pagespreadinthe“WeekinPictures”sectionrepresentedthelatest

‘episode’inthedominantBritneystoryarcatthetime,withthecopyonthespreadarguably

emphasisingtheunfoldingofeventsoveramatterofaweek:

Lastweek,heatexclusivelyshowedpicsofBritneyoutandaboutwithhernewman

[…]Butmeredayslateritemergedthatfarfrombeingsingleashe’dpretendedtobe,

thechancerisactuallymarried–withtwochildren!Afterthenewsbroke,Britters,who

washoledupattheBeverlyHillsHotel,washeardslammingdoorsandscreamingon

thephone.Whenshedidemergelaterthatevening,itwastopopintothelocal

conveniencestore.120

Anditisinsaidconveniencestorewherethesetofpicturesistakenshowing“Britters”,

lookinglowand“puffingfuriouslyonaMarlborolight”,thatdominatethepageonwhich

thistrancheofcopyappears.Thesmalldetailsinthissnapshotaccountofherweekand

currentstoryarcmanagetosurfaceelementsofboththeordinaryandtheextraordinary

withintheordinary.ThesmalldetailsintheBritneyaccountappeartobeaimedatshowing

thatsheisagirlwhodoesaquicklate-nightdashtothecornercaféforcomfort(junkfood

andcigarettes),muchlikemanyotheryoungwomen;thisistheelementoftheordinary

surfacinginthemagazine’srepresentation.Butthereisalsosomethingextraordinaryabout

allthisapparentordinarinessthatisalsovisibleinthesmalldetails:shedoesnotattempt

thelate-nighttripfromhomebutfromnoneotherthantheBeverlyHillsHotel.Thecopy

pointsthisout,asitwere,inpassing,andthereisnothingordinaryaboutthisiconicninety-

year-oldhotelwithitsclosehistoricassociationwithHollywoodactors.Ifoneconsidersthat

thefive-starhotelhasround-the-clockroomservice,andthatBritneyprobablyhasstaff

member/swhocanundertakethelate-nightforayonherbehalf,aseeminglyordinary

actionsuddenlybecomespeculiarlyextraordinary.

Thankstotheconstantsurveillanceanddocumentationofeventhesmallestdetailofthe

personality’slife,thenotionof‘Panopticism’doesholdsomeinterestingideasforthestudy

ofCelebrityandpower.Thompson(1995)hasarguedthatwhereasthePanopticonallowed

forthesurveillance,andsubsequentdomination,ofthemanybythefew,thedevelopment

120Ibid.

147

ofcommunicationmediaseemstohavefacilitatedasituationwherethefewhavebecome

visibletothemany,but,importantly,thepowergenerallytendstoremainwiththefew:

WhereasthePanopticonrendersmanypeoplevisibletoafewandenablespowerto

beexercisedovermanybysubjectingthemtoastateofpermanentvisibility,the

developmentofcommunicationmediaprovidesameansbywhichmanypeoplecan

gatherinformationaboutafewand,atthesametime,afewcanappearbeforemany;

thankstothemedia,itisprimarilythosewhoexercisepower,ratherthanthoseover

whompowerisexercised,whoaresubjectedtoacertainkindofvisibility.(Thompson,

1995:134)

IntheCelebritymedia,withtheirrelianceontheever-presentthrongofpaparazzi

photographers,thiscertainlyseemstobethecase.Inaddition,itisinterestingtonotethat

theaudienceresearchthatHermes(1995)conductedrevealedthatreadersreportfeelings

ofpower,especiallywhenreadingaboutscandal.121

Thesmall-detailfocusandsubsequentepisodicunfurlingofCelebritynarrativeisarguably

oneofthewaysinwhichthekindofwell-knownnessheatrepresentscanbedistinguished

frompreviousincarnations.heatSAlauncheditorMelindaShaw,inapersonalconversation

(21January2014)referstothemagazine’sserialisedapproachas‘stepbystep’inabrief

comparisonbetweenBritneySpearsandAmyWinehouseandAmericanfilmactorRock

Hudson,whoisperhapsbestknownforhisleadingroles(oftenoppositeactorDorisDay)in

severalromanticcomediesofthe1950sand1960s:

Becausetheinformationandphotographsweresoreadilyavailable[toheatatits

timeoflaunch],wecouldfollowsomeone’sbreakdown,likethatclassicBritney

Spearsbreakdown,andalsoAmyWinehouse,stepbystep.CompareAmywithRock

Hudson,oneofthefirstfamouspeopletohavediedofAIDS.Youheardhediedof

AIDSafterthefact.Youcouldn’tfollowhisdeclinelikeyoudidwithAmy.Shehad

gooddaysandbaddaysanddaysinthemiddleandextremedays.Andeverythingis

capturedonfilm[…]andit’savailable,sonowyoucansitwiththiswholecasestudy

ofphotosinfrontofyouifyoureadthemagazineeveryweek.(MelindaShaw,

personalconversation,21January2014)

Verycloseattentiontodetail,assymbolisedbytheuseofvisualdeviceslayeredonto

photographstoguidefocus,isanimportantelementinthekindofvisualstyleusedto121Hermes’s(1995)ethnographicstudyofaudiencereceptionofgossipmagazinesindicated,forinstance,thatthepleasuresofreadinggossipmagazinesinclude“gainingasenseofsecretpower”overentertainers,especiallywhenreadingabouttheirwrongdoing(Hermes1995:126).

148

constructtheCelebrityProper.Yetalsoevidentinsomeofthefeaturesillustratingthispoint

isthewayinwhichthemagazineappearstohavebuiltthenotionbyusingthematicvisual

featuresinwhichalargenumberofentertainersappearandthatrelyonaplethoraof

imagesofphysicalimperfectionand/ormisbehaviour,suchasbeingdrunkinpublicor

behavingoutrageouslyotherwise.

Toalesserextent,onecanperhapsalsoincludeherethecompositeillustration

accompanyingtheregularweeklyleadstoryinthe“FastGossip”section;thesebrief,and

oftentrivial,storiesusuallyappeartobeselectedforrevealingtheoutrageous,excessiveor

theextraordinary,whichisemphasisedbytheexaggeratedcollage-likeillustrations.Apiece

of‘fastgossip’detailingParisHilton’sacquisitionofaspotinacemeteryforherpetgoatisa

goodexample.122Paris’sextremedisplayofaffectionforherpetgoatisridiculedinthe

illustrationdepictingheragainstthebackdropofthecemeteryandappearingto‘think’

aboutagoat.Throughthesekindofregularvisualfeatures,averitablegalleryofexcess,

imperfection,gaudinessandpublicmischiefiscreatedthat,byvirtueofthevolumeof

imagesusedinadditiontothewayinwhichtheyaremanipulated,overwhelmsandoften

seemstoaimatachievinganoverarchingimpressionofthecartoonesque.Inasmallway,

thiskindofvisualtreatmentcouldbesaidtoelicitsomesenseofthe‘carnivalesque’orof

thespectaclethatHeatherNunnandAnitaBiressi(2010)haveassociatedwiththetabloid

mediaingeneral.Allofthesedevicesandactions,whichappeartobetypicalof21st-century

Celebritymagazines,alsocontributetothesurfacingofthe‘extraordinary’sideoftheall-

importantordinary-extraordinaryparadox.

WritingCelebrityProper

Ithasbeenarguedthat,morethananyotherformofwell-knownnessinthe20thcentury,

CelebrityProperreliesonvisualrepresentation,mostlyintheformofpaparazzi

photographs,andalsoonaveryspecificvisualstyleofpresentation.But,asGamson(2001)

seemstosuggest,thekindoffamemostcommonlyfoundinmagazinesofthelate20th

centuryisalsonegotiatedusingaspecificstyleofwriting.Asstaffmembersonthe

magazine,weusedtotalkabout‘heatingup’apieceofwriting,meaningapplyingheat’s

specificeditorialvoiceandstyletothetext.

Aspreviouslysuggested,specificallywithreferencetothe“Scandal!”sectioninheat,the

CelebrityProperisrepresentedwiththeliberaluseofirony.Thisisperhapsbestwitnessedin

122“Parisbuyscelebplotforapet!”,heat,August2006.

149

theso-called‘literal’captionsaccompanyingmanyofthephotographsinheat.Oneexample

canbefoundina“WeekinPictures”instalmentfeaturinglocalentertainmentpersonality

coupleZuraidaJardine(radioandtelevisionpresenter)andJoshLindbergh(heirofveteran

local-entertainmentcoupleDesandDawnLindbergh).123ThetextrevealsthatJoshand‘Zee’,

asthemagazinenicknamedher,wereatthelocalstageproductionofThePhantomofthe

Opera,andwhileanaccompanyingphotographappearstoshowthemreadingthe

programmefortheshow,thecaptionstatesthat,“Thehungrydinerscouldn’treadthetiny

writingonthemenu”.AnotherphotographshowsJoshpayingforaboxofchocolates,witha

handbagalsointhepicture;theaccompanyingcaptionappearstobeadirectquotation

fromhimstatingthathewillpayforthecashier’ssilence(inrelationtothemedia,itis

assumed)about“hishandbag”.TheimplicationofthecaptionisthatheterosexualJosh,

arguablyaso-called“metrosexual”intermsofhisobviousconcernwithhisappearance,

mightbeuncomfortablewithanysuggestion,suchascarryingahandbag,thathemightbe

effeminateorhomosexual.Ofcourseonecantaketheinterpretationevenfurtherby

guessingthatitisactuallyJosh’s(heterosexual)publicimageasonehalfofahigh-profile

localcouple,thatmightfituncomfortablywithanysuggestionoffemininityor

homosexuality.Itstandstoarguethattheseironiccaptions,whichappearedonalmost

everyfeatureexceptthearticlesinthenews,fashionandbeautysectionsinheat,aresmall

reminderstothereadersnottoacceptanythinginthemagazine,notleastofallthe

personalitiesthemselves,atfacevalue,sincethereiseverylikelihoodthateverythingis

artifice.

“Throughirony”,Gamson(2001:18–19)writes,“thesecelebritytextsrepositiontheir

readers,enlightenedaboutthefalsenessofcelebrity,to‘seethejoke’andavoidthe

disruptivenotionthatthereisnothingbehindafabricated,performedimagebutlayersof

otherfabricated,performedimages”.

Theconstantshowingupofartificecaneasilytranslateintoamalicioustone,akindof

‘bitchiness’forwhichCelebritymagazines(and,later,alsoentertainment-newsblogs,see

forinstanceKirstyFairclough2008)areoftencriticised.Shawexplainshowheat’stonewas

developedinanattempttoconsciouslyavoidanyintentionalmalice.“Wewrotewith

compassionandwithalittlebitofschadenfreude[…]butyouhadtodoitinafunnyway”,

sheexplains(MelindaShaw,personalconversation,21January2014).

123“JoshandZeegotothetheatre”,heat,31July–6August2004.

150

Thenecessaryinclusionofahumorouselementisarguablyanotherofthedistinguishing

featuresofheat,Shawsuggests(Ibid.),butalsooftheCelebrityProper,specifically

comparedtoprecedingunderstandingsoffameidentifiedhere,whichappeartofavour

relatively‘dry’and‘straight’reportage.“Youcouldstopatanypointinthemagazine,and

therewouldbesomethingfunny”,Shawexplains(ibid.).“Thatiswhatsetheatapart;ithad

tobeentertaining”.InaMcLuhanesqueway,then,themediumbecomesthemessageinthis

instance,withthemagazinescoveringentertainmentnewsthemselvesbecomingaformof

entertainment.

Whilethishumorousandentertainingapproachcouldbeviewedasawayinwhichpotential

malicecouldbeavoided,asGamson(2001)hasalsonoted,itcouldalsobeseenasawayin

whichtheyattemptedtomeetwhatsomehaveargued(e.g.TheEconomist,2004)werethe

changingneedsoftheircorereadership,namelywomen.Readersinthenewmillennium

hadtiredof“theformulatraditionallythoughttoattracttheirinterest:recipes,advice,abit

ofhope”,veteranCelebrity-newsjournalistandeditorBonnieFullertoldTheEconomistin

2004.

FullerwastheeditorofAmericansupermarkettabloidUsWeeklyatthetimetheinterview

wasconducted.“Whattheynowwantistheirownversionofthesportspages—avicarious

thrill,atsomeoneelse’sexpense.Theydon’tjustwanttips;theywantadiversion,some

fun”.Anattempttomeetwhatwereperceivedasdifferentneedsinwomenreadersinthe

newmillenniumcouldarguablyalsoaccountforthekindofapproachtakenbyCelebrity-

newsmagazinesingeneral,withanelementofhumourasawaytoensure“adiversion”and

“somefun”,andanelementofscandalensuringthe“vicariousthrill,atsomeoneelse’s

expense”(Ibid.).

ItisinterestingtonoteFuller’scomparisonofnew-millenniumCelebritymagazines,with

theirmajority-womenreadership,withthe‘sportspages’,whichtraditionallyhaveamale-

dominatedreadership.Thereseemstobeahintinhercommentthatthenewgeneration

Celebritymagazineshavebeentakinganalmostmasculineapproachtotheircoverage,that

theyhavebeenpractisingthekindofjournalismusuallyassociatedwithgenerallymale-

producedand-consumedsportspagesinthenewspapers.Amasculineinfluencecan

certainlybetracedinheat’sidiosyncratictone,styleandgeneralapproachtoCelebrity

news,notleast,asShaw(personalconversation,21January2014)suggests,becausethe

magazineisintroducedasakindoffeminisedversionoftheBritishmen’smagazine(orso-

called‘ladmag’)FHM,withthetwomagazinetitleslaunchedandownedbythesame

151

publishingcompanybothintheUnitedKingdom(EmapInternationalLimited)andinSouth

Africa(Emap/Media24).“TheheatbrandtookitstonefromtheBritishladmags”,Shaw

(Ibid.)explains,“usingaveryspecificBritishwayofspeaking:dry,sarcastic,clever,wittyand

alsosober”.

Intermsofvoice,thereisonelastclusteroflanguagedevicesthatarguablydistinguishes

CelebrityPropercoveragespecificallyinheatbutalsoperhapsinCelebritymagazinesin

general.Thesedevicesincludetheliberaluseoffirst-person-pluralpronouns(‘we’,‘us’,

‘our’).Inaddition,onecouldalsoidentifythehabitofthesemagazinestocreate,introduce

andregularlyusenicknames.Thesewereevensometimeschosenspecificallytoconvey

allegiancetospecificpersonalities,withunapologeticpartialityformingpartofheat’s

idiosyncratictoneandstyle.WhennewsbrokeofBradPitt’sdivorcefromhistelevision-

actorwifeJenniferAniston,bestknownathetimeforherroleinthepopularsitcomFriends,

becauseofhisinfidelitywithAngelinaJolie,forinstance,heatSAdecidedtobeon‘Team

Jen’andaftersomedeliberationsdecidedtonicknameAngelina‘Ange’andnot‘Angie’,

whichwasdeemedastoofriendlyontheeartoconveythemagazine’sangertowards

Angelinaforrobbingeveryone’sfavourite‘friend’ofherhusband.Uniquecouple-

combinationnicknameswerealsoaspeciality,suchas‘Brangelina’(BradPittandAngelina

Jolie).heatSAalsodeliberatelyavoidedusing‘TomKat’torefertotheactorcoupleTom

CruiseandKatieHolmes,asthisnicknamewasseenastoo‘laddish’.Insteadthemagazine

specificallydevisedTomatie,andusedthisalternativenicknametodistinguishitsvoicefrom

thatofitscompetitors.

Besidetheuseofcustomnicknamesandfirst-personpronouns,theotherlanguagedevice

regularlyemployedwasdirectlyaddressingtheentertainmentpersonalitiesthemselves,

almostasiftheycouldbepartofthemagazine’sreadership.Themagazinealsoassumed

priorreaderknowledgeofpersonalitieswhowereregularlycoveredinthemagazine.

SeeforinstancethecoverageoftheKateMosscocainestoryarc,withthemagazine’scover

debutingMoss’salliterativeanddescriptivenewnickname(“CocaineKate”),andthearticle

insidemakinguseofthefirst-personpronounintheveryfirstsentence:“We’vewondered

whatKateMoss(31)seesinadeadbeatlikePeteDoherty(26).”124

124DeMatos,Lara,“ThiscouldcostKatehercareer”,heat,1–7October2005.

152

ThecoverclaimingtoproveBradandAngelina’srelationship125isagoodexampleofthe

assumptionofexistingreaderknowledge,ofwhothetwostarsinquestionarebut,even

moresignificantly,ofwhatthe“exclusivepictures”(oneofwhich,showingthetwostarsas

wellasAngelina’sadoptedsonMaddoxonabeach,isusedonthecover)actuallyprove

(thattheyarehavinganaffair.

ReaderknowledgeisalsoclearlyassumedinthearticleonParisHilton’ssecretlocker,as

thereisreferencetothetitleofherfirstsextape,1NightInParis,withoutanyexplanation

ofwhatitis.The“heirhead”nicknamebywhichthemagazineidentifiesParisinthearticle

alsoarguablymakestheimplicitassumptionthatreaderswillknowthesheisanhotel

heiressandthatherpublicimage,involvingelementsofthe‘ditzydumbblonde’,canbesaid

toembodytheideaofthehomophonic‘airhead’.Pariswasa‘regular’in“WhatWereYou

Thinking?”intheweekly“Scandal!”section,wherepersonalitieswereoftendirectly

addressedinthecopy.Intheinstalmentof6–12November2004,bothParisandactorKate

Beckinsaleweredirectlyaddressed:“WhoathereParis,thatsureissomefrock!”/”Kate,you

lookmorelikeaChristmasdecorationthanaHollywoodstarlet.”

Alloftheselinguisticfeatures,includingthedirectaddressofthepersonalities,useofthe

first-person-pluralpronoun,generoususeofnicknamesandtheassumptionofpriorreader

knowledge,canbereadtoworktogethertocreatetheillusionthatthemagazine,the

readers,andindeedthestarsthemselvesareallfamilymembersandenjoyacloseandcosy

relationshipthatallowsforscrutiny,critiqueandgossipwithoutanyfearofalienation

thankstothestrengthofthefamilybonds.

