Essay Plan
- Opening quote (either Lillie Langtry or The Countess of Castiglione)
Paragraph 1
Introduction
– Basing my book/essay on a mixture of my personal identity and things I am interested in.
– Looking into how photography plays a part in celebrity culture in good and bad ways e.g self promotion and paparazzi.
– Comparing historical and contemporary figures ; Lillie Langtry (historical), Countess of Castiglione (historical), Kim Kardashian (historical)
Paragraph 2 – Historical
The Countess of Castiglione (Positive)
– 1837 until 1899, Italian aristocrat
– Mistress of Napoleon III of France, obsessed with her own appearance, would not look at herself in old age when she lost her attractive looks.
– Photographed over 400 times with photographer Pierre-Louis Pierson, and also images of her son and her dogs.
– Controlled the whole photographic process (lighting, pose, setting) to allow herself to create her own self-perception to the public.
– Portraits kept in Metropolitan Museum, biographies and movies made about her life.
Paragraph 3 – Historical
Lillie Langtry (Positive and negative)
– 1953 until 1929, Jersey-born socialite
– Original name : Emilie Charlotte Le Breton (relation to my family on grandfathers side – personal identity)
– Actress, socialite, mistress of Prince Albert of Wales, early example of celebrity endorsement.
– Scandal between her and Prince in newspapers, scandal forgotten, became actress with help of Oscar Wilde and opened Jersey Opera House
Paragraph 4 – Contemporary
Kim Kardashian (Negative)
– Social media and reality star
– Positive and negative ideas on the public having access to photography through phones and sharing experiences and photographs of celebrities. Photography making career easier to boost (modelling and brand deals)
– ‘Cancel Culture’ holding celebrities accountable for mistakes, threatening careers and sometimes safety of the celebrity.
– Paparazzi also threatening safety and careers of celebrities for their appearance, where they are, what they are doing. Threaten the lives of their families and friends.
– Origin of fame for Kardashian family being controversial (leaked explicit videos and photos)
Paragraph 5
Conclusion
– Comparing photography in celebrity lives throughout history (positive and negative effects)
– Photography as art vs photography as a career
– How photography being made accessible to everyone has effected the lives of celebrities
– Bibliography