Dr. Jeffrey Kahan, Professor of English, recently published “Bettymania and the Birth of Celebrity Culture“ (Lehigh University Press, 2010). In 1804, a kind of madness descended upon Britain. A thirteen-year-old boy, William-Henry West Betty, arrived and took Ireland, Scotland, and England by storm. Women were fixated on his beauty; men referred to him as the “personification of Hamlet.” Crowds were so intent upon securing tickets for Betty’s performances that officers were called out to stop rioters in the streets. What attracted audiences to this prodigy, why did his popularity fade, and why was he all but forgotten in a few short years?
Whether supporters of Betty or of more modern celebrities regret their acts of collective allegiance and personal devotion, their recriminations in no way invalidate their idealizations. Even later acrimonious rejections of Betty or, for that matter, of any former celebrity, add to and support the notion of a shared social investment. The real issue is whether fans fully appreciate that modern celebrity and long-term loyalty cannot coexist. Robert Burton, writing on Betty in 1805, understood that the celebrity phenomenon of Bettymania would be brief and must end badly: “The fact is, the mob of mankind must have something to idolize, and poor Young Betty like a child overlaid by the mother, will be caressed to death. Exalted by puffing to an unmerited elevation, and then depressed to an unmerited oblivion. Such is human nature.” This study argues that, in a Britain tottered by Napoleonic war and Irish rebellion, the collaborative activity of endorsing a child actor provided much-needed unity to a beleaguered and fragmented society. Though Bettymania only lasted a season or two, modern celebrity culture, nourished by the evanescent thoughts and dreams of millions, has proven to be the center that continues to hold.
Similar Posts:
- What to consider when you choose a ride on toy
- Anthony Graves on Poverty, Injustice
- Libraries Face Another Budget Cut
- Ortiz Elementary back to normal after missing kid found
- Free nursery places for 140,000
Post Comment