ThiscanbeseenasevidenceofwhatHermes(1995)callsthe“extended-familyrepertoire”

reasonforreadingCelebritymagazines.Engendering“ahighlypersonalformofaddressin

whichsolidarityandconnectednessresound”(Hermes,1995:127),thisrepertoire“helps

readerstoliveinalargerworldthaninreallife–aworldthatisgovernedbyemotionalties,

thatmaybeshakenbydivorcesandsoon,butthatisneverseriouslythreatened”(Hermes,

1995:126).

Theextended-familyrepertoirehasbeenoffered,byLeonard(2006)amongothers,asone

ofthereasonsforthegossip-magazinemarket’srapidexpansioninthefirstdecadeofthe

newmillennium,withheatSouthAfricalauncheditorMelindaShawevengoingasfaras

wageringthatstarswerebecomingmorefamiliarthanfamilymembersduetotheamount

125heat,7–13May2005.

153

ofavailableinformationabouttheirprivatelives:“There’s[…]suchaproliferationofinfo

availableontheA-listthatanyonecanfeeltheyknowthempersonally”,ShawtoldLeonard

(2006).“Youcaneasilyknowmoreintimate,banaldetailsaboutthelifeofaHollywoodstar

thanyouwouldofyourcousinBettyinCapeTown”.Inthesamearticle,ChantellMarais

fromMense,theAfrikaanssistermagazinetoPeople,whichlaunchedtwoyearsafterheat

SA,appearstoexplainhowtheextended-familyrepertoireensuresmagazinesalesand

perhapsjustifiesthepopularweeklyfrequencyofCelebritymagazineswhenshearguesthat,

“Thebetteryouknowsomeone,themoreinterestingeventhemostbanaldetailsoftheir

lifebecome”(Leonard,2006).ShetellsLeonard,“Ifyoursisterdyesherblondehairblack,or

yourcousinBettyfinallydumpshercheatinghusband,you’reinterested;youdiscussitata

familygathering.Thefactsmaybebanal,butthepeoplearesofamiliarthatyoucareabout

eventhetrivialdetailsoftheirlives[…]Wegetsomuchinforegularlyabouttheinhabitants

ofTinseltownthattheybecomeinterestingonthesamelevel”.

PsychologicalcontextualisationofCelebrityscandal

MaraisandShaw’sreferences,inCharlesLeonard’s2006Mail&Guardianarticle,tothe

fictionalfamilymember‘CousinBetty’,andthustheideaoftheextended-familyrepertoire,

isfascinatingtoconsiderinthisanalysis.ThesecommentsfromtheeditorsofMenseand

heatSArespectivelyrevealasenseofgossip,aperennialfavouritedevice,inmagazinesand

othermedia,forthetransmissionofentertainment-personalitynews.Thecommentsalso

seemtoconfirmthatthereisreaderinterestinstoryarcsinvolvingscandal,especially

scandalofasexualnature(likeCousinBetty’shusband’sinfidelity)alongsidetheinterestin

recentbeautyandfashion(thesisterchangingherhaircolour).Moreover,MaraisandShaw

alsoseemtopickuponaconcentratedfocusonsmalldetailsthatmayotherwisebe

consideredbanalortrivial,oneofthedistinguishingfeaturesofCelebrityPropercoverage.

Themostinterestingpointinthesecomments,however,istheallusiontothe‘discussion’at

thefamilygatheringofthelatesthappeningsinCousinBetty’slife.Thelastkey

distinguishingfactorincoveragethatsurfacestheCelebrityProperisasenseofdiscussion,

ofmakingsenseof,orofcontextualisationofthemostrecenteventstakingplaceinan

entertainmentpersonality’slife.Inotherwords,typicalCelebrityProperrepresentation

includesanidentifiablesenseofcontextualisation,specificallyofrecentquestionable

behaviour.

Morespecifically,thiscontextualisationincludesrudimentaryattemptsbythemagazinesat

psychologicalanalysis,‘psychobabble’ofsorts.NunnandBiressi(2010:53)arguethat:

154

Invokedbymediacommentators,‘experts’andthecelebrityhim/herself,thetropes

oftherapy–thefamilyhistory,theconsiderationofsexualityasamotivatingforcein

identity,thenotionofunconsciousdrivestobeidentifiedandunpicked,theideaof

thereturningsymptom,andsoon–arenowacompacteddevicefordelvingbeneath

thesurfaceofthecelebrity’spersonabothinparticularmomentsandacrosscareer

histories.

Amainfeature,puntedonthecoverofheat,onwomeninentertainmentwhoappeartobe

particularlyunfortunateintermsofromanceisagoodexampleofthisattemptat

psychologicalanalysis.126Eachofthesixpagesisdevotedtooneortwowomen.Used

liberally,someofthephotographsappeartobecandidwhileothershaveobviouslybeen

shotinastudio;thepicturesseemtohavebeenselectedforshowingthewomenas

glamorousyetnotlookingparticularlyhappy,arguablytosupporttheideaoftheirbeing

“unluckyinlove”.Intypicaltabloidstyle,eachentryhaswhatlookslikeatorn-outexcerpt

fromaregularnewspaper-datingcolumngivingthewoman’sromantichistoryinheatstyle,

assumingmuchreaderknowledge.UKpopsingerGeriHalliwell’s‘tear-out’reads:“Petite

blonde,32,gettingmorebuxombytheminute,likesyoga,photographersandsmallfluffy

dogs.WLTMgoodlooking,outgoingandgenerousguywholovespopmusic.No

heartbreakersorvisitingAmericansplease”.

Butitisinthe‘diagnosis’followingtheseindividualtruncatedromantichistoriesthatone

trulygainsasenseofpsychologicalanalysis.Incapitallettersheatpurportstoidentifyeach

woman’smain‘problem’;forGeriitisthatshe,“Alwaysgoesforbadboys!”.Thenthe

justificationfollows,repletewithintimateknowledgeofthesinger’sdomesticlife(the

referencethatsheletsherpetdogsleepinherbed).Thepopsinger‘confesses’,andsome

advicefromthe‘magazine-as-therapist’follows,directlyaddressingthesinger,inthe

imperativemood:

MenlustafterGeri’sreborncurves,but[…]sheremainstheeternalsingleton.Itseems

shecan’tresistnaughtyboyswhocan’tprovidethesecurityshesodesperatelyseeks,

sosheinevitablyendsupaloneandheartbroken.Geri’scertainlyroadtestedafew

fellas,including[…]RobbieWilliams,whocalledhera“demoniclittlegirl”afterthey

split;recoveringdrugaddictDemianWarner(theysplitafterheaccusedherofbeing

toopossessive)[…]“Asfarasmengo,youattractwhatyousubconsciouslybelieveyou

126“UnluckyinLove”,heat,11–17September2004.

155

deserve”,admitsGeri.Perhapsit’stimetostarthavingahigheropinionofyourself,

love.

heatverdict:Geri,findadecentmanwhowon’tdothedirtyonyou–anddoesn’tmind

sharingabedwithyourdogHarry.

Disguisedaswell-meant,almostprofessionaladvicetotheentertainersinthefeature,yet

subvertingtheserious‘agonyaunt’traditionwithhumour,thiscoverage,ofcourse,provides

awayof“delvingbeneaththesurfaceofthecelebrity’spersona”(Nunn&Biressi,2010:53)

andcontextualisingthem,atleastintermsoftheirromanticmisfortunes.Byconstantly

providingthiskindofcontextualisationforitsreaders,mostlythroughpiecingtogetherbitof

evidenceinanattemptatpsychologicalanalysis,themagazinecouldbesaidtohave

constructedaconstantlyunfoldingnarrativeofeverypersonality’slife.

Anarrativeofthiskindis,ofcourse,notanentirelynewdevelopmentintherealmof

entertainment.AsnotedinChapter2,theAmericanfilmindustryinthefirsthalfofthe20th

centurysuccessfullyusednarrativesspanningboththepublicand(veryoftenconstructed)

‘private’livesofitscontractedactorstomarketitsfilms.Atfirst,privateliveswere

constructedtocorrespondwiththeactors’publicoron-screenimageandnotconfuse

audiences,butlaterprivatepersonalitiesstarteddivergingfromon-screenimages,

maximising,inflectingorresistingon-screensocialtypification.Thiswaspossiblydoneinan

attempt,bythefilm-productionstudios,topresentthepublicwithanarrativeofamore

textured,andseeminglyauthentic,star.Thefanzine,theearly20thcenturypredecessorof

thelater-centuryweeklyCelebritymagazines,wasoneofthemainmarketingvehicles

carryingthisnarrativeonbehalfofthefilmindustry.

However,withthedisbandmentoftheAmericanfilmstudiosystemtowardsthemiddleof

thecentury,thescreenartists“lostaccesstothetightlyrunpublicitymachine”(Sternheimer

2011:148),whichmeanttheyfinallyhadthefreedomtocontroltheirownimagesonthe

onehand,buttheysimultaneouslylosttheprotectiontheyhad,specificallyagainstbad

publicity.

NolongermarketingtoolsfortheHollywoodfilmindustrybutownedbyindependent

publishers,entertainment-personalitymagazinesaroundtheturnofthe20thcentury

pouncedonthiskindofmaterial.Withoutthepropercontextualisation,thecoherent

narrativeframeworkthatwasconstructedandmaintainedbytheHollywoodproduction

studios,magazinecoverageofentertainerstypicallybecamedisconnectedanddisjointed.

156

Yetasthepersonalitiesbecamemoreadeptatmanagingtheirownimage,oftenby

appointingateamofexpertsincludingpublicists,representativesandagents,thenarrative

elementreturned.Forinstance,theincorporationofahintofthescandalousintotheimage,

characteristicoftheCelebrityProperfigure,couldbereadasanattemptatrepresentinga

coherentyettexturedimage,a‘human’narrative.Sinceentertainmentpersonalitieswere

generallycelebratedintheirownlifetime,itwasaconstantlyunfoldingnarrativethathad

thepotentialtochangeitsleitmotifinordertoincreaseitscommercialappeal.NealGabler

(2001:4)isoneofthefewtohavenotedaspecificnarrativeelementintheconstructionof

modernCelebrity:

Whatturnsafamouspersonintoacelebrity?Thegrandanswer,onempirical

evidence,seemstobenarrative.Themainreasonwewanttoreadaboutcertain

individualsinsupermarkettabloids[…]orwewanttowatchtelevisionreportsabout

them[…]isthatweareinterestedintheirstories.

Gabler(2001:4,originalemphasisretained)furtheridentifiesthemodernCelebrityas

“humanentertainment”or“apersonwho,bytheveryprocessofliving,provide[s]

entertainment”.Thesourceofthisentertainmentisthe“plotline”,Gabler(2001:5)argues,

seeminglycorroborating,withahostofexamplesrangingfromactorMatthewPerry’sdrug

addictiontoJesseJackson’sillegitimatechild,theargumentofferedhere,thatthemost

interestingplotlinesorstoryarcsincludeanelementofscandal.Modernentertainers,

Gablerwrites,“arelivingoutnarrativesthatcaptureourinterestandtheinterestofthe

media—narrativesthathaveentertainmentvalue.Orputanotherway,whatstarsareto

traditionalmovies,celebritiesareto[…]the“lifemovie”—amoviewritteninthemedium

oflife”(Gabler,2001:5).

UnlikethenarrativesconstructedbytheHollywoodstudiosfortheircontractedstarsinthe

early20thcentury,theCelebritystoryarcsofthelate20thandearly21stcenturyvaryin

qualityandcoherence,withsomeentertainersandtheirrepresentativesmoreaccomplished

inthebusinessofimage-makingthanothers.Muchhasbeenwritten,forinstance,about

entertainmentpersonalitiesdisplayingsuperiordeftnessinmanagingtheirownimage.127At

thesametime,sincetheCelebrityweeklieswerenowindependentoftheproduction

studiosandsubsequentlyoftheentertainersthemselves,theywerenotprivytothe

underlyingnarrativesconstructedbythestarsandtheirimage-makers.Thus,thekindof

representationappearinginthesemagazineswastheresultofaconstantnegotiation127See,forinstance,readingsofAngelinaJolie(Hoggard2010),BeyoncéKnowles(Cashmore2010)andCharlizeTheron(Petersen2017).

157

processbetweenthepersonalitiesandthemagazines:whatwastoremainhiddenandwhat

wastobeexposedand,moreimportantly,howcouldeverynewstoryarc,everynew

snippetofinformation,everynewsetofphotographs,becontextualised.Sometimesthese

modernCelebritymagazineswerethemselvesinstrumentalintheproductionofthe

narrative,providingbackgroundandcontextbywayofamateurpsychologicalanalysis,while

atothertimestheyweremere‘consumers’,liketheirreadersinasense,consumingwhat

thepersonalitiesrevealedandspeculatingaboutthemeaningofthelatestbehaviouror

fashionstobecapturedoncelluloid.

Conclusion

AsaheatSAstaffmemberintheearly2000s,Ibecameadeptatwhatwecalled‘heatingup’

copy.Thisinvolvedemphasisingcertaindetailsofthestory,addingvaryingdegreesof

humour,satireandironybutalso,crucially,byprovidingcontextforourreadersby

analysingthelatest,oftenverysmall,twistsandturnsinthecollectionofentertainment-

personalitystoryarcswewerefollowingatanyparticularpoint.Pickingupontheunfolding

“therapeuticnarrative”(Nunn&Biressi,2010:53)oftheentertainerswhowere‘hot’forour

readershipatthetime,wewouldcarefullyconsiderwhetherandhowthelargeamountsof

photographicevidencewewouldreceiveonadailybasiscouldbeusedtosupportour

particularreading.

Thecarefullyconsiderededitorialapproach,evidentfromheatSA’sso-called‘brandbook’,

guidingthisparticulartypeofweeklycoverage,and,consequently,thefamousfigure

emergingfromthepagesofthemagazine,setoutitsdistinguishingcharacteristics.

Scandalousstorylinesweregivenpreference,especiallythoseforwhichwehadpossible

visualevidence,andfortherest,theeditorialapproachreliedonsatire,humourand

contextualisationtomakeitultimatelycompellingenoughtoensurethatreaderswould

returnforanotherepisodeofCelebritynews,weekafterweek.

ThecraftofCelebrityjournalism,arelativelynewlyformalisedareaofspecialisationthat

heatarguablypioneered,atleastinSouthAfrica,wasasfascinatingastheCelebrityProper

figureitself.Aswasacknowledgedabove,thisCelebrityProperfigurewastheunderstanding

offamethattriggeredtheinterestinthisprojectinthefirstplace.WhileIwaswritingupthe

thesis,IconsideredcallingthiscategorytheEstablishedCelebrity,asitimmediately

succeededtheEmergingCelebrity.

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Butthen,asweenteredtheseconddecadeofthenewmillennium,theCelebrityfigure

graduallyproveditselftobesomewhatephemeral,perhapsevenasfleetingassomeofthe

entertainmentpersonalitieswhocanbesaidtobeprimeexamplesofthisearly21st-century

understandingoffame,andtheadjective‘established’wasnotsosuitableanymore.

ThedominanceoftheCelebrityProperdwindledforanumberofreasons,someofwhichare

arguablybeyondthescopeofthisthesis.Butwhatcanbesaidisthatprintmediaasawhole

startedfacingthethreatofdigitalpublishing.WeeklyCelebrityprintmagazineswere

particularlyvulnerable,asreadersstarteddemandingimmediateandfreeaccessto

showbusinessnews,specificallyvisualmaterial:thephotographsthathadpreviously

guaranteedexclusivityand,subsequently,salesfortheprintedmagazines.InSouthAfrica,

the“CocaineKate”andJoostvanderWesthuizen‘videoscandal’photographsandcoverage

were,forinstance,onlyavailablelocallyinheat(andtheMedia24newspaperRapportinthe

caseofJoost)andunavailableindigitalformatoronline,henceguaranteedmagazinesales.

Butoncedigitisationcreatedtheopportunityforthiskindofcontenttobeavailable

immediately,andoftenfreeofcharge,thedemandforprintedCelebritymagazinesstarted

todiminish.

ThisiswhatOlivierRoyant,editorinchiefoftheFrenchweeklyshowbusiness-lifestyle

magazineParisMatch,seemstobehintingatwithhiscommentthat:“Todaytheuseris

connectingwithourbrand10timesaday.It’snolongeraboutwhogetsthescoopwhenthe

informationisallovertheinternet.Nowit’saboutwhocangetthatexclusiveheadlineupon

theplatformfirst.It’saboutspeed.Fromtheweeklytothemoment”(Moss2016).A

renownedfigureininternationalpublishing,who“playedapivotalrolein[ParisMatch’s]

digitaltransformation”(Moss2016),RoyantmadethecommentinCapeTownduringa

Media24conference.

Ayearearlier,Media24gavedigitisationasthemainjustificationforitsclosureofheatSAin

2015,justoveradecadeafterits2004launch.“Forbreakingcelebritynewstheinternethas

becomethesourceforcelebrityjunkiesandwearewellpositionedtocapitaliseonthis

throughourfast-growingcelebritysites”,MinetteFerreira,thenheadofweeklymagazines

atMedia24,saidintheofficialpressstatementannouncingtheclosure(TMOReporter

2015).heatSAwastheonlylocalCelebrity-onlyprinttitle,withitscompetitors,including

Huisgenoot,You,Drum,Move!andPeopleallcategorisedasfamilymagazines.Inother

words,thedemiseofheatspelledtheendoftheCelebrity-onlytitleinSouthAfricaand

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couldbesaidtohaveheraldedthedeathofthetrueCelebrityProperfigure–onthelocal

landscapeandinprintcoverage,atleast.

Ferreiralinkedthecompany’sdecisiontobothlocalandinternationaltrends:“Itisalways

difficulttocloseamagazinebutinternationalandlocaltrendsshowthatcelebrity-onlyprint

titlesareindecline”,shecommentedtotheindustrymagazineTheMediaOnline(Ibid.).

However,someoftheseinternationalCelebrity-onlyprinttitlescontinuedtosurvivedespite

lowersalesfigures,ostensiblytheresultofdigitisation,withtheoriginalUKeditionofheat

andtheAmericanUSWeeklybeingtwoprominentexamples.

