Expanding celebrity studies’ research agenda: theoretical opportunities and methodological challenges in interviewing celebrities

Abstract

Following up on Turner’s argument on the dominance of textual and discursive analyses in celebrity studies, this article argues for more focus on celebrity culture’s agents and their social practices, particularly by conducting interviews with celebrities, which is rare in literature. While this opens up several theoretical opportunities, it also raises methodological challenges, especially regarding access and data quality. Access to celebrities is limited because they are already ‘over-interviewed’ by journalists, and thus might not be motivated to engage in academic studies. This article suggests ways to deal with or even surpass cultural intermediaries, such as managers, who control the celebrity’s agenda. Regarding data quality, the article also discusses ways for interviewers to get beyond the sound bite and generate in-depth understanding, while also trying to manage or recognise which celebrity persona is speaking. While these methodological considerations apply to celebrity, they might also be relevant for elite studies more generally.

Keywords:

• research agenda
• methodology
• interview
• access
• epistemology

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Peter Stevens and Hans Verstraeten for their useful feedback on earlier drafts of this manuscript. The author would also like to thank the participants at the Inaugural Celebrity Studies Conference (Melbourne 2012) for their helpful suggestions.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Olivier Driessens

Olivier Driessens is an LSE Fellow in the Media and Communications Department at London School of Economics, UK. He is mainly interested in social theory, media culture, and celebrity culture. Combined, this has resulted in theoretical and empirical work on celebritisation, mediatisation, and political activism, published in journals such as Media, Culture and Society and Theory and Society.