Books by Joshua Gamson

Moving from "People" magazine to publicists' offices to tours of stars' homes, this work deals with the larger-than-life terrain of American celebrity culture. It begins with the often-heard criticisms that today's heroes have been replaced by pseudoheroes, that notoriety has become detached from merit.

Are talk shows turning everything they touch into freak shows? This book claims that the socially deviant may be featured on-air for ridicule in the public eye, but the result is empowerment through exploitation. The book illuminates the dilemmas and practicalities of media visibility.