However,andthisisacrucialobservation,theearlyindicationsseemtobethat,despitethe

continuedsurvival,globally,ofsomeCelebrity-onlyprinttitles,movingtowardsthethird

decadeofthe21stcentury,theCelebrityProperitselfwasonthedeclineinprint,both

locallyandinternationally.Despiteitsdemise,thebriefpresenceofthisfigureonthelocal

landscape,inheatSA,seemedtohavemadeanimpressiononitscompetitortitles,withthe

occasionalremindersoftheCelebrityProperappearinginthesurvivingweeklies.But,asthe

discussioninthenextandfinalchapterwillattempttoshow,thepost-heatunderstandingof

fameappearsnottohaveoneormoredistinctivecharacteristicssettingitapart,asits

predecessorsdid.

Overandabovedigitisation,thereseemedtobeoneothersignificant‘threat’towhatcould

bedescribedastheCelebrityProperinprint.Itcouldbearguedthatthegrowingtrendto

includearmchairpsychologicalanalysistocontextualisebehaviour,andespeciallywhat

couldbeportrayedasmisbehaviour,ofentertainmentpersonalities,challengedthefigure’s

survival.NunnandBiressi(2010:53)writethatthispsychologicalanalysis“isfrequentlythe

meanstoshiftthestoryofcelebritytransgressionbeyondinitialshock,outrageanddisdain

intoanewfieldofself-inspectionandpublicreparation”.“Therapeuticnarrative”ishow

NunnandBiressi(2010:53)describethisformofanalysis.Anditcouldbesuggestedthatitis

thenotionofthetreatmentofmentalillness,whichisimplicatedbytheword“therapeutic”,

thateventuallythreatensthesurvivaloftheCelebrityProper.Balancingrelativelysuperficial

psychologicalanalysisofrisquébehaviourwithasatirical,ironiceditorialvoicebecomes

highlyproblematic,evenunsustainable,whenthereisarealpossibilityofintenseconflict

andsufferingevidentinthebehaviour.

EarlyheatUKeditorMarkFrith,creditedasbeingthemastermindbehindtheoriginalheat

editorialformula,seemstoacknowledge,inhis2008memoirs,thelimitationsofthe

continuouspursuit,inthecoverage,oftransgressivebehaviour.Onecouldperhapsargue

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thatthepreferenceforcoverageofever-moretransgressivebehaviourcombinedwiththe

growingtrend,in21st-centuryweeklies,toincludepsychologicalanalysisasaformof

contextualisationofthisbehaviour,madethecraftofCelebrityjournalismrathertedious,

and,crucially,theCelebrityProperratherbleak.Facedwiththeprospectofapotentially

unappealingfigurethatwouldinasenseappal,ratherthanappealto,thereadership,

Celebrityweeklies,itcouldbeargued,hadtorevisetheireditorialformulaagain,which

wouldleadtotheemergenceofanotherpermutationoftheexistingcharacteristicsoffame.

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Chapter5:TheFigureNowWhileIwasinthefinalstagesofwritingthepreviouschapter,intheearlymonthsof2017,

JoostvanderWesthuizen,onceacaptainoftheSouthAfricannationalrugbyteam,died.He

succumbed,attheageofforty-five,tomotorneuronedisease(MND),anillnesswithwhich

hehadfirstbeenofficiallydiagnosedin2011.

Twoofthelocalmagazinesexaminedduringthisprojectcarriedtributesectionstheweek

immediatelyfollowingJoost’sdeath:Huisgenoot(aswellasitsEnglish-mediumsister

magazine,YOU)128andPeople.129Theterm‘tribute’,withitsassociatedmeaningsof

admirationandrespect,reflectsthegeneralthrustoftheposthumouscoverage,which

couldbedescribedashagiographic.‘JoosttheHero’dominatedthetributesectionswith

amplereferencetohisachievementsontherugbyfieldbutalsowhatwasdepictedasan

exceptionallycourageousfight,onbehalfofothers,againstthedebilitatingMNDthatended

upclaiminghislife.Inaddition,thetributessurfacedJoostinthewayhehademergedinthe

weeklymagazinesduringhislifetime,namelyas,tousetheterminologyadheredtohere,a

StarandalsoasanEmergingCelebrity.Therewereevenlimitedandrelativelycautious

referencestothestoryarcinvolvingthe‘sexanddrugsvideo’thatbrieflyappearedto

qualifyhimasaCelebrityProperfigurein2009.

Inotherwords,atvariouspointsinthemagazinecoveragefollowinghistragic,premature

deathandduringthecourseofhislife,Joostwasrepresentedasallfourofthecorefigures

identifiedhere.ConsideringthewayinwhichtheweeklymagazinescoveredJoostinlifeand

indeathallowedforacomprehensivereflectiononthetrajectoryof20thcenturyfame

proposedhere.Furthermore,theJoostcoverageopenedupthepossibilityofconsidering

whetheranewcategoryoffameshouldbeproposed,andifso,whatdistinctfeatureswould

characterisesuchacategory.Theprocessagainledtoaconsiderationofthethreequestions

guidingtheprocessofcategorisationitself:whowarrants,achievesormeritscoveragein

SouthAfricanmagazines?;whatcharacteristicsorelementsaretheycoveredfor,orwhyare

theycoveredinthesemagazines?;andfinally,howdothesemagazinescoverthem,orin

whatformdoesthecoverageappear?

128YOUlaunchedin1986.129ThetributesappearedinPeople,17February2017andtheHuisgenootandYOUeditionsof16February2017.

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5.1DispersalandhybridityinTheFigureNow

WecontinuetoseetheemergenceoffiguresthatroughlyfitintotheStarandEmerging

CelebrityandCelebrityPropercategoriesasdefinedintherelevantchapters,withtheodd

Heroalsomakinganappearance.

Inotherwords,itcouldbetentativelysuggestedthatthemainkindoffameinweekly

magazinesaswemovetowardsthemiddleofthecenturyencompasseselementsofallfour

ofthemajorcategoriesoffameexploredhere.Butthisstatementneedssomequalification.

Itisimportanttobearinmindthattheanalysisthroughouthasbeenofthe‘dominant’or

‘main’formoffame.Inotherwords,inanyissueofaweeklymagazinetitle,thefocuswas

onwhattypeoffigureemergedmostprominently.

Atthebeginningofthe20thcentury,almostallthepeoplecoveredinHuisgenootcould,for

instance,bedescribedastruetothenotionoftheHero,mostofthemintheepicsense.In

1950sDrum,substantialsectionsinthecoveragesurfacedtheStarfigure.Then,themain

focusofmostofthecoveragein1980sPeopleandheatinthenewmillenniumemphasised

elementsofflaw,whetherimperfectionorill-judgedbehaviour,andthissupposedly‘flawed’

figurewasnamedfirstnamedhereastheEmergingCelebrityandsubsequentlytheCelebrity

Proper.Sotheanalysisidentifiedfourdistinctfiguresorcategories:theEpicHero,theStar,

theEmergingCelebrityandtheCelebrityProper.

But,crucially,inthemagazinecoveragepost-Celebrity,ithasbecomeachallengetoidentify

onesinglefiguredisplayinganykindofdistinctlynewtraitorcharacteristic,andthisapplies

tobothlocalandinternationalmagazines.Earlyindicationsarethatcoverageforthemost

partsurfacescharacteristicsofnotonebuttwooftheexistingfigures,theStarandthe

EmergingCelebrity.Occasionallythereisstillcoveragethatseemstosurfaceelementsofthe

CelebrityProperfigure.QualitiesassociatedwiththeHeroappearevenmoresporadically,

andthe‘epic’elementcanbesaidtobeentirelyabsent.Thepersonalitiesassociatedwith

heroictraitsarenotpoliticiansorcaptainsofindustry,aswasthegeneralcase,forinstance,

inHuisgenootacenturybefore.Rather,wefindthemagazinesmostoftencelebratingheroic

traitsinsportspeople,withJoostvanderWesthuizenbeingagoodexamplehere.The

obviouslinkbetweenheroismandsporthasbeenpointedoutbefore,withTurner(2004:

19)notingthatsportspeopleare“especiallyarticulatedtodiscoursesofachievement,

excellenceandtranscendence”,whichareall,ofcourse,elementsthatalsoapplytothe

definitionoftheHero.

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Soonecouldarguethatnamingthischapterexploringthespecificbrandoffamethatis

emerginginweeklymagazinecoveragetowardsthemiddleofthe21stcenturyasthe‘Figure

Now’is,inasense,problematic.Thereisnotone‘figure’thatemergesmoststronglyor

prominently.Rather,therearetwo,oroccasionallyeventhree,categoriesoffamethat

emergeequallystronglyincoverageofpeopleinanygivenissueofaweeklymagazine.

Moreover,whenoneconsidersthereasonsforbeingcovered,andwhichelementsaregiven

prominenceinthecoverage,therearenodistinctlynewelementsthatwouldgiveone

reasontoproposeadistinctlynewfigure.Toaccuratelycapturethislastunderstandingof

fameevidentinweeklymagazinecoverage,itseemsthefocushastomoveawayfroma

figureandevenacategory,assuch,andmoretowardsanunderstandingthatencompasses

a‘dispersal’ofcharacteristicsortraitsofallthreethepreviousunderstandingsoffamein

thetrajectoryproposedhere.

Interestingly,judgingbytheliteratureonfamepractisedandrepresentedononlineandon

socialmedia,whatweappeartobewitnessinginthe(traditional)magazinemedium

extendstothe‘new’mediaaswell.Despiteofferingincreasedvisibility,themultiplicityof

newmediacannotbesaidtohaveconvincinglysurfacedaconsistent,entirelynewformof

fame.Thereseemstobeadispersalofcharacteristicsofpreviousunderstandingsoffameas

wellasacontinuation,viatheseelectronicmedia,oftheformsoffamewehavewitnessed

inothermediathroughoutthepreviouscentury.

Forinstance,Marshall(2010:46),arguesthat,“Pastcelebritydiscourse,withitstextualand

moresignificantlyextra-textualdimensionsthatrevealedaninterrelationbetweenthe

publicandtheprivateself,hasservedasthetemplatefortheproductionoftheon-lineself”.

Referringspecificallytothe“Twitterverse”,SarahThomas(2014:242)addsthat,“[W]hile

Twittermayrepresentadeviationfromoldermodelsofstardom,thereremainimportant

continuitiesandcontextsbetween‘old’and‘new’celebritybehavioursandmediaforms[…]

manyonlinepracticescharacterisedasnewhaveclearantecedentsinwiderhistoriesof

stardom”.Andwithreferencetothe“Instafame”acquiredontheimage-sharingsocial

networkingserviceInstagram,AliceMarwick(2015:157)arguesthatthissocialmedium

reinforces“traditionalhierarchiesoffame”.

Returningtofameasitemergesintraditionalprintmagazines,thedifficultytoidentifya

distinctlynewcategoryisperhapsalsoevidentinthefactthatitseemedimpossibletopick

onespecificweeklytitleasbeingtheultimatemediumfortheanalysisoftheFigureNow.

ThisisincontrasttothewayinwhichtheEpicHerocouldbesaidtohavebeenalmost

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synonymouswithearly20th-centuryHuisgenoot,theStarfigureof1950sDrumhasbecome

iconic,andPeopleandheathavecometobestronglyassociatedwiththeheartbreakand

scandalthat,ithasbeenargued,distinguishestheEmergingCelebrityandCelebrityProper

figures.Thedistinctionsinthecoverageofshowbusinesspersonalitiesbetweenthedifferent

localweeklymagazinesonthemarket(whichincludedHuisgenoot,YOU,Drum,Peopleand

Move!)seemtobeverysubtle.Ingeneral,itcouldbesaidthatallofthesemagazines,

sometimeswithinoneweeklyissueandsometimesovervariousissues,emphasisedifferent

characteristicsintheircoverageofshowbusinesspersonalitiesthatwouldleadtothe

surfacingofStarandCelebrityand,occasionally,Herofigures.

Itisinterestingtoreflectontheshiftsthathappenedwithinacenturyand,insome

instances,withinthesametitles,toalargeextentbecauseofglobalisation.Early20th-

centuryHuisgenootwasoneofonlyahandfulofSouthAfricanmagazines,almostallofthem

aimedatawhiteAfrikaans-speakingreadership,anditscoveragesurfacedtheEpicHero

figure.ThisfigurewasdominantinHuisgenootdespitemajorshifts,bothlocallyand

internationally,towardscoverageofentertainers.Inotherwords,theEpicHeroretainedits

dominantpositioninHuisgenootforalongerperiodoftimecomparedtomovementsonthe

internationalmagazine-publishingfront.Drumfromthe1950sfollowedpublications

elsewhere,arguablyadaptinganinternationalformula,whichoriginallyhadbeendevisedto

marketwhiteUSfilmactors.ButitselectedlocalblackentertainersforStarrepresentation

foritsalmostexclusivelyblackAfricanreadership.

Towardstheendofthe20thcentury,bothDrumandHuisgenootbelongedtothesame

publishinghouse,NasionalePers(withitsnewspaper,magazineandonlinepublication

divisionnowknownasMedia24),and,togetherwithHuisgenoot’sEnglishequivalent,YOU,

theircoveragesurfacedthesamekindoffigure,eventhoughtheentertainment

personalitiesthemselveswereselectedtosuitthewhiteAfrikaans,whiteEnglish-speaking

andblackreadershipsofHuisgenoot,YOUandDrumrespectively.Intermsofwhowas

selectedforcoverage,whatfeatureswereemphasisedinthecoverageandthestyleofthe

coverage,thedominantfigurethatemergedinthesethreelocalmagazineswasalso

generallyverymuchlikethatrepresentedinmagazinesglobally.

TheglobalinfluencewasundeniablewhenitcametolocalcoveragesurfacingtheCelebrity

aroundtheturnofthe20thcentury.BoththePeopleandheatbrandshadinternational

links.PeopleSA,inwhichtheEmergingCelebritydominated,hadaneponymousbrandin

theUnitedStates,andheatSA,whichsurfacedtheCelebrityProper,wasaninternational

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franchiseoftheUKbrand.Furthermore,internationalpersonalitiesfromtheUnitedStates

and,toalesserextent,theUnitedKingdomwereinthemajorityinthecoverageofboth

thesemagazines.Mostimportantly,however,theglobalinfluencecouldalsobeseeninthe

coveragestyleemployedbythelocalmagazines.Inotherwords,notonlywastherea

preferenceforinternationalentertainmentpersonalities,thewayinwhichthey,aswellas

theselectfewlocalpersonalities,werecovered,correspondedwithwhatwashappeningon

theentertainmentpublishingfrontabroad.

Astheworldhasbecomeevermoreinterconnected,andconnectionspeedsarebecoming

increasinglyfaster,thetrendtoremaininsyncwithCelebrity-magazinecoverageinother

partsoftheworld,specificallyintermsofstyle,focusandexecution,seemstocontinuein

localmagazinesinthenewmillennium.Putdifferently,comparedtopreviousformsoffame,

itisdifficulttounderstandtheFigureNowmainlyintermsofthelocalcontext;rather,the

globalinfluencehasbecomedominantandall-important,andcouldbesaidtoeclipsethe

local.

Thus,inbothlocalandinternationaltitles,wenowseehowthesameindividualperson

might,indifferentissuesofamagazineorevensometimesindifferentsectionsofoneissue,

straddlemorethanoneofthedefinitionsoffame,sometimesemergingasaStarandat

othertimesanEmergingCelebrityoraCelebrityProper,andperhaps,onceinawhile,a

Hero.Becauseoneindividualpersoncanemergeintermsofthedifferentcategoriesoffame

suggestedhere,onecouldsaythatthisnewpost-Celebrityunderstandingisa‘mixed’or

‘hybrid’formoffame.AsenseofhybridityisanothercharacteristicofTheFigureNowthat

appears,fromtheliterature,toextendtofamerepresentedinmagazinestothatas

practisedandpresentedonthenewmedia.Marshall(2010:35,emphasisadded)definesthe

socialnetworksitesas“presentationalmedia”,astheyarea“formofpresentationofthe

selfand[produce]thisnewhybridamongthepersonal,interpersonalandthemediated”.

Itmustbenoted,however,thatintermsofhybridityintheprintedmagazines,one

personalitywouldforthemostpartbecoveredintermsoftwoconsecutivecategoriesinthe

trajectory,somostlyasaStarandanEmergingCelebrity,oroccasionallyasaHeroanda

Star.Onecouldsaythatthiscoverageintermsofconsecutivecategoriescontributedtothe

representationofeachpersonalityintermsofacoherentpersonalnarrative,whichhas

beenshownasastrongcharacteristicoftheCelebrityProper.Itisagaininterestingtosee

howthisendeavourforcoherenceofthepersonalnarrativehasinfluencedonlinefame.In

particular,theworkofTheresaSenft(2015:346)aboutwhatshecallsthe‘microcelebrity’is

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ofinteresthere.Shecoinedthistermwhileresearchinggirls“broadcastingtheirlivesover

theInternet”inthefirstdecadeofthenewmillennium,andnoteshowsincethen,“the

discourseof“brandme”hasexplodedintothepublicsphere.Shefurtherdefinesthe

microcelebritypracticeas“thecommitmenttodeployingandmaintainingone’sonline

identityasifitwereabrandedgood”,andformeasenseofmaintainingandguardinga

coherentimage(onlineinthiscase)isoneoftheelementspermeatingtheideaofa‘brand’,

andthisdefinitioningeneral.Inthisinstance,theonlineorpresentationalmedia,touse

Marshall’s(2010)term,canbesaidtocontinue,inaway,akindoffamethatcouldbe

witnessedintherepresentationalmediumofthemagazine.

IntheFigureNowasrepresentedinweeklymagazinesinSouthAfricaandelsewhere,the

continuedfocusonacoherentnarrativeseemstohaveresultedinhardlyanystraddlingof

theHeroandCelebrityPropercategories,theoddexception,suchasJoostvander

Westhuizen,whowasrepresentedasallfourfiguresinthetrajectory,notwithstanding.The

factthattheHeroandtheCelebrityProperdonotminglewellisperhapsnotsurprising,as

thesetwoextremeendsofthetrajectoryseemtobeincompatible.

Inthisregard,andwithreferencetothecoverageofJoost,itisinterestingtoconsiderhow

theterm‘sport’iseasilycombinedwithboth‘hero’and‘star’;both‘sportsstar’and

‘sportinghero’arefamiliartitlesandseemtofalleasyontheear.Notsowiththetitle

‘sport/sportingCelebrity’,whichsoundsawkwardandisrarely,ifever,used.Critically,this

couldbereadasindicativeofawidertrendinmagazinecoverageoffame,namelyofthe

uncomfortable,perhapsevenimpossible,sustainedgeneralco-existenceofheroismand

Celebrity,intherepresentationofonepersonandincoveragegenerally.

Thisstraddlingofthefirsttwocategoriesofthetrajectoryisevident,forinstance,inthe

coverageinYOUofformerUSPresidentBarackObama’svisitwithbillionairebusinessman

RichardBransononhisprivateCaribbeanisland.130Thenotionoftheheroicisundeniably

presentinthecoverage,yetitstandsinstarkcontrasttoHuisgenoot’sbrandofheroisma

centurybefore.AsapoliticianandthefirstblackpresidentoftheUnitedStates,Obama

naturallybringsaheroicelement,whichisgenerouslyamplifiedbyphotographsshowinghis

model-likebodywhilelearningtokitesurfinthewavesonNeckerIsland,andmock-fighting

withBransononhisprivateyacht.Thecopyalsomaintainsthemoreformalconventionof

referringtobothmenbytheirlastnames,generallyassociatedwithnewsreportingand

coverageofpoliticians;bycontrast,ashasbeenarguedinprecedingchapters,magazine

130Cook,Sandy(compiler),“It’ssobromantic”,YOU,23February2017.

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coverageofshowbusinesspersonalitieshassinceitsinceptionbeenmoreorientedtowards

thepersonal,andhasthususedthemorefamiliarandintimateconventionoffirstnames

insteadofsurnamesforsecondandsubsequentreferences.

ButthefactthatthefocusofthisYOUarticleispredominantlyonactivitiesinObama’s

privatelife,onBranson’sexclusiveprivateislandnoless,asthecopyremindsus,“onhisfirst

holidaypost-Potus[PresidentoftheUnitedStates,theacronymObamausedspecificallyon

socialmediawhileholdingoffice]”,alsoemphasisesasenseofstardomhere.Theimagesof

histonedphysiquesupportthenotionoftheheroicinthesenseofthesportsplayer.Yetthe

intensefocusonhisbody,withthecopycommentingspecificallyonitsattractiveness,

describinghiminthephotographcaptionsas,“lookingbuff,relaxedandfranklydamnhot”,

revealsasimultaneousinclinationtowardscoveragebefittingoftheStar.Thisisfurther

emphasisedbyasenseoftheextraordinarylifestyletheformerpresidentmaintainsinthe

privatesphere.ThecopynoteshowObamaandhiswife,MichelleObama,spent“afew

carefreeweeksat[RichardBranson’s]ultra-luxuriousretreat[…]asliverofparadise”and

“enjoyedsundownersontheterracesofthesprawlingdwellingBransonbuiltatthewater’s

edge”.

Oneindividualpersonbeingrepresentedassimultaneouslyencompassingcharacteristics

thatfallinmorethanoneoftheexistingcategoriesseemstobeacontinuing,perhapseven

growingtrendinshowbusinessjournalism,asthisYOUarticleillustrates.Putdifferently,one

cannotidentifyonedominanttypeoffigureemerginghere;rather,weseethecoverage

makingreferencetoindividualcharacteristicsofexistingunderstandingsoffamebutnoone

formdominatesorovershadowstheother,aswasthecasewithearlierunderstandingsof

fame.Evenapoliticianandpioneeringpresident,whoinpreviousyearswouldhavebeen

representedexclusivelyasanEpicHerowithnopossibilityarisinginthecoverageforany

otherkindofclassificationoffame,cannowbecovered,inthesamearticle,asbothaHero

andaStar.

GivenhowhybridityhasarguablycometocharacterisetheFigureNowintheentertainment

weeklies,itisinterestingtoconsiderhowshowbusinessandshowbusinessjournalismhas

seeminglyinfluencedothersectorsofsociety,andspecificallypolitics,inthenew

millennium.Politiciansrarelyappearintheweeklyentertainmentmagazines,andiftheydo,

theyhardlyeverappearinprominentpositions,suchasonthecover.IntheSouthAfrican

weekliesitisfurthermoreinterestingtonotethatlocalpoliticiansarealmostentirelyabsent

fromcoverage.Inotherwords,politiciansverysporadicallyappearinthelocalmagazinesI

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examined,andontheserareoccasionsinternationalpoliticiansarefavouredaboveSouth

Africanones.AsisthecasewiththeObamaarticleinYOU,thepredominantfocusofthe

coverageofthesepoliticiansisontheirprivatelivesandparticularlytheirStar-likequalities.

ThiscouldperhapspartlyexplaintheremarkablylowlocalpoliticianpresenceintheSouth

Africanweeklies.Glamour,oneofthequintessentialStarqualities,isnotsomethingthat

seemstocomenaturallyforSouthAfricanpoliticians,whichmakesStar-likemagazine

coverageparticularlytricky.Somelocalpoliticiansarealsoknownforextremeprivate-life

excesses,includingpalatialprivateresidences,expensivecarsandluxuryinternational

holidays.Subsequently,thesepoliticianscouldpotentiallybecoveredinaStar-likewayin

theweeklymagazines,reminiscentofthe‘oldHollywood’way.Yetitcouldbearguedthat

theseexcessesmightnotappealtoreadersinacountryknownforgovernmentcorruption

andwithsuchpronouncedincomeinequality.WhatIhaveattemptedtoshowandaccount

forhereishowaglobaltrend,ofpoliticiansbeinglargelyabsentfromcoverageinweekly

showbusinessmagazines,hasanaddedlayerofcomplexityinthelocalSouthAfrican

context.

Whatisalsointerestingaboutthegeneralglobalabsenceofpoliticiansintheweekly

magazinesisthatthenotionofthe‘celebritypolitician’hasneverthelessattractedgrowing

interestfromawiderangeoffields,asMarkWheelerarguesintheintroductiontohisbook

CelebrityPolitics:ImageandIdentityinContemporaryPoliticalCommunications(2013).

Ontheonehand,thenotioninvolvespoliticiansbehavinglikeentertainers,whileonthe

otheritconcernsentertainersbehavinglikepoliticians.Thebodyofliteratureisconstantly

growing,butsomekeyscholarshipincludesAndrewCooper(2007),whowritesabout

“celebritydiplomacy”withparticularreferencetoactorsandsportsplayerswhohavebeen

appointedasUnitedNationsambassadorsandspecialenvoys.WhereCooperhaswritten

aboutentertainersfulfillingpoliticalfunctions,DouglasKellnerandRedmondhavetakena

particularinterestinthereverse,namelypoliticianscoveredorrepresentedintermsof

qualitiesthathavemoregenerallybeenassociatedwithshowbusinesspersonalities.Itis

clearthatObamaisafruitfulexampleintermsofthistrend,asbothKellnerandRedmond

havewrittenspecificallyabouttheformerUSpresident.Kellner(2009:715)arguesthat

Obama“hasbecomeamasterofthespectacleandglobalcelebrityofthetoprank[…]a

supercelebrity”,whileRedmond(2010:81)describeshimas“theleadingillustrationofwhat

istheexpandednexusofcelebrity,spectacleandpolitics”.

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Interestingly,someseethenew-millenniumtrendof‘celebritypoliticians’asalarming,

arguingthattheirlooksoroutwardappearanceandmanner“dazzle”orblindpeopleto

possiblycontroversialpolitics.WithspecificreferencetoObama(alongsideDonaldTrump,

EmmanuelMacronandAungSanSuuKyi),PankajMishra(2017)writesabouttherecently

exposed:

insidiouspoliticsofcelebrity,oneinwhicharedemptivepersonalityisprojectedhigh

abovetheslowtoilofpoliticalpartiesandmovements[…]Publicliferoutinely

featuressuchsensations,figuresinwhompeopleinvestgreatexpectationsbasedon

nothingmorethanacaptivationwiththeirradiantpersonas.

Furthermore,anarticlebyPerryAnderson(2017)describesObamaasthe“firstcelebrity

President”byvirtueofhimbeing“otherthanpurelywhite,aswellasgood-lookingand

mellifluous”.ButObama’sgoodlooksandeloquencedoesnotequatetoleadership,

Anderson(2017)argues:

Obama,relishinghisauraandawareoftherisksofdilutingit,madelittleattemptto

mobilizethepopulacewhocasttheirballotsforhim,andreservedthelargesse

showeredonhimbybigmoneyforfurtheracclamationatthepolls.Whatmattered

washispersonalpopularity.Hispartyhardlycounted,andhispolicieshadlittle

politicalcarry-through.

Yet,despitethiscriticismofthe‘celebritypolitician’,therearenowentireweeklymagazines

whoseeditorialpoliciesarebasedonadeliberateblurringofcategoriesoffame.Grazia,an

Italianweeklymagazinebranddatingbacktothelate1930sthatalsobrieflypublisheda

SouthAfricanedition(from2012to2016),isonesuchexample.Itmarketsitselfasafashion

and‘celebrity’title,butitsupfrontnewssection(titled10HotStories)alwayscontainsat

leastone,butgenerallyevenmore,women-interest‘hardnews’item.Thus,itiscommon,

evenexpected,forGraziatocover,onaregularbasis,politicalorhumanitarianeventsof

variouskindsinvolvingprominentwomen,whichensuresthatthereisageneralsenseofthe

exemplarypermeatingthemagazine,albeitoftensubtly.Yeteveninarticlesthatexclusively

refertopoliticaleventsandavoidreferencetotheprivatelifeofthewomeninvolved,the

magazinealmostalwaysadoptstheStarformulaorblueprint.It,forinstance,usesfirst

namesinsteadofsurnamestorefereventopoliticiansandbusinesswomen.Themagazine

tendstobeguidedinthestory-selectionprocessbyappearanceorlooksandalso,

importantly,sartorialsense,whichisofcoursereminiscentoftheStarformulaorblueprint.

Bywayofillustration:fashionablehigh-profileinternationalhumanrightslawyerAmal

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Clooney,whoismarriedtoHollywoodactorGeorgeClooney,canprobablybesaidtobethe

idealGraziasubject.Thisarguably“sexistfocusonappearance”inthemagazine’sgeneral

editorialpolicy,towardsallthewomenitcovers,includingthosenotprimarilyinvolvedin

entertainment,has,unsurprisingly,drawnsharpcriticism,asVanZoonenandHarmer(2011:

94)note.TheinternationalGraziafranchise’sgeneralfocusonappearancearguablyaddeda

layerofcomplexityintheSouthAfricanedition.InpatriarchalSouthAfrica,womenarein

theminorityinpoliticsandindustry,whichlimitedGraziaSA’soptionsintermsoflocal

figurestobeselectedforcoverage.Inaddition,ashasbeenarguedbeforeinthischapter,

applyingtheStarformulatoprominentfiguresinbusinessandpoliticsinanenvironmentin

whichthereisarguablyacomplexrelationshipwithoutwardappearanceandglamourin

generalisachallengingendeavour.

Theoddhuman-rightslawyerandformerpresidentnotwithstanding,ifoneconsidersthe

questionofwhoisselectedforcoverage,westillseeweeklymagazinesinSouthAfricaand

globallymostlyoptingforentertainers,primarilythosehailingfromthefilmandmusic

industriesandthesportsarenabutalsofromtelevision,andeventheinternetandsocial

media.Thepreferenceforshowbusinesspersonalitieshasbeenthestatusquoinweekly

magazinesbothlocallyandinternationallyfromthemiddleofthe20thcenturyonwards.

Comparedtothe‘fewgoodmen’dominatingcoverageinSouthAfricainthefirstfew

decadesofthelastcentury,weseeanever-greaternumberofpersonalitiesbeing

representedinmagazinesnow.Someofthesepersonalities,oftenthoseinthetraditional

fameindustriesoffilm,musicandsports,havelongevityintermsofmagazine

representationandwillappeareverysooftenoveralongperiodoftime,whereasothers,

typicallythosewhoinitiallygainedfameinthefieldsoftelevision,theinternetorsocial

media,seemtobeevermoreephemeralandmightbeincludedincoverageforonlyabrief

period.Thisparticularlyseemstobethecaseforpersonalitieswhofirstbecameknown

throughtheneworsocialmedia.

Themagazinescontinuetocovertheseentertainersprimarilyforactivitiesintheirprivate

lives,withrelationshipstoriesdominating.Ifonelooksathowthemagazinesrepresent

thesepersonalities,orthestyleoftherepresentation,thetrendforshorterpiecesoftextor

copyandpredominantlyvisualcoveragealsopersists.But,andthisisoneofthebig

distinctionsthatcanbedrawn,intermsofthelatterthereseemstobeashiftawayfromthe

early21st-centurypropensityforusingphotographsasprooforevidenceofwhatis

presentedas‘flaw’,beitphysicalorotherwise.

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Move!,aSouthAfricanweeklylaunchedin2005andaimedatanaspiringmiddle-classblack

womenreadership,forinstance,shunspaparazziimages.Themagazinealmostexclusively

usesphotographsshotinstudiotoillustrateitsregularweeklycollectionofarticleson

showbusinesspersonalities,alargepercentageofwhichcoversscandalsandemphasises

sensationalelements.Ononedouble-pagespreadfromthismagazine,forinstance,ahead

andshouldersphotographofasmilingBrickz(realname:SiphoNdlovu)accompaniesan

exposéofintimatedetailsofthelocalkwaitosinger’ssexualexploits,includingallegationsof

a“threesome”withhiswifeand“amagosha[prostitute]”.131

Ontheoppositepage,aprofessionallystyledfull-lengthphotographofThembiNyandeni

lookingdefiantlyatthecameraaccompaniesastoryinwhichthesixty-three-year-oldlocal

actordeniesrumoursthatsheisinasextape.132Despiteimagesfromthesextape,which

“wentviral”,thearticlenotes,andprobablybeingavailableforuse,Move!didnotpublish

anyofthese.Inotherwords,byallaccounts,ithadtheopportunitytoprovideevidenceof

thevideoscandalandrepresentThembiasaCelebrityProperfigure,butthemagazine

avoidedthistreatment.Thereisevenperhapsahintofthesteadfastandprincipledinher

commentthat,“Ihavemorals.IhaverulesandregulationsthatIlivebyonadailybasis”.

Wereitnotforthenotionofaninnerlife,perhapsevenasuggestionoftheconfessional,

comingthroughinThembi’sdeclaration,onewouldbetemptedtoidentifyasenseofthe

heroichere.Thepointisthat,eveninamagazinesuchasMove!,withitsapparent

predilectionforentertainment-personalitytransgression,photographsarehardlyeverused

asevidence.Evenifthepersonalitiesaresupposedly‘behavingbadly’,theaccompanying

picturesalwaysshowthemlookinggood.

Infact,therewasanoverwhelmingsenseofpersonalities‘lookinggood’asIexaminedthe

showbusiness-newssectionsoftheotherlocalweeklymagazines.Inthemajorityofthe

photographs,whichillustrateprivate-lifestories,thosecoveredaresmiling.Theylook

happy,healthyanddecidedlyglamorous.Putdifferently,thecoveragestyleseemstohave

shiftedsomewhatawayfromafocusonphysicalflawsandmovedtowardsevidenceof

glamour,healthandhappiness.Spreaduponspreaduponspreadofgrainyphotographs,

mostofthemseeminglyunauthorisedandshotbythepaparazzi,ofsupposedphysical

imperfectionandbadfashionchoices,nowseemtobedisappearing.Gone,itseems,isthe

‘badhairday’andthe‘wardrobemalfunction’.

131Mdakane,Bongani,“Brickz’swifehappytosharehim”,Move!,17May2017.132Zenoyise,John,“Isibayaactressfed-upofsextape”,Move!,17May2017.

172

Consequently,thegalleryofred-carpetphotographsofstarsinhautecouture,whichhas

startedappearingweeklyonthelastfewpagesofYOUandHuisgenootsincethelastfew

yearsofthe20thcentury,canalmostbesaidtosetthetoneforthevisualstyleoflocal

weeklymagazinecoverageofshowbusinesspersonalitiesgenerally.ThisYOU/Huisgenoot

feature(called“Stargaze”and“Sterrekyk”respectively)hassubtlychangedovertheyears,

withvisualelementssuchastwinklesandshimmerybackdropsadded,toheightenthe

glossyeffectforwhichthesepageshavebeenaiming.Besidestheseunmistakably

glamorous,posedred-carpetshots,imagesfromthepersonalities’ownsocial-media

accounts,whicharearguablyintendedtobevisuallyappealingandareevenoftendigitally

manipulatedforthispurpose,areincreasinglyincorporatedintoweekly-magazinecoverage

andsupportthissenseof‘shinyhappypeople’onholidayonthebeachorinexotic

destinationsallovertheglobe.

Inadditiontothelarge-scaledisappearanceofphotographspurportingto‘prove’physical

imperfection,thecopydealingwiththephysicalaspectoftheentertainer’sbodytendsnot

toemphasiseanotionofimperfectionorflaw.Instead,thereseemstobeapreferencefor

healthybody-imagestories,evenperhapsmovingtowardsamoreactiviststanceonthepart

ofthemagazines.OneoftherecentHuisgenoot/YOUissues,forinstance,featuredpopstar

LadyGaga’sresponse,onsocialmedia,to“thetrollswhobody-shamedherSuperBowl

halftimeperformance”.133Theroughly250-wordstoryinthegossipy“HaveYouHeard?”

sectionofthemagazineopenswithadirectrhetoricalquestiontoHuisgenoot/YOUreaders:

“Doesthislooklikeafatstomachtoyou?”,beforegivingbackgroundtowhatprompted

LadyGaga’sInstagrampostsandthenquotingfromtheresponseitself:“Iheardmybodyisa

topicofconversationsoIwantedtosay,I’mproudofmybodyandyoushouldbeproudof

yourstoo[…]”.AccompanyingthestoryarescreenshotsoftheInstagrampostaswellasa

photographofLadyGaga(realname:StefaniGermanotta)performinginshimmery

sequinnedhotpants,Americanfootballshoulder-pad-likecroppedjacketandfishnet

stockings,anoutfitthatwasdesignedbytheHouseofVersace,onstageattheSuperBowl.

OnthesamepagethereisalsoasmallstoryaboutanInstagrampostfrompopstarPink

who“joked[…]aboutlosingherbabyflabaftergivingbirthtohersecondchild”.“[W]eek6

postbabyandIhaven’tlostANYWEIGHTYET!!!!!!Yaymee!!I’mnormal”,themagazines

quotefromPink’saccount,withaheadandshouldersimageofPinkinreflectivesunglasses

andafriendandalsooneofhernewbaby,JamesonMoonHart,inababygrothatsays

StraightOuttaMumma,accompanyingthestory.

133“Gagahitsback”,YOU,23February2017.

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Significantly,theretreatfrom‘physical’imperfectioncoverageseemstobeindicativeofa

widergeneraldeparturefromrepresentationthatpreferstosurfacethenotionofflaw,

specificallyofthekindthathastypicallycometorelyonpaparazzi-typephotographyusedas

evidenceofactivityorbehaviourthatisthenconstruedasmorallytransgressiveinsome

way.Inparticular,thereseemstobeadeliberatewithdrawalfromcoverageofaddictions

andotherself-destructivebehaviourthathavethepotentialtoleadtocriminalcharges,

institutionalisationor,insomecases,evendeath.

Rather,thedominantfocusseemstoreturntothekindofprivate-lifestoriesthatusedto

representtheStarandEmergingCelebrityfigureinweeklymagazinesfromthemiddleupto

theendofthe20thcentury.ReminiscentoftheHollywoodfanzinesoftheearly20th

century,storiesofhigh-profileromancesaboundinSouthAfricanweeklies,suchasinthe

coverageofthesteadyrelationshipbetweentheUnitedKingdom’sPrinceHarryandhis

“sexySuitsactress”girlfriendMeghanMarkle,whichYOU/Huisgenootclaimis“getting

serious”(andwhicheventuallyprovedtobe,astheylatergotmarried).134Closertohome,

nationalcricketplayerWayneParnell’s“sprokiestroue”(fairy-talewedding)andmarriageto

beautyandfashionbloggerAishaBakeralsogetsthe‘Startreatment’inHuisgenoot,135asdo

countlessstoriesaboutshowbusinesscouplesexpectingbabies,includinglocalDJFixand

herhusbandand,internationally,GeorgeandAmalClooney,musiciancoupleBeyoncé

KnowlesandJay-Zandmodel/actorRosieHuntington-WhiteleyandactorJasonStatham.

Aroundtheturnofthe20thcentury,thegeneralpreferencewasforinternationalabove

localpersonalitiesintheSouthAfricanweeklies.Yetitcouldbearguedthataretreatfrom

‘badbehaviourandbadskin’hasnowbroughtaboutachange.Itseemsafocusawayfrom

scandalhasensuredthe‘collaboration’oflocalpersonalitiesintermsofbeingrepresented

andallowingaccesstotheirprivatelivesandthusfacilitatedanincreaseinlocalcontent.Itis

importanttonotethat,whileinternationalentertainers,sportspeopleandother

personalitiescertainlycontinuetohaveastrongpresenceinSouthAfricanweeklies,there

areincreasingnumbersofstoriesonlocalmusicians,actorsandthelike.Huisgenoot,YOU

andDrumeachhavegrowingregularweeklysectionsexclusivelydevotedtolocal

personalitiesandhavestartedfeaturinglocalsonthecovermorethanjustoccasionally,and

almostalloftheentertainmentpersonalitiesfeaturedinMove!areSouthAfrican.

Continuingthetraditionfirststartedbythefanzines,themagazinestoday,bothinSouth

134DeWet,Nici(compiler),“It’sgettingserious!”,YOU,23February2017.135Atson,Lara,“‘nAmperseramp–toeliefde”,Huisgenoot,23February2017.

174

Africaandinternationally,continuetoconstantlyjuxtaposeelementsofthe‘ordinaryand

theextraordinary’intheircoverage.IntheHuisgenootstoryontheParnells,forinstance,

theirordinarinesscomestotheforeinanecdotesdetailinghowunpreparedtheywerefor

dailydomesticlife;theybothmarriedoutoftheirapparentlyrelativelyconservativeMuslim

parentalhomesandhadtofamiliarisethemselveswithhouseholddutiessuchasbuying

electricityandcooking.Aphotographofthecoupleathomeshows,accordingtothe

caption,“thecricketstarmakingasmoothie”.Yetthereremainsasenseoftheextraordinary

also,atleastintermsoflifestyleandconsumption.Aishaadmittedtobeing“soscared”

aloneintheir“bighouse”whenWaynewasawayplayingcricketintheWestIndiesfourdays

aftertheirwedding,sosheimmediatelyflewtobewithhim.Thecopyalsomakesreference

totheir“Instagramlife”,whichisvisuallysupportedwithphotographsofWayne’slarge

collectionofsneakersandAisha’s“stylishwardrobe”.“Wayne[…]sitselfnie‘nmodevoet

verkeerdnie.Syklerekaskreunbehoorlik”,thearticlenotes(Wayne[…]doesnotputa

fashionablefootoutofplace.Hiswardrobeisliterallygroaning).

However,storiesdocumentingromanticheartbreakandrelationshipsfallingapart,suchas

coverageofBradPittlookinggauntafterhissplitfromsecondwife,AngelinaJolie,also

abound.Withthefocusagainmovingawayfromthefairytaleandbacktowardsheartbreak

andhardship,asSternheimer(2011),amongstothers,haveargued,thiskindofcoveragecan

besaidtosurfacetheEmergingCelebritythatwasdominantinweeklyentertainment

magazinesinthelate20thcentury.Someofthestoriesfallingintothiscategoryhavea

sensationalqualityaboutthem;theexclusiveDrumcoverstoryabout“thefight,the

separatebedroomsandmoneytroubles”thatcharacterisedlocalMuthodiNeshehe’srecent

divorceafterthirteenyearsofmarriageisagoodexamplehere.136

5.2Drawingthelineat‘real’illness

JoostvanderWesthuizenwasatruehybridfigure,emerging,viaweeklymagazinecoverage,

alternatelyasaHero,aStar,anEmergingCelebrityandaCelebrityProper.Butingeneral,

theCelebrityProperseemstobewaninginweeklycoverage.Thisisbecausethereseemsto

bedwindlingcoverageoftransgression,adistinctivefeatureoftheCelebrityProper,

especiallythosetransgressionsthatcouldhavetragicorseriousconsequences.

ThisisoneofthereasonstheposthumousJoostcoverageisinterestinginanattemptto

capturethecurrentunderstandingoffameinSouthAfrica.Thestoryarcaroundthevideo

136Mpapu,Hopewell,“Ourmarriageisontherocks”,Drum,13April2017.

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scandalthatsurfacedJoostasaCelebrityProperinhislifetimewaseitheromitted

completelyintheposthumouscoverage(inPeople)orcouldbesaidtohavesupportedthe

HeromorethantheCelebrityProper.TheHuisgenootandYOUtributes,forinstance,framed

thescandalinthereligiousmodeofconfession,absolutionandredemption,andessentially

surfacedJoostassettinganexampleforotherstofollow.

Therewasnodedicatedfocusonhispeccadilloesinthesetwomagazines’tributeissues;

rather,thevideoscandalwasburiedinachronologicaltimelinearticleonhislovelifethat

showedglamorousandhappyphotographsofhimwithhisfirstandsecondwivesand

children.Importantly,therewasnovisualevidenceofthevideoexposéorphotographsof

thestripperwhosecretlyfilmedthetrystorthewomenwithwhomheisalleged,inthe

copy,tohavehadaffairs.Thisarticleisentitled“Love,marriage&scandal”inYOU.And

despiteincludingroughlythesamedetailinitsequivalentarticleinside,Huisgenootis,

however,carefultoavoidreferencetothescandalinitsheader/title,whichreads,“Die

liefdesinJoostselewe”(ThelovesofJoost’slife).Moreover,Huisgenootalsoavoidsany

mentionofitsscandalcoverageontheoutsidefrontcoverofitstributeissue,despiteits

sistermagazinedoingso.Moreover,importantly,despitementioninghowhe“hadthegirls

gaspingforbreath”,thetwomagazinesdonotrepresentJoost’simproprietyasbeing‘sexy’.

Onthecontrary,andcrucially,Iarguethatcoverageofhisinfidelityhereemphasisesthefact

thatheactuallyconfessedhiswrongdoing.TheHuisgenootarticleonJoost’sromantic

history(butnotitsequivalentinYOU)evenconcludeswithareligiousreferencetohis

comingcleanbeforeGodandbeinginapositiontogotoheavenwhenhedies.Thearticle

noteshowherememberedtellinghisson,Jordan,afterhisMNDdiagnosis,“Daddagaan

dalknounaLieweJesustoe”(DaddymightbegoingtoJesusnow).

ByemphasisingJoost’sconfessionandapologytohiswifeandhisfans,YOUandHuisgenoot

coverageseemedtosketchJoostasanexampleforhishonestyandcomingclean.People’s

tributecoverageavoidsalldrugsandsexreferencesbutdoesseemtohintatmisjudgement

andremorseintheprominentparagraphlinkingheadline(“Thelegendofawarrior”)to

bodycopyoftheinsidearticle:“Anextraordinarylifefilledwiththeachievements,the

mistakes,theregrets,thetrialsandthetributesthatcomewithbeinghuman”.Thereis,

again,adefinitesenseofconfessionintheonlyparagraphinthisPeoplearticleappearingto

detailthetraitsJoostwasapparentlycriticisedforinhislifetime.Thearticlequotesanold

interviewwiththeplayerinwhichhenoted,“Thereweretimesinmycareerwhenpeople

saidIwasarrogant,Ionlycaredaboutmyself.NowIknowtheywereright.Itisreallyabout

176

givingandcaringforothers”,beforeitsubtlyseemstoaccepthisconfessionandredeem

himintheconcludingremark:“Thislegacy–oneofcaringforothersandbeingafamilyman

–ishowJoostwillberemembered”.

Significantly,thewaytheweeklymagazineschosetoapproachthescandalstoryarcintheir

tributes,aswellastheanecdotalevidenceofaudienceresistancetorepresentationsofJoost

theCelebrityProper,appearstoreflectamoregeneraltrendintermsofhowfameisbeing

negotiatedinweeklymagazinesandalsoconsumedbytheirreadershipatthemoment.

Thisgeneralnotionconcernsthekindofprivate-lifebehaviourthatcouldinasensebe

construedbythemagazineastransgressive.Morespecifically,thereseemstobea

calculatedmoveawayfromcoverageofbehaviourthatcouldresultincriminalorother

prosecutionbutalso,moreoftenandmoreimportantly,thekindofbehaviourthat,in

extremecases,couldbelinkedtomentalillnessandresultininstitutionalisationandevenin

death.Inotherwords,themagazinesshiedawayfromcoveragethatcouldpotentiallyhint

atasenseoftragedy.

heat,themediuminwhichtheCelebrityPropersurfacedmostconvincingly,alwaysstruggled

withtheeditorialapproachtotakewithstoryarcsinvolvingpotentiallycriminalbehaviour.It

was,forinstance,problematicforthemagazinetocoverthelatepopsingerMichael

Jackson’s(second)childmolestationtrialwhileremainingfaithfultoheat’scharacteristic

irreverent,tongue-in-cheekeditorialstyle.Butageneraleditorialstancecouldstillbe

adoptedtoavoidcoverageofentertainers’criminalorpotentiallycriminalbehaviour.

However,unlikestoryarcsinvolvingcriminality,whichcouldmerelybeavoided,itbecame

progressivelymorechallengingtoformulateasustainableeditorialapproachtowardsheat’s

trademarkandthusunavoidableCelebrity-newsstoryarcs,namelythosethatdeliberately

surfacedmisbehaviour,whentheyhadthepotentialtoedgetowardsmoreserioussubject

matter.Itcouldbesurmisedthatthispotentialwasexacerbatedbythemagazine’s

continuouscontextualisationandanalysisofthesearcsthrough‘psychologisation’,or,touse

NunnandBiressi’sphrase,the“excavationofthe[personality’s]troubledself”and

specificallyitspursuitofa“therapeuticnarrative”(Nunn&Biressi2010:53),withtheterm

‘therapy’implyingillness,treatmentandcure.

heat’sprobingintoeventhesmallestapparentshiftsintheinnerlifeoftheentertainment

personalitywasquiterelentless.Itwasarguedabovethatthiscontemplationofthedetails

waspartiallyduetotheweeklypublishingfrequencyand,comparedtofamilyandwomen’s

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magazines,forinstance,thepressuretoproduceasufficientvolumeofcontentexclusively

focusedonentertainmentandshowbusinesspersonalitiestofillaminimumnumberof

pageswithcompellingcoverageonaweeklybasis.

Itisofutmostimportancetonotethattheassociationofmental‘illness’withthenotionof

greatnessorgeniusisafamiliarone,especiallyinthecontextoftheartist,anothernameby

whichentertainmentpersonalitiesarecommonlyknown.“[T]hepopularityofnarrativesof

mentalillness[…]indicatesthecontinuingappealofthe‘torturedgenius’stereotypeinthe

modernworld”,StephenHarper(2006:314)writes.“Today,asintheRenaissanceand

Romanticperiods,mentalillnessisatokenofbothpublicgreatnessandprivate

vulnerability;thecelebrity,thatmostvisibleofattractions,isalwaysimperilledbymental

illness”.

Yetitcouldbearguedthatthesurfacingofthenotionofmentalillnessorreferencetoits

possibilityinmagazinecoverageofartists/entertainmentpersonalitiesisarelativelyrecent

phenomenon,whichseemstohavecomeaboutwiththeincreasedfocusontransgressive

private-lifebehaviour.Harper(2006)goesontoarguethatthesurfacingof‘mentalillness’in

21st-centurynarrativesoffamecanbeattributedtothewayinwhichfamouspeoplehave

graduallycometobecoveredinthemedia.Specifically,hisargumentseemstorefertohow

therepresentationoffamouspeoplecontinuestorelyoninterpretationsoftheso-called

‘ordinary-extraordinaryparadox’.ThisphrasewasfirstassociatedwiththeHollywood‘star

system’,andaconstantattempttopresentanevermoreauthenticprivatelife:

Theassociationofcelebrityandmentalillness[…]canbeunderstoodinthecontextof

thepostmoderninclinationto‘haveitbothways’–toofferglamorizedimagesor

valuestogetherwiththeirreversal,critiqueorflipside.Intoday’spostmodernmedia,

the‘appearance’and‘reality’ofcelebrity(bothequallyconstructedofcourse)are

presentedsimultaneously[…]Thementalillnessofcelebritiesincontemporarymedia

culturerevealsthe‘truth’aboutthecelebrityconcerned,reminding‘ordinarypeople’

[…]ofwhatcelebritiesare‘reallylike’inawaythatdoesnotcontradictorundermine

theirstarstatus.Moregenerally,thisseeminglydoublestructuringofthementallyill

mediacelebrityasbothaprivateandapublicbeing,istypicalofapostmodernmedia

culturewhichoffersaudiencesspectaclesofcelebrity,whileatthesametime

unmaskingthem.(Harper2006:321,originalemphasisretained)

Inthecaseofheat,this‘unmasking’orrevelationofmentalillness,oratleasttheallusionto

behaviourthatmightindicateitspossibility,seemedtobecomeirreconcilablewiththis

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magazine’strademarkstylisticconventionsofironyandsatire.Oftensuggestedby

behaviourthatcouldbeconstruedasdeviant,theideaofmentalillness,evenifitwasonly

hintedatandnotevenanofficiallypubliciseddiagnosis,seemedtoelicitfeelingsthat

becameirreconcilablewiththehumourandglamourthathadbecomenecessaryfora

Celebritymagazinesuchasheattoensureandretainreaderinterest.Thismaybeoneofthe

mainreasonswhythelocaleditionofheatcloseddown.Theclosure(in2015)markedthe

endoftheweeklymagazinedevotedexclusivelytoCelebritynewshereinSouthAfricaand,

perhapsinacertainsense,thebeginningofthedisappearance,atleastonthelocal

landscape,oftheCelebrityProper.MinetteFerreira,theheadofMedia24’s(heatparent’s

company)weeklymagazinedivisionatthetime,seemedtoacknowledgeasmuch.Inthe

statementannouncingthemagazine’sclosure,shecommentedthat:“[I]nternationaland

localtrendsshowthatcelebrity-onlyprinttitlesareindecline.Manyofourprinttitleshave

excellentcelebritycontentandwebelieveheatreaderswillmigratetoincrediblypowerful

brandssuchasYOUandGrazia”(TMOReporter2015).

Women’smagazineGraziaisclearinitsequallystrongfocusonfashion/beautyaswellas

entertainment-personalitynews,andsubsequentlyavoidscontentthatfocusesonthe‘dark

side’;infact,theeditorialethosguidingtheselectionofpersonalitiesandparticularstory

arcstocoverisoneof‘triumphovertragedy’,soifthereisallusiontothetragic,itismerely

inpreparationforthetriumphant.137Grazia’sphotographicselectionandeditingcanalsobe

saidtobestronglyinformedbyacombinationofitspreferenceforstoriesemphasising

overcominghardshipanditsstatusasafashionmagazine,soevenifthereisanindicationof

apersonalitygoingthroughatoughtimeinherprivatelifeinthecopy,theaccompanying

photographswillstillbeselectedprimarilyfortheirsartorialappeal.

Intermsofitsexclusivefocusonglamourandtriumphnarratives,anditsgeneralavoidance

ofthepotentiallydarkandtragic,Graziais,inasense,theantithesistoheat.Butheat’s

othercompetitorsonthelocallandscape(Huisgenoot,YOU,People,DrumandMove!)could

allbesaidtohavecarriedsomecontentthatsurfacestheCelebrityProperduringheatSA’s

existence.However,followingheat’sclosure,theCelebrityProperhasalsoslowlystarted

disappearingfromthemagazinesthatsurvivedheatSA.

Inparticular,therehasbeendecidedlylessemphasisonthenotionoftheproblematic,and

thiswordisusedinabroadsenseheretoencompassboththephysicalandthe

137ThisethoswasrelayedbyGrazia’sinternationaldivisionata2012trainingsessionforstaffoftheSouthAfricanfranchise,whichIattendedsinceIwaspartofthelaunchteam.

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psychological.Myargumentisthatthisdwindlingcoveragespecificallyconcernsthekindof

behaviour,orsupposedmisbehaviour,thatseemstoveertowardsdarknesswhenitis

psychologicallycontextualisedinakindofapproachthatbecamecommonandeven

expectedofweeklymagazinesintheveryearlyyearsofthe21stcentury.

Ofallthelocalweeklymagazinesthatsurvivedheat,Move!isthemainonethatcontinues

tohaveastrongfocusonscandalcontentwhenitcomestocoverageoftheprivatelivesof

entertainmentpersonalities.ThescandalsinMove!areoverwhelminglyalsoofasexual

nature,whichseemstofitintothewidertrendinmagazinesthatPosel(2005)identifies,

specificallyamongstthosewithayoungblackwomenreadership:“openanymagazinewith

alargelyyoungblackreadershipandyouareboundtofindoneormorearticlesonsex[…]

Muchofthisisrelativelynew–partybecauseoftherecentlyexpandingmagazinebusiness

[…]butalsoasasignofthenewlyassertiveprominenceofsexualityasstyleonthecultural

agenda”(Posel2005:132).

However,whilethisistrue,Move!’sscandal(sexandotherwise)storiesareneversupported

byvisualevidenceandaregenerallyreminiscentoftabloidnewspapersratherthanCelebrity

magazines.Thecontentisundetailed,relativelysuperficial,andthereishardlyanysustained

engagementwiththepersonalities’innerlives.Andontherareoccasionswhereserious

transgressionorscandalissuggested,suchaswiththeBrickztrial138ortheThembiNyandeni

sextape139referencedabove,Move!seemstobreakawayfromthecoveragethatsurfaced

theCelebrityProperfigure.ImakespecificreferencetoMove!here,asIseethemagazineas

animportantexampleofinitsspecificappropriationoftheglobaltrendofashiftawayfrom

serioustransgression.TheelementofexposurethatcharacterisedCelebrityPropercoverage

seemsabsentinMove!.Themagazineforinstancedidnot‘break’eithertheBrickzorthe

ThembiNyandenistories;theymerelyreportedonthecourtproceedingsinthecaseofthe

formerandseeminglygavetheactorachancetodefendherselfagainstalreadyknown

allegationsinlatterstory.TheBrickzarticlehasasitsprimaryfocusthekwaitosingerandhis

wife’s“unusualsexualrelationship”;thecriminalaspectofthestory,namelythatthese

detailsofthecouple’sprivatesex-lifecametolightduringhisfour-yearrapetrial,is

mentionedbutnotprominently;itisburiedinthebodytextofthestory.Inotherwords,

Move!canbesaidtobeshiftingawayfromthe“exposégear”thatCelebritycoverage

becameknownfor,asGamson(2001:270)argues.Thetabloidinfluenceisobvious,inthat

Move!readersareinstructedthatthestoryabouttheNdlovus’sexlifeis‘shocking’,withthis138Mdakane,Bongani,“Brickz’swifehappytosharehim”,Move!,17May2017.139Zenoyise,John,“Isibayaactressfed-upofsextape”,Move!,17May2017.

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verywordappearingnofewerthansixtimesintheone-pagearticle,despiteitalsobeing

mentionedthatsexbetweenthespousesandtheotherpartiespartakingoftheir

threesomeswasconsensual.ThisstoryhasthepotentialtosurfacebothBrickzand,given

Move!’sself-brandingasawomen’smagazine,especiallyhiswife,Nqobile,asCelebrity

Properfigures.Yet,becausethecoveragedoesnotmovebeyondthesuperficialdetailsof

sexualacts,itmayfailtoengagethereader’sempathy,andconsequently,theappealofthe

storyandthepersonalitiesthemselvescannotbeguaranteed.Ashasbeenargued,eventhe

CelebrityProperfigureneedstohavesomeelementofappeal,whetheritbedespite,oron

accountof,thetransgression,inordertosustainreaderinterest.Importantly,therealso

seemstobeaturnaway,inMove!,fromtheexposureofthepsycheofthesupposedly

transgressivepersonality,whichisafeatureofCelebrityPropercoverage.Move!seemsto

haveadapted,tosomeextent,aglobalshift,presumablytoappealtoitsaspiringmiddle

classblackreadership.

Perhapsinpartbecausetheotherweeklymagazinesthatsurvivedheat,allofthemfamily

titles,areseeminglygenerallymovingawayfromcoveragethatcouldpotentiallysurface

extremelytroubledfamousfigures,thereisnolongerneedforheat’strademarksatire-and

irony-filledstyle.Ipersonallyfindthat,withoutthatsatiricalelement,weeklymagazine

contentonshowbusinesspersonalitiesisquite‘straight’,lacksirreverenceandis,generally,

fairlyblandandboring.FormerBritishsoccercaptainDavidBeckham’sleakede-mail

‘scandal’coveredinHuisgenootandYOU,forinstance,140offeredwhatseemslikeaperfect

opportunityforasatiricaltake,butthearticlemerelynotes,inaverybusinesslikemanner

withthecarefuluseofasterisksinthepotentiallyoffensiveexpletive,howDavidhas“been

accusedofusinghischarityworktocurryfavourforaknighthood.Inonemessagetohis

publicistheallegedlycallsthecommitteewhodecideswhogetsthehonoursbestowedby

QueenElizabetha‘bunchofc***s’aftertheyfailedtoknighthimin2013amidconcernsover

histaxaffairs”.Initsequivalentarticle,141theevenmorecarefulandconservative

Huisgenootentirelyomitstheobscenity,justreferringtoDavid“apparentlyoffendingthe

committee”([…]hethyglodiekomiteebeledig[…]).TheAfrikaansmagazinealso

interestinglyoptsfortheword‘drama’inthetitleofthissnippetinshowbusiness

personalitysection,whereasYOUusestheword‘scandal’.

The‘scandal’brandingofthisBeckhamstorybyYOU(andthelesssalacious‘drama’

brandingbyHuisgenoot)isinterestingforthisdiscussionoftheFigureNow.Thisisbecause,140“10thingswe’velearntfromBecks’emailscandal”,YOU,23February2017.141“10dingewatonsnouweetoorBeckssee-posdrama”,Huisgenoot,23February2017.

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comparedtothescandalsthatwereregularlycoveredbyheat,theseleakedemailsseemso

trivial;theycanperhapsbesaidtobe‘rude’,buthardlytransgressive.The‘exposé’of

David’sfailedattemptsatbeingknightedseemsevenmoretrivialwhenoneconsidersthat

heisinactualfactnostrangerto‘real’misbehaviour.Hewas,forinstance,widelycovered

forhisallegedinfidelity,withthisstoryarcdominatingspecificallyweeklyCelebrity

magazinesinthefirstdecadeofthe21stcentury.Duringthistime,heatUK’ssalesweresaid

tospikeeverytimetheBeckhamswereonthecover.Sothisratherdryandblandsnippeton

thefailedattemptsataknighthoodbytheformerEnglishfootballcaptain,whoadecade

beforehadbeenwidelycovered,withphotographicevidence,forhisallegedphilandering,

canbesaidtobeagoodillustrationofhowtheCelebrityProperhasstartedfadingfrom

coverage,tobereplaced,itseems,byapurportedlylessconflictedandtroubledpersonality

withlittlepotentialfordarkness,tragedyandmentalillness.

Ontheinternationalmagazinelandscapealso,thereseemstohavebeenaretreatfrom

storyarcsthatcouldpotentiallybeseenastoodark.FormerheatUKeditorMarkFrith,who

iscreditedwithbeinginstrumentalinestablishingthemagazine’soriginaleditorialformula,

alreadyseemedtoindicateasfarbackas2008thatthisformula,andspecificallyits

dedicatedfocusontransgression,hadafiniteshelflife.Inhismemoirs,herecallstheday,in

earlyJanuary2008,whentheideaofresignationfirstoccurredtohim:“Igotintotheoffice

[…]thismorningtobeconfrontedbytwoofthedarkest,mostdepressingcelebritystories

we’veeverbeenfoundtocover.”Helatersitsathisdesk:

staringatthescreenthinkingtomyself:whatthehellhappenedtothefunworldof

celebrity?Wherediditgo?Andwhen,exactly,diditgo?DiditgowithKate[Moss]

andPete’s[Doherty]dark,dysfunctionalrelationshipandverypublicdrug-taking?Did

itgowithAmyWinehouse(andherhusband)engaginginbrutalphysicalfightsin

hotelroomsandherspillingbloodonachild’sballetshoes?DiditgowithBritney

[Spears]?(Frith2008:333).

Andlater,whileexplaininghisresignationtothepublishersofthemagazine,Frithrecalls

thinkingthat,“AsmuchasIlovethecelebrityworld,ithad,forme,becometerriblydark

overthelastfewmonths.I[…]wasfedupofseeingpicturesoftormentedfamouspeople.

ThestarsIhadcometoknowandlovehadeithermovedonorwerebecomingincreasingly

distressed”(Frith2008:333).

DespiteFrith’sresignation,heatUKsurvives.Yet,crucially,alsowithmarkedlyless

photographicevidenceandaseeminglydiminishingfocusonphysicalimperfectionand

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scandal,andinstead,anapparentpreferenceforcoveragesurfacingtheEmergingCelebrity

ratherthantheCelebrityProper.IntheweekswhileIwrotethispresentchapter,there

were,forinstance,maincoverstoriesaboutshowbusinessbabies(thoseofBeyoncé

Knowles,BritishsingerandtelevisionpersonalityCherylFernandez-VersiniandJennifer

Aniston),relationships(KhloéKardashian’ssecretwedding,marriagewoesforJennifer

AnistonandJustinTheroux,KimKardashianandKanyeWestandVictoriaandDavid

Beckham)andbreak-ups(BradPittandAngelinaJolieandKatyPerryandOrlandoBloom).

Icametothesameconclusionafterseeingsimilararticles(theaftermathofthePitt-Jolie

divorce,thePerry-Bloombreak-up,anallegednewrelationshipbetweenLatinapopsinger

JenniferLopezandbaseballplayerAlexRodriguez)appearingduringthesametimeperiodin

USWeekly,arguablytheleadingUSmagazinetosurfacetheEstablishedCelebrityinthe

earlyyearsofthenewmillennium.

TheUSWeeklyonshelfatthetime142hadBritishtelevisionpersonalityandsingerKelly

Osbourneasitsmaincoverstory,withexclusive“excerptsfromhernewmemoir”,ThereIs

NoF*ckingSecret:LettersFromaBadassBitch.Theexpressive,expletivetitleofthememoir

admittedlyseemstoindicatethepotentialofitsurfacingKellyasaCelebrityProper,andso

doesUSWeekly’stabloid-traditionall-uppercasemaincoverline“MYLIFEASANADDICT”in

brightcanaryyellow.Yetifonelooksjustalittlecloser,thefigurethatemergesinthe

magazine’srepresentationismorelikeaStar,withperhaps,atleastintermsofher

overcomingheraddiction,evensomesubtlereferencestothetriumphant.Thereis,for

instance,noindicationofdrugaddictionoranyvisibleafter-effectsintheglamorousand

stylisedstudio-shotportraitphotograph(asopposedtocandidstreet-styleorpaparazzi-

type)ofKellywithbrightfuchsialipsUSWeeklyselectedforitsmaincoverimage.Her

trademarklilac-dyedhairistuckedbehindheroneear,revealingadanglingcrossearring,

whichcancertainlybereadasanunderstatedyetdeliberatevisualreminderofreligionin

whatisessentiallyapromotionofthislatest‘confessional’,the“TELL-ALLBOOK”,astheUS

Weeklycoverbrandsit.AndwhileshearguablyappearsasaStarinthephotographselected

forthecover,intermsofwhatthemagazineselectstofocusonfromthememoir,she

seemstosurfacenotasaCelebrityProperkindofpainkilleraddictbutasabravesurvivorof

heraddiction,despitepurportedlyadversecircumstancessuchasanenabling,recovering-

addictfatherandamotherwhohadbeendiagnosedwithcancer.

TheseexamplesfromthebiggestinternationalweeklymagazinesillustratethatthelocalSA

142USWeekly,17April2017.

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coverageslotsintoaseeminglyinternationaltrend.Itappearsasifthereisashiftintermsof

editorialselection,ofbothpersonalitiesandstoryarcstobeconsidered,toallowfora

continuationofpsychologicalcontextualisationinthecoverage,whichhasbecomeakey

characteristicofweeklyshowbusinessjournalism,whilecarefullyavoidingmovementtoo

closetothetragicandpathologicalintheprocess.Hereweareagainlookingatthekey

questionsofwhogetsselectedforinclusionandwhattheyarecoveredfor.Thereappearsto

beasenseofeditorialselection,ofpersonalitiesandstoryarcsalike,becomingevermore

discerning;thepreferenceisstilllargelyforentertainmentpersonalitieswhoare

newsworthy,visibleinpublicandhavesomeglamour.Inaddition,thereisacontinuedfocus

onnewsystoryarcsthatincludeelementsof‘flaw’.Thesestoryarcsrevealingwhatis

presentedasmisbehaviourappeartobeselectedforofferingsufficientscopetoexplorethe

depthsoftheentertainmentpersonality’ssoul,orasNunnandBiressi(2010:53)write,a

kindof“delvingbeneaththesurfaceofthecelebrity’spersona”.Yet,crucially,editorial

selectionappearstohavebecomeincreasinglysensitivetostoriesthathavethepotentialto

revealsorrow,lossandintenseinnerconflictandsufferingwhenthis“delving”isdoneinthe

reporting.Thesestorylines,especiallyiftheyofferverylittleornothinginthewayof

potentialfortriumphoverthetragedyorredemptionofanykindforthepersonality

involved,seemtobegenerallyavoidedinCelebrityjournalismnow.

5.3TheHeroreturns,butnotinepicform

Storyarcsthathaveanelementoftriumphoverone’sowncircumstances,ofcourse,open

upthepossibilityforthereturnoftheheroictomagazinecoverage.AndasCelebrity

coveragediminishes,asseemstobethecase,thepossibilityfortheheroictoreturnis

furtherenhanced.Afterall,the‘perfect’Heroandthe‘imperfect’Celebrityaretwo

extremesorprototypesinthetrajectory,andtheone’sdisappearanceopensthepossibility

fortheother’sre-appearanceorreturn.Ashasbeennotedbefore,post-Celebrityfame

seemstobebasedonahybridofcharacteristicsfromthethreemaincategoriesinthe

trajectoryproposedhere,andwhileelementsofsuccessiveunderstandings,suchasthe

HeroandtheStar,ortheStarandtheCelebrity,seemabletocomfortablyco-existorco-

appearinthecoverage,thesamecan,however,notbesaidfortheHeroandtheCelebrity

Properfigures,thetwoextremesorprototypes.Inotherwords,anelementoftheheroic

returnsasthefocusofcoverageseeminglyshiftsaway,somewhat,fromentertainers

lookinglessthanperfectandbehavingbadly;moreover,iftheseelementsarepresent,the

emphasisisincreasinglyontriumphingoverthetemptationsbroughtaboutthroughwealth

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andsuccess,or‘conqueringthosedemons’.

ButitisimportanttonotethatwiththeEpicHerofigureofearly20th-centurycoverage,

therewasadistinctsenseoftheexternalityofthese‘demons’.Thechallengeswere

external.Forinstance,intheHuisgenootcoverageofthetime,thesechallengesincluded

conqueringphysicalobstaclessuchaswildbeastsandinclementweather,likethe

Voortrekkersdid,andenemiesonthebattlefield,aswasthecasewithheroesoftheAnglo-

Boerwars.Theexternalityofthechallengesisabundantlyclearinthealmostexclusive

preferenceinthecoverageforactionsandbehaviourinpublic,withtheprivateand

domesticrealmbeingalmostcompletelyabsent.Becausetherewasalmostnofocusonthe

privatelife,letalonetheinnerconflictofthepersonalitiescovered,thekindofheroismthat

surfacedintheearly20th-centurycoveragecouldbesaidtobeoftheepickind.

Thegeneralmovement‘inwards’,incoverageoverthecentury,fromthepublictothe

privatespaceandsubsequentlytothe(conflicted)innerlife,wasagradualonethatcouldbe

understoodintermsofacontinuousattempttorevealtherealortrueself.Inorderto

demonstratethisinwardmovement,theargumentpointedtohowthecoveragephysically

positionedthesepersonalitiesexclusivelyinthepublicspaceatfirstandslowlycreptinto

theprivaterealmoftheirhomes;fromtheoutsidespaceofthestoepofPaulKruger’shome

inPretoriainHuisgenootintheearly20thcentury,throughthekitchenofBarbraStreisand’s

MalibuhomeinPeopleinthe1980sandfinallytotheinnersanctumofParisHilton’s

bedroominheatintheearly2000s.

Thisturntothewithin,inwhatmightbeseenasaconstantpursuitofthetrueself,hasalso

extendedtothephysicalbody,aslayershavefigurativelyandliterallybeenpeeledaway

overtimeinorderforusto,supposedly,getascloseaspossibletotheessenceofthe

famousfigure.AsHolmesandRedmondnote,“Thebodyofthestarorthecelebrityiskeyto

thissearchforthe‘truth’aboutthestarorcelebrity.Ifonecanseethefamousperson

strippedofalltheirfinery,thenoneissupposedlygettingunrestrictedandunfilteredaccess

togazeat,andbeintimatewith,theirprimalstate”(Holmes&Redmond2006:4).

Itconcerns,asHolmesandRedmond(2006)pointout,thegaze,the‘seeing’andthusthe

visual.Atthebeginningofthe20thcenturytherewasverylittlevisualrepresentationofthe

physicalbodyofthefamousfigure;inearlyHuisgenoottherewere,forinstance,‘famous

faces’,orsmall,predominantlyhead-and-shouldersportraitphotographsaccompanying

copy-heavyprofilearticles.Butthen,asthecenturyprogressed,magazinecoveragestarted

includingmorevisualsgenerally,revealingmorethanjustheadsandshoulders,and,

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moreover,the‘gaze’alsostartedmovinginwards,beyond,underneath.Withitsmale-

dominatedstaffcomplement,Drummagazineinthe1950scertainlyhada‘ladmag’editorial

policy,butitarguablyalsotappedintoagrowingglobaltrendinmagazinecoverageof

famouspeopleby,forinstance,publishingphotographsofDorothyMasukainher“dainty

underwear”andemphasisingher“lovelylegs”.Andthen,aswemovedintothe21stcentury,

magazinesrevealedmorefamousbodiesandflesh,incoveragedominatedbyboth

sanctionedandunsanctionedphotographs,withheatbeingoneofthepioneersofthetrend.

USsingerandactorBetteMidler(2016)wittilycapturedthenotionofthiscontinuous

movementtowardsthewithinwellwhenshereactedtoyetanothernudeself-portraitof

realitytelevisionpersonalityKimKardashianwiththefollowingcommentonTwitter:“IfKim

wantsustoseeapartofherwe’veneverseen,she’sgonnahavetoswallowthecamera”.

Yet,crucially,themostimportantapparentinwardshiftthatseemstohavetakenplacein

magazinecoverageoverthe20thcenturyhasbeenthatintothepsyche,beyondthebody,

ofthefamousfigure.IfwelookbacktoHuisgenooteditionsofacenturyago,forinstance,

thereisverylittleifanyindicationofinnerlife;thepoets,politiciansandpreacherswere

predominantlycoveredfortheirexemplaryactions,andmostlythosethathappenedin

public.PresidentofthethenSouthAfricanRepublicPaulKrugeriscelebratedinsomeofthe

earlyeditionsofthismagazinetitle,forinstance,forhis“fearlessness”

(“onverschrokkenheid”)anddetermination“inthefaceofdanger”(“in‘tgevaar”),going

along,atthetenderageofthirteenyears,on“anexpeditionagainstthekafferchiefSelikats”

(“opeenekspeditietegen‘tkafferhoofdSelikats”).Innouncertainterms,thefocusofthe

magazineatthispointisnotonthefuturestatesman’semotionsandinnerfeelingsbuton

hisactionsordeeds:“Thesedeedsdonotbecomeaboybutaman”(“Dedadenvande

knaapzijndedadenvaneenman”).143Thereisageneralabsence,inearlyHuisgenoot’s

coverageofAfrikanerheroes,ofpointerstoanemotionaldimension,letaloneapublicised

privatelife.

Incontrasttotheepicheroismthatappearedtodominateearly20th-centurycoverage,the

kindofheroismthatgraduallyseemstostartappearing,onselectoccasions,in21st-century

magazinescanbesaidtobeprimarilyconcernedwithovercomingthe‘demonswithin’,or

theinnerconflictofthepsyche.Ifonereflectsonthetrajectoryoffameasawhole,itcould

besaidthattheoccasionalcoveragesurfacingbraveryandexemplarybehaviourinthenew

millenniumseemstobeinfluencedbyhowtheCelebrityandtheStarwerecoveredbefore,

143“LevenschetsPresidentKruger”,DeHuisgenoot,May1916.

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i.e.inclusionofdetailsofprivate-lifebehaviourbutalso,crucially,evidenceofaninneror

psychologicallifeandasenseofconflictinthisveryrealm.

Consequently,inthefewnew-millenniumweekly-magazinestoriessurfacingcourage,

triumph,actionsworthemulatingandsoforthoneoftenfindsallusionstoconfessingand

overcominginnerconflict,whichoftentimesarisesfromsomeformoftransgression,and

subsequentabsolutionandredemption.NunnandBiressi(2010:53,emphasisadded)allude

tothepotentialfordisclosureto,“shiftthestoryofcelebritytransgressionbeyondinitial

shock,outrageanddisdainandintoanewfieldofself-inspectionandpublicreparation”.

JoostvanderWesthuizenisagainaninterestingfiguretoreturntointhispartofthe

discussion.Heisinterestingbecausehisheroismwas,ofcourse,exploredingreatdetailin

thehagiographicaccounts,intheposthumoustributeissuesofHuisgenoot,YOUandPeople.

Wesawlengthyaccountsofhiscourageontherugbyfield,infightingMNDandevenusing

hisownbattleagainsttheillnesstobenefitothersinasimilarlyvulnerableposition.Being

celebratedfortheachievementsofyourlifetimeonlyposthumouslyisoneofthedefining

characteristicsoftheheroism,sothefactthattheweekliesonlyreallyfocusedonJoostthe

Heroinmemoriamcouldalsobesaidtocontributetothenotionoftheheroicsurfacingin

therepresentation.

However,JoostcouldneveremergeatrueEpicHero,becausethetributeissuesincluded

plentyofevidencenotonlyofhisprivatelifebutalsoofhisemotionallife,andspecifically

theinnerturmoilheexperiencedfollowingthe‘sexanddrugs’scandalstoryarcthat

emerged,inheat,inhislifetime.Hisadmissionto“arroganceandcaringonlyforhimselfat

times”(notedinthePeopletribute)and,moreover,hispublicconfessionto“committing

adultery”,having“mademanymistakes”andbeing“wrong”,andhisapology“tothepeople

whobelievedinme.Andwhotrustedme”(here,theYOUandHuisgenoottributesquote

fromhis2009biography,Joost:TheManInTheMirror,byDavidGemmell)pointto

introspectionandprovideanindicationofJoost’sinnerlifeorpsyche,andthuscompletely

precludehimfromemergingasanEpicHero.

Itshouldbenotedthat,byfocusingonJoost’sconfessionandapology,Huisgenootand

YOU’sposthumouscoverageseemstosupportoneofthefamiliarthemesspecifictothe

representationofsportspersonalities.CatherinePalmer(2016)andWhannel(2002),

amongstothers,callthistheme“riseandredemption”.InhisbookMediaSportsStars:

MasculinitiesandMoralities,media-culturesscholarGaryWhannel(2002:154)arguesthat

thisthemeisamorerecentadditiontothetwoexistingonescommonlyassociated

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specificallywithsportspersonalities,namely“risetotriumph”and“riseandfall”,while

Palmer(2016:170)arguesthatthe“restitutionnarrative,whiledrawnfromthesociologyof

healthandillness,isbynomeansoutofplaceinthe[…]‘narrativisation’ofsportinglives”.

Whiletheideaof‘owningup’orconfessingmighthavespecificmeaningintermsofhow

sportspeoplearerepresentedandtheirlives‘narrativised’,tousePalmer’sterm,ithas

becomeaveryimportantthemeintherepresentationoffamouspersonalitiesgenerally,not

justsportspeople.HolmesandRedmond(2006:289)writethatdisclosureisbecoming

“increasinglyconventionalizedwithintheparametersofcelebritydiscourse”.SusanvanZyl

andJamesSey(1996:78)goevenfurtherbyarguingthat,“[C]onfessionalpracticesofa

mutatedbutrecognisableform[…]havecometopermeatemanyunexpectedaspectsof

contemporarywritingandculture”.

Thenotionofconfessionseemstohaveaddedafirst-person,first-handdimensionto

showbusinessjournalism,which,arguablymorethananyotherformofjournalism,cameto

relyonthird-personaccounts.Celebrityjournalismhasbecomecloselyassociatedwith

gossip,withtheprintedmediainthisindustryevenoftencolloquiallyreferredtoas‘gossip

magazines’.Asisthecasewithgossip,first-persondisclosureorconfessionalsoinvolvesa

senseofnotorietyorattheveryleastimpropriety(gossipisinseparablefromscandal),and

aswiththeothermovementstowardsthewithin,itcontributesanelementofapparent

truthorauthenticitytothecoverage,sincetheaccountisfirst-hand.

Underlyingthistrendofpersonaldisclosureinentertainmentjournalismisthenotionof

transgressivebehaviour(goodandnobledeedsarenever‘confessed’,butmuchmoreoften

witnessedandtalkedabout,withmuchreverence)andspecificallytheso-called‘sinsofthe

flesh’.Thereisalso,importantly,asenseofapparentintrospectionaboutthistransgression

and,certainlycomparedtothemagazinecoveragesurfacingtheEpicHeroacenturybefore,

astrongfocusonthoughtsandemotions,comparedtoactions,thatpermeatesweekly

magazinecoverageoftheFigureNow.

Conclusion

Thepost-Celebrityfigurehasbeenadifficultonetoanalyseandcapture,notleastbecause,

aswasarguedearlierinthischapter,thereisasenseof‘dispersal’aboutit.Thisisbecause

individualcharacteristicsthatdefinedeachoneofthefiguresthatcamebeforeinthe

trajectoryappeartohavedispersedintoTheFigureNow.Thishasmeantthat,unlikewhat

hashappenedinthecategorisationupuntilnow,noclearlydominanttypecouldbe

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identified.Instead,weseeelementsoftheStar(glamour,forexample)andtheCelebrity

(brokenrelationshipsandminortransgressions)re-emergingincoveragesurfacingThe

FigureNow.Inaddition,itcouldbeproposeddefiningcharacteristicsoftheEmerging

CelebrityratherthantheCelebrityPropersurface,asthelatterfigureisproblematicinthe

senseofopeningupthepossibilityofthetragic.Withrealmentalillness,evenjustthe

potentialofrealmentalillness,byandlargebeingavoidedbyCelebritymagazinespost-heat,

theCelebrityProper,then,seemstoretreat.

AndwhileelementsoftheHerofigureoccasionallyappear,theEpicHerofiguredisappears

entirelyfromcoverage.Inotherwords,noEpicHerowhatsoeverandverylittle,oronlyfaint

echoesoftheCelebrityPropertobetracedincoverageaswemovetowardsthemiddleof

the21stcentury.TheEpicHeroandtheCelebrityProper,thebookendsofthetrajectory

discussedhere,boththeextremeends,seemtohavefallenaway.

Whatisonethentomakeofafairlycommonlyusedphrase,whichhasbeenattributedto

MichelFoucault,whichholdsthat‘nothingfallscompletelyoutofthearchive’?Nothing

“disappears”fromthearchive“atthemercyofchance”,Foucault(1969/1972:129)writes.

Yethere,theevidencegatheredseemstosuggestthecontrary,meaningthatwhilemuch

remains,somethingsindeedseemtohave‘fallenoutofthearchive’,outofthetrajectoryof

20thcenturyfame.

Theapparent‘disappearance’or‘fallingout’ofcertainformsoffamefromthetrajectoryis

oneconclusiondrawnherethatallowsforsomecriticalengagement.Anotheristhegeneral

movementdownwardthatwastracedthroughoutthetrajectory,fromPaulKrugerand

other“GreatMenonPedestals”(Henderson2005:38)andtheStarsthatshonesobrightup

onthosebigcinemascreensdowntomagazinerepresentationfocusedprimarilyon

entertainersdrunkenlyfallingdown,overorotherwise‘fromgrace’.TheReflectionchapter

criticallyengageswithtwobigthemestoemergehere,namelythenotionofdescentand

whatseemstohave‘fallenout’ofthearchive.

189

Concludingreflection

Whileexaminingthequestionofthefamousfigureinweeklymagazinesaswemoveintothe

thirddecadeofthe21stcentury,thelastchapterofferedawaytoreflectonthetrajectory

unfoldingoverthecenturyasawhole.ItissignificantformepersonallythatChapter5

concludedwithacontrastbetweenthetwofiguresoutliningtheouteredgesofthe

trajectorytracedhere,namelytheEpicHeroandtheCelebrityProper.Itisalsosignificant,I

think,thatitiswiththeemergenceoftheCelebrityfigurethatthetaskofidentifyinga

dominantorcharacteristicunderstandingoffamebeginstobecomeincreasinglydifficult.

ThepersonalsignificanceoftheCelebrity,especiallytheCelebrityProper,stemsfromthe

factthatitwasthisfigure,onethatIgottoknowintimatelyasastaffmemberworkingat

heatSAinthefirstdecadeofthe21stcenturyandonethatisverydifferentfromthat

portrayedinthemagazinesreadbyoneoreventwogenerationsbeforeme,thatgaverise

tothisproject.

Iwassurprisedandintriguedbythegeneralpopularityofthekindoffigureandthecontent

ofthecoveragethatdominatedourmagazine.Itwasnot,onreflection,thefigurehim-or

herselfthatsurprisedme,noreventhedistinctiveheatstyle.Whatwassurprisingand

intriguingwasthefocusofthecoverageitself.ThepeopleheatSAcoveredclearlyhadtobe

visibleandwell-known.Theyhadtobe‘stars’ofsomekind,althoughintheusualsenseof

thetermratherthantheStarinthesensethatitisusedinChapter2.Whatsurprisedme

waswhatitwasabouttheCelebrity’sactionsorthoughtsthatpromptedthecoverageand

itscharacteristiccontent.Myinterestwasstronglylinkedtowhatitwasthatappearedto

warranttheideaoftheCelebrityinthefirstplace,coveragethatbroughttothefore

ingredientssuchasbodilyimperfections,poortaste,badbehaviourand,increasingly,a

troubledinnerlife.Iwascuriousabouthowthis,seeminglycounterintuitive,focuscame

aboutand,mostdifficultofall,why.

Thefirststeptakenwastodescribeordocumentthechangesthatappearedinthecoverage

itself.Butastheprojectgrewandcametomakeanattempttocontributetoour

understandingofchangingformsoffameoverahundredyears,itwasclearthatan

explanationforthesechangeshadtobepursued.Iknew,perhapsfromthestart,thatitwas

thecontentandstyleofthecoverageitselfthatinterestedme,butitsoonbecameclearthat

somesenseofthesocio-historicalconditionsthatinfluencedthechoicesaroundwhowas

coveredandinwhatwaywasneeded.Itwasimportant,especiallyintheearlyyears,to

conveyasenseofthecontextualfactorsthatcontributedtotheparticularformsoffame

190

dominatinginSouthAfricanmagazinesatcertainperiods.Thismeantprovidingcontextual

informationineachofthefivechaptersinanattempttoshowthateachofthefigures

appearinginthetrajectorycould,notunexpectedly,beilluminatedbythecontextatthe

time.

ThedominanceoftheEpicHeroandtheStar,thefirsttwofiguresinthetrajectory,could

fairlyeasily,althoughclearlysimplistically,beaccountedfor,especiallyinthefirsttwo

magazinesthatwereselectedforanalysis.

ThefiguredescribedasanEpicHerowas,forinstance,anobviouschoiceforearly20th

centuryHuisgenoot,amagazinefoundedin1916andemployedasoneoftheofficialmedia

vehiclesforestablishingAfrikaansasanindependentlanguageandasamouthpieceofthe

Afrikaner-nationalistprojectoftheperiod.TheHuisgenootreadershipwasassumedto

identifystronglywithanationalidealandthefigurethatembodiedthatideal.TheHero

figurearguablyalsoworkedparticularlywellinarangeofmagazinesinSouthAfricaandon

theinternationallandscape.Atthetime,magazinesgenerallyadoptedwhatPeterson(1956:

209–210)calleda“missionary”tone,andoneoftheobviouswaysofmaintainingthebroad

aimofpromotingwhatwasconsideredtobeidealwastocover,inunashamedlyidealising

ways,thosewhocouldbeviewedinthislight.

Thirty-fiveyearsonfromthelaunchofHuisgenoot,theStarfiguredominatedinearlyissues

ofDrummagazine.AsinthecaseoftheEpicHeroinearlyHuisgenoot,thereasonsforthe

prevalenceoftheStarfigurein1950sDrumcanbeidentifiedandlocalisedbrieflywithout

doingaseriousdisservicetothecomplexitiesoftheperiod.TheStarformula,producedas

partofthemarketingmechanismoftheHollywoodfilmindustryinthefirsthalfofthe20th

centuryandprimarilycirculatedinthemediumofthefanmagazineor‘fanzine’,couldbe

importedintoDrumandappliedtolocalentertainers.TheappealoftheidealisedStarin

1950sDrumcouldalsobeunderstoodintermsofthegraduallyshiftingfunctionofanumber

ofmagazinesfromprimarilyprovidingguidanceandadvicetoprovidingentertainmentfor

theirreaders.ForblackSouthAfricansunderapartheid,magazinesthemselvesdidnot

merelyprovideentertainmentbutalso“plausiblealternativerealities”(Laden1997:125)

thatweremarkedlybetterthantheirexistingone.

Whileitwaspossibletoprovide,admittedlyinverybroadstrokes,asenseoftheroleof

factorsinSouthAfricathatmightexplainthecontextallowingfortheemergenceoftheStar

in1950sDrumandtheEpicHeroinearly20thcenturyHuisgenoot,whentheCelebrityfigure

(beitintheEmergingorProperform)dominatedtowardstheendofthecentury,itbecame

191

increasinglydifficulttoprovidecontextualisationofthiskind.SouthAfricanmagazines,as

wasthecaseinmanypopularEnglish-languageprintmedia,respondedtoanever-more-

closelyconnectedworld,theworldMarshallMcLuhanfamouslydescribedasa‘global

village’(McLuhan1962,1964).EvenwhiletheSouthAfricafacedgrowingglobalisolation

becauseofitsracistapartheidpolicy,inthelatterhalfofthe20thcentury,theWestern

worldanditsmediaproducts,includingmagazinesandfilms,hadavisibleinfluenceonthe

country.Asdemocracydawnedinthecountry,internationalexposureofmanykindsgrew

exponentially.

TheemergenceoftheCelebrityfigureinlocalpublicationsmust,inotherwords,largelybe

understoodinthecontextoftheglobal.Anyattempttoaddressthequestionastowhythe

Celebritybecameadominantfigureinmagazinesaroundtheturnofthe20thcenturyin

SouthAfricacanonlybeexplainedontheinternationallevel,takingintoaccounttheglobal

proliferationofthemediathemselves,whichwerealsooftencharacterisedbyhavingglobal

reach,notleastintermsofinternationaleditionsofmagazines.

TheglobalinfluenceonthelocalemergenceofCelebrityisundeniable,butitdoesnot

explainwhythisfiguretakestheformitdoes,orthesubstantialshiftthathasapparently

takenplaceinwhatmakesapersonwarrantrepresentation,accompaniedbyaparticular

formofcoverageinmagazinesinSouthAfricaandinmanyWesterncountries.Itisclear,asI

haveattemptedtoarguehere,thattherehasbeennoticeablechangeoverthecentury

discussedastowhatitisthatmakesapersonrepresentation-worthy.Weseemtohave

movedawayfromcoveringexemplarypeopleattheirbesttothosewhoseachievements

were,andarestillnot,easilyidealisedintraditionaltermstoasituationinwhichthefamous

figure’sless-than-idealmomentsaretheonesthatgarnerthemostattention.

Althoughwhatcouldbecalled‘warranted’fame,andthesuccessandtheglamourthat

accompaniesit,stillneedstobepresent,thisingredientis,asitwere,backgrounded.The

Celebrityisrepresentednotaslargerthanlifebutasmorelife-like,perhaps:aswild,

extravagantandselfindulgentontheonehandbutalsoasunhappyandconflictedonthe

other.Inotherwords,itseems(althoughprobablylesssointhecaseofSouthAfrican

personalitiesatpresent)representation-worthinessitselfhasshiftedoveralongertimeand

atanotherlevel.

Inadditionthereistherelatedquestionofwhythisshiftisoneinwhichthespaceforthe

EpicHero,andtheCelebrityProperappearstobeclosing.However,theapparent

disappearanceoftheEpicHero,andtosomeextenttheCelebrityProper,doesnotsuggest

192

thatelementsoftheheroicorthekindoftreatmentcharacteristicoftheCelebritydisappear

fromcoveragealtogether.Thewell-knownadagethat‘nothingfallsoutofthearchive’,

whichwasfirstreferredtoinChapter5andhasbeenattributedtoFoucault,stillringstrue.

Whiletheouteredges,theEpicHeroandtheCelebrityProper,largelydisappear,Starsand

Celebrities,tousethesewordsasgeneralorcommondescriptions,donot–inessence

thesetwofigureshavestayingpower.

Whatexplainsthisstayingpower,ononelevelatleast,istheconstant‘surveillance’bythe

paparazziand,moreimportantlyinthecaseoftheCelebrity,whatthissurveillancehopes

andaimstocaptureinvisualform.AndthisiswhereFoucaultsurfacesoncemore,andin

theliteratureofthecelebrity-studiesdisciplineitself.ThisliteraturereferstoFoucault’s

workthat,inturn,referstoJeremyBentham’sPanopticon(Foucault1975).Inadiscussion

devotedtothearchitectureofastructurecharacterisedbyacentralobservationtower,

Foucaultspeaksofadesignaimedatconstantsurveillanceand,crucially,theobservationof

themanybythefew.WhilethePanopticonmayactuallytakearchitecturalform,the

observationsthemetaphoricalPanopticonmakespossiblerangefromphysical

measurementsandassessmentstotheresultsofpsychologicaltests,resultingincase

histories.

Thereare,however,obviousdifferencesbetweentheconstantsurveillanceofprisonersin

theprisonyardandthattowhichcelebritiesaresubjected.Crucially,theseconcernwhoitis

thatis‘constantlyvisible’.InTheMediaandModernity,Thompson(1995)alludestoone

distinctionwhenhearguesthatthePanopticonisbuiltonthepremiseofthefewinpower

observingthepowerless,whereasintheworldofCelebrity,surveillanceisoftheselectfew

‘powerful’ones,therichandfamous,bythemany,thewanderingdocumenters,the

paparazziwiththeircameras.

ButthosebeingsubjecttoconstantvisibilitybymeansofthePanopticonarealsoinother

respectsverydifferentfromtheCelebrity.Foucault’ssubjectsinthecaseofDisciplineand

Punish(1975)areprisoners,butthosesubjectedtosurveillancecometoincludethe

inhabitantsofmanyclosedinstitutionssuchasprisons,hospitals,schoolsandpsychiatric

wards.Thedeviant,thesickandthedefiantyoungseemverydifferentfromtheapparently

free,glamorousandsuccessfulpeoplewecallCelebrities.But,andthisisthecrucialpoint,

withpanopticismthoseobservedarenotjust“constantlyvisible”,theyarealso“perfectly

individualized”(Foucault1975/1977:200,emphasisadded).Andwhenoneconsidersthe

193

processesinvolvedinthis‘perfectindividualisation’bywayofseeminglyunending

surveillance,theCelebrityandtheprisonerdonotseemthatfarremovedfromeachother.

Toreturnatthispointtothebiggerquestiondrivingthisconcludingreflection:whathas

beenlearntfromthis,theunexpected,linkingoftheprisonerandtheCelebritybywayof

theircommonsubjectiontosurveillance?IfFoucaultarguesthatindividualisationisthe

outcomeofthisprocess,howdoessurveillancework?Whatisobserved,andhowisthis

individualisationachieved?Inessence,forFoucaultitistheongoingdocumentationor

recordingoftheseobservations,andthefactthattheybuildapictureofwhatdistinguishes

thisprisonerorpatientfromhealthypeopleorgoodcitizensthatmakethehumansciences

possible.InthecaseofDisciplineandPunish(Foucault1975),bothcriminologyand,crucially

here,psychologyoriginateintheformofpunishmenttheprisonenacts.Takentogether,

prisonsandotherclosedinstitutionsrevealhowthingsgowrong,andbuildour

understandingofwhatitistobehumanandtheillsandthesinsthatfleshisheirto.To

makeabig,aninelegant,leapforward,toknowtheCelebrityistoknowmoreabouther

beautyandhersuccesses.Andthepaparazziwantandneedtorevealmoreaboutherthan

theposedred-carpetorstudioshotrevealand,inthecaseofheatatleast,capturingthe

flashofcellulite,thedrunkenstumbleandillegitimatekissareprizesthatpayandareworth

payingforinlonghoursofwaiting.

HoweverdifficultitmightbetoseeFoucaultcastinglightnotonlyonthebigpicture,thatof

Disciplinarypower,butalsoondetailsofthiskind,adirectquotation,apassageimpossible

toparaphrase,mighthelp.Perhapsitispossibletomakeaconnectionbetweentheeighty-

yearperiodoverwhichthe“reversaloftheaxisofindividualization”isobservedinDiscipline

andPunishandthelaterhundredyearsoverwhichthetrajectorybeingdiscussedhere

unfolds.ReferringtotheemergenceofDisciplinarypoweritself,Foucaultnotesthatit

marks:

themomentwhenthereversalofthepoliticalaxisofindividualization–asonemight

callit–takesplace.Incertainsocieties[…]itmaybesaidthatindividualizationis

greatestwheresovereigntyisexercisedandinthehigherechelonsofpower.The

moreonepossessespowerorprivilege,themoreoneismarkedasanindividual,by

rituals,writtenaccountsorvisualreproductions.Aspowerbecomesmoreanonymous

andmorefunctional,thoseonwhomitisexercisedtendtobemorestrongly

individualized;itisexercisedbysurveillanceratherthanceremonies,byobservation

194

ratherthancommemorativeaccounts,bycomparativemeasuresthathavethe‘norm’

asreference;by‘gaps’ratherthanbydeeds.(Foucault1975/1977:192–193)

Thephrase“commemorativeaccounts”andthenthereferenceto“thenorm”andto“gaps”

areimportanthere.Butwhatisimportantfortheattempttofindanexplanatorycontextfor

thefigureoftheCelebrityworldwideisthefactthatthispassageraisesthequestionof

Disciplinarypowerbyexplicitlypointingtodifferentformsofrepresentation,todifferences

inthewaydifferentpeopleareindividualisedindifferentperiodsinthehistoryoftheWest,

ahistorythat,bywayofcolonisation,impactsonSouthAfrica.

WithDisciplinarypowercomesanewwayofindividualisingfocusednotonthepowerful

andtheexemplarybutonthosethatdisplaytheir‘pathologies’:theirweaknesses,theirnon-

normativeidiosyncrasies.Wenolongertreatperfections,successesandtriumphsasthe

naturalsubjectmatterforrepresentation.Thosewhodriveourpopular-medianarratives

todayarenotonlyworthyofcoverageattheirbestandintheirbestmomentsbutalso,

especiallyperhaps,intermsoftheirmostunguarded,eventhosethatcouldbeconsidered

tobetheirworst.

Isitpossiblethatinthebackground,howeverfarbackinthatbackground,mightseemtobe

what,incelebritystudiesitself,emergesastheideaofthefallofthe“GreatMenona

Pedestal”,torecallHenderson’s(2005)phrase.

PresidentKrugeriscoveredasona‘pedestal’quiteliterally:visualandtextualreferencesto

hisbustandstatuewereoftenportrayedinthecommemorativecoverageofthe‘great’

man,andthissenseofelevationremainsintheword‘star’itself.TheoriginalStarhailed

fromtheworldofthelarge-formatandelevated-screencinema.AndDollyRathebe,inSouth

Africainthe1950s,wasdescribedas“aspangled,glitter-bespatteredstar,upabovethe

heavenssohigh”.

HoweveroncetheCelebrityfigureemergesinmagazinecoveragefromthelate20thcentury

onwards,thereisadistinctsenseofdescent,andtheimageofa‘fall’isconjuredupby

changesinthecoverage,inbothstyleandcontent,fromthestill-extraordinarystatusofthe

StartothemoreordinaryfeaturesofpeopleinPeople.

Butofallthefiguresinthetrajectorytracedhere,theCelebrityProperisperhapsbest

illuminatedintermsofthewidercontextprovidedbyFoucault’swritingon“descending”

individualisation.

195

Inthepassagequotedabove,Foucaultendshisaccountofthedifferencesbetweenthe

ascendinganddescendingaxisofindividualisationandthegenericformsthatitisreflected

inbywayofanextraordinarilyrevealingexample:

AndiffromtheearlyMiddleAgestothepresentdaythe‘adventure’isanaccountof

individuality,thepassagefromtheepictothenovel,fromthenobledeedtothe

secretsingularity,fromlongexilestotheinternalsearchforchildhood,fromcombats

tophantasies,itisalsoinscribedintheformationofadisciplinarysociety.The

adventureofourchildhoodnolongerfindsexpressionin‘lebonpetitHenri’,butin

themisfortunesof‘littleHans’.(Foucault1975/1977:193–194)

Thepointandthephrasesusedtocaptureitherearerevealingoncemore:thereferenceto

“inscription”and“expression”,tothe“secretsingularity”,andthechoiceofacharacterina

fairytalecontrastedwithoneinacasehistory.

GoodlittleHenry,theheroofacenturies-oldFrenchfairytalewhosaveshismotherby

successfullycompletinganumberofepictasks,providestheperfectcontrasttothephobic

‘littleHans’,thepseudonymFreudusesinthecasestudyofhisfive-year-oldpatientHerbert

Graf.HenrymaybeaminiatureHero,butevenasachildhehasthequalitiesofaHero,an

EpicHeroinfact,whereasHansisarealboywithapsychologicalillnessworthyofdetailed

exploration.

Withouttoomuchstrain,Ithink,theshiftfromHenrytoHanscanbelikenedtotheonewe

witnessinchangingunderstandingsoffameoverthe20thcentury.FromtheEpicHero

throughthefairytaleoftheStartothesupposedlytrue-to-life,sometimesself-indulgent,

worldoftheCelebrity,itisdifferentfromthatoftheunhappy,neuroticchild,butthe

dangersofpsychologicalillnessbecomeeverpresentwiththisshift.

Evenifcurrentmagazinerepresentationseemstoberetreatingfromfocusingonbehaviour

thatcouldpointtoseriouspsychologicalillness,anelementoftheunhappypsychologicalis

almostinvariablystillpresentinthatworldandsomethingwhichcontemporarymagazine

coverageseizesonwhenitcan.NunnandBiressi(2010:53)usethephrase“excavationof

the[…]troubledself”todescribethetypicalpsychologicalanalysisofcelebritybehaviourin

themedia,wheretheterm“excavation”againevokesasenseofdelving,diggingand

descent.Magazinescontinuetofocusontheemotionallifeofthepersonalitiestheycover,

andthecontextualisationofthisfocusoftenovertlyuseswhattheydescribeasthe“tropes

oftherapy”(Nunn&Biressi,2010:53).Implicit,sometimesexplicit,inthiscoverageisthe

ideaofaninnerlife,onetroubledandinturmoil,andinneedofrepair.

196

Whatisespeciallyinteresting,astheCelebrityflawsandtransgressionsarerevealed,isthat

theallurethatmustbepresentismaintained,butcomparedtotheStarandtheEpicHero,it

isoftenbackgrounded.Celebritycoverageoffersmultipleoptionsonthelevelofboth

contentandstyle,anditcomestoincludethe‘appealing’andthe‘appalling’elements;the

physicalbeautyandthecharmsofthetalentedbut,importantly,alsowhatcouldbe

describedastheschadenfreudeofrevealedfailings,bothphysicaland,crucially,

psychological.AnditistheseerrorsthatarehighlightedasdistinguishingCelebritiesfrom

StarsandcertainlyfromHeroesoftheepickind.

Oneofthestrikingthingsaboutthismovetorevealwhatisapparentlynegative,but

certainlylessthanideal,isthatoftheCelebrityfigure’srelationtothepublicityofthis

negativekind.Inthefaceofthissupposedlyunflatteringexposure,thereseemstobean

increasingtendency,almostapressure,forCelebritiesthemselvestorespondactivelyand

onthesametermstothispotentiallydamagingpublicity.Whatsurfacesinthecoverageis

thatCelebritiescaninsomesense‘save’theirreputationsand,crucially,gainfurthermedia

attention,iftheyconfesstheirsins.

AnditistoanunderstandingofthisseemingparadoxthatFoucaultcomestoouraidonce

morebyrevealinghowsurveillanceandconfession,powerandknowledgeand,especially

significanthere,self-knowledge,functionintheageofDisciplinarypower.AsKing(2008)

pointsout,Foucault’swritingon‘avowal’,orconfession,isoftencitedinsupportofthe

argumentthat“contemporary“man”isaconfessinganimal”(King2008:115).But,asKing

(2008)alsopointsout,todayconfessionisalsoaformofpower.Itisoneofthemethods

throughwhichsubjectsareformedinmodernitybutalsooneinwhichtheobject(or,inthis

case,subject)ofthatpowercanexploitit.Confessioncan,asRedmond(2008:110)adds,

“authenticate,humanize,resurrect,extendandenrich”theCelebrityimage.Asafirst-

personacknowledgement,confessionnecessarilycontributestoasenseofreality,of

truthfulnessandauthenticityand,inthisway,retrievessomeofthedamagethatcould

comewithexposure.

InCelebrityculture,confessionnolongerhastheoriginalreligiousconnotationofsininthe

Biblicalsense,yetitcontinuestobecolouredbythenotionoffaultandfaltering.Thereis,in

fact,thesuggestionthatentertainmentpersonalitiesmightbecoveredinweeklymagazines

inordertogivereadersasenseoftheirown‘power’(althoughnotinthestrongsenseofthe

term)overtheCelebritiesbymovingtherichandfamous‘offthepedestal’.Andinthis,the

magazines’effortsseemtohavebeensuccessful.AsHermes(1995:126)notes,regular

197

readersofCelebritymagazinesreportenjoyingandgaining“asecretsenseofpower”over

thosecoveredintheserevealing,exposingways.

Thissenseofpowerischaracterisedbyadeeperpenetrationoftheprivatesphereofthe

entertainmentpersonalitythaneverbefore:theprivacyofthebedroominthehome,for

instance,but,crucially,alsotheprivatethoughtsortheinnerpsychologicallife.

Thismoveto‘bedroomthings’isrelatedtotheincreasedattentionpaidtotheflesh.The

secretsofthoserepresseddesires,andtheknowledgeandself-knowledgeofthemarenow

crucialtoidentity.Intermsofconfession,sexhasaprivilegedpositioninthatitrepresents

therevelationandexplorationofthatwhichismostsecret.Sexmaybeanespecially

importanttypeoftransgression,onethatgarnersspecialattentionintermsofconfession,

butthereismoretotheideaofconfessionthanitsrelationtosinsandtransgressions.

AsFoucaultpointsoutintheintroductiontotheHistoryofSexuality(1976),inthe18th

centurytheredevelopedan‘immenseverbosity’aroundsex.Thisincludesspecialised

discoursesofdoctorsandtheinterestinquestionsofpopulationbutalsoself-knowledge,

introspectionandthe‘airing’ofthetroubledselfinasecularmode.Itdoesnotconcern

“talkingabouttheobligationtoadmittoviolationsofthelawsofsex,asrequiredby

traditionalpenance,”Foucaultwrites:

butofthenearlyinfinitetaskoftelling—tellingoneselfandanother,asoftenas

possible,everythingthatmightconcerntheinterplayofinnumerablepleasures,

sensations,andthoughtswhich,throughthebodyandthesoul,hadsomeaffinity

withsex.(Foucault1976/1981:20)

Thisexternalisationof“everything”regardingsex,boththroughthebodyand,crucially,the

soul,isbroadlyunderstoodtobetheresultoftheemergenceofpsychologicalknowledge.

Self-understandingandashiftingofthesecretsofsexualdesireintoapositionwherethey

canbespokenaboutandunderstoodisthedefiningcharacteristicofwhathavecome,after

Foucault,tobecalledthecalled‘psy’-industries:“Allthesciences,analysesorpractices

employingtheroot‘psycho-’havetheiroriginin[the]historicalreversaloftheproceduresof

individualization”(Foucault(1975/1977:193).

Andintracingandcharacterisingthisreversal,Foucaultisyetagainconcernedwith

questionsofrepresentation.Inadditiontothereversalmarkingthe“passagefromthenoble

deedtothesecretsingularity,fromlongexilestotheinternalsearchforchildhood,from

combatstophantasies”,healsospeaksofamovementfromthe“theepictothenovel”

198

(Foucault1975/1977:193).Incontrastingtheepicwiththenovelinthispassageaboutthe

“reversaloftheproceduresofindividualization”,Foucaultappearstorevealthatthereis

somekindofconnectiontobetracedbetweenthenovel,thenotionofdescending

proceduresofindividualisationanditsconnectiontothepsychological.

Earlier,inTheFather’sNo(1971),Foucaultpreparedforanunderstandingoftheentranceof

thiscontradictionintoourculture,inaphrasethatseemsextraordinarilyrelevanttothe

argumentaboutchangingformsoffamebeingadvancedhere:“Thepsychologicaldimension

inourcultureisthenegationofepicperceptions”(Foucault,1971/1989:10).Inotherwords,

thewiderroleforpsychologyhascomeattheexpenseofepicperceptions,andmy

observationsonthetrajectoryoffamewouldbearguablypoorerfornotconsideringthis

pointmadebyFoucaultabouttheuneasy,perhapsimpossible,co-existenceoftheepic,

whichcharacterisedearly20th-centurymagazinecoverage,andthepsychological,which

couldbesaidtocastlightonwhatwebothseeanddonotseeinmagazinesnow.Today

thereisnothingbutthesmallestspace,ifanyatall,foraconfessingKruger,anepicBarack

ObamaoranentirelyuntroubledBritneySpears.AndinSouthAfrica,thetruismthat‘history

repeatsitself’inaperiodasshortasahundredyearsoutlinesinvividtermsthetension

betweenepicperceptionsandthoseexpressingthedominanceofthepsychologicalin

contemporaryculture.

199

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