Vanity Fair's veteran special correspondent pulls back the curtain on the world of celebrity and those who live and die there Vanity Fair's Maureen Orth always makes news. From Hollywood to murder trials to the corridors of politics, this National Magazine Award winner covers lives led in public, on camera, in the headlines. Here she takes us close-up into the world of fame--bridging entertainment, politics, and news--and the lives of those who understand the chemistry, the very DNA, of fame and how to create it, manipulate it, sustain it. Moving from former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to Michael Jackson, the ultimate child/monster of show business, Orth describes our evolution from a society where talent attracted attention to a place where the star-making machinery of the "celebrity-industrial complex" shapes, reshapes, and sells its gods (and monsters) to the public. From divas letting their hair down (Tina Turner) to Little Gods (Woody Allen and Princess Diana's almost father-in-law Mohammed Fayed), political theater (Arnold's Hollywood hubris, Arianna Huffington's guru-guided gubernatorial quest), news-gone-soap-opera (I Love Laci), and even the Queen Mother of reinvention (Madonna as dominatrix/children's-book author), Orth delivers a portrait of an era. The Importance of Being Famous shows us the real world of the big room where the rules that govern mere mortals don't matter--and anonymity is a crime.

"Almost a Celebrity" is the no-holds-barred autobiography of radio megastar James Whale, a man who, for over thirty years, has never been afraid to say the unsayable.

In this new book, Mark Wheeler offers the first in-depth analysis of the history, nature and global reach of celebrity politics today. Celebrity politicians and politicized celebrities have had a profound impact upon the practice of politics and the way in which it is now communicated. New forms of political participation have emerged as a result and the political classes have increasingly absorbed the values of celebrity into their own PR strategies. Celebrity activists, endorsers, humanitarians and diplomats also play a part in reconfiguring politics for a more fragmented and image-conscious public arena. In academic circles, celebrity may be viewed as a ‘manufactured product’; one fabricated by media exposure so that celebrity activists are no more than ‘bards of the powerful.’ Mark Wheeler, however, provides a more nuanced critique contending that both celebrity politicians and politicized stars should be defined by their ‘affective capacity’ to operate within the public sphere. This timely book will be a valuable resource for students of media and communication studies and political science as well as general readers keen to understand the nature and reach of contemporary celebrity culture.

I build levers to move objects that appear to be immovable.Alexei Drovosek represents the next evolution of human: no heart, immunity to cancer, and the uncanny ability to survive in conditions that would kill normal men. As an orphan growing up in post-Soviet Russia, Alexei was taken in by the state and trained as its most vicious and effective killer. But eventually the Russian Federal Security Service's best-trained assassin did the most dangerous thing of all: he turned on his handlers, went rogue, and disappeared.In the bleak, high-tech near future, Alexei has resurfaced in a secret compound on the outskirts of Los Angeles, a city where autonomous-drive vehicles race along the highways and independent city-states operate with materialistic impunity. In the center of it all is the soaring headquarters of Pearl Knight Industries, an international mega-corporation that keeps war machines and cultural capitalism running in every country and on every continent on the planet. As a principal proponent of the 31st Amendment to the United States constitution, which legalized the transfer of suffrage from citizens to corporations, Pearl Knight has power that is truly above the law.Alexei lives a clandestine existence where his closest companions are his personal AI, Emma, and a group of orphans he has spent years amassing and training. But Alexei isn't fostering these children as a favor to the state; he's raising them with the hope that they will destroy it. As he moves each child into play in the world's highest-stakes game of chess that spans decades and continents, Alexei fights to destroy the plutocratic control of those in power and restore what matters to him most: democracy and freedom.

In this "laugh-out-loud funny” book (Hank Green, New York Times bestselling author), social media star and comedian Josh Sundquist takes readers on his hilarious journey to the fringes of viral stardom to discover if it’s possible to be both very famous and very happy As a semi-famous internet creator, Josh Sundquist knows what it's like to chase fame, but he also knows that more fame usually means more stress. So he set out on a pseudo-scientific investigation to find out if there is any way for fame and happiness to overlap. He attempts to define the word “fame”—hint: it's harder than you'd think. He turns back time to identify the first facially-recognizable celebrity (you might know his former BFF Brutus). He digs into the numbers to debunk urban legends associated with stardom (ever heard of the 27 Club?). He talks to other semi-famous people (from K-pop sensations to former child stars) and asks them: Is this fame thing making you happy? If not, why are you doing it? If so, what's your secret? All while recounting funny stories about his own cringy fame-seeking (like his many attempts, and failures, to get onto MTV). Packed with playful diagrams, fascinating insights from celebrities, and embarrassing truths from Josh’s experience with semi-fame, this is a must-read for anyone who has ever dreamed of becoming famous…or at least going viral on TikTok.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Griffin, an A-Z compendium of her celebrity run-ins, and the jaw-dropping, charming, and sometimes bizarre anecdotes only she can tell about them. Kathy Griffin’s Celebrity Run-Ins is Kathy’s funny, juicy index of all of the celebrities she has met during her many years in show business, bursting with never-before-told stories. Starting with Woody Allen and ending with Warren Zevon, Kathy Griffin’s Celebrity Run-Ins is a who’s who of pop culture: Leonardo DiCaprio, Nick Jonas, Kendall Jenner, Anna Kendrick, Lily Tomlin, Suge Knight, Barbra Streisand, Ashton Kutcher, Queen Latifah, Maria Shriver, Jared Leto, Selena Gomez, Meghan Trainor, Macklemore, Bruno Mars, Aaron Paul, Pink, Pitbull, Sia, Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Christina Aguilera, and many more. Who would imagine that Kathy was an extra in a Michael Jackson commercial (guess which one)? That she and Salman Rushdie trade celebrity stories? That Donald Trump once drove Kathy and Liza Minelli around on a golf cart? That Sidney Poitier has a wicked sense of humor? That Demi Lovato has none? That David Letterman is still scared of Cher? That Channing Tatum is as polite as they come, and Tom Hanks might have the best perspective on fame of anyone? Kathy, that’s who. Kathy has met everyone, and after reading this book, you will feel as if you have, too. Kathy Griffin has seen it all. Shocking and sidesplitting, Kathy Griffin’s Celebrity Run-Ins is an indispensable guide to the stars from one of our most beloved comedians. Can you handle it?

Tips for Respectfully Interacting with Celebrities in Their Natural Habitat. "A celebrity is a person who works all his life to become well known, then wears dark sunglasses to avoid being recognized." Fred Allen Come take a three hour tour that explores America's favorite past time - STAR GAZING! This book explores the wonderful world of celebrity status and highlights some of the difficulties that many fans sometimes forget about. We have studied, witnessed, analyzed and categorized today's hottest celebrities into their various "animal" categories. What's more, we draw clear guidelines on how to respectfully approach your favorite celebrity animal without scaring them away. We outline a step-by-step process on how to get what you want from your star, without looking like an idiot. This book is taking a light approach to what can and has been a serious issue. Although fans are the ones that make celebrities, they are quite often the ones to break them as well. If you are looking for info on America's royalty - "The Celebrity"- then this book will help you experience the star-struck phenomenon first hand. "Two things have really changed my life. Going to jail and reading The Celebrity Survival Guide! To all of you fans out there - get this book and read it! It's HOT!" P.H. "I know that the world is in need of elite units to help eradicate the vast networks of fundamentalist groupies. The Celebrity Survival Guide provides a solid stratigery for successfully overcoming fan terrorism worldwide. Travis & Shalisse - 'Mission Accomplished!" G.W.B "Fans are thoughtless little pigs! I don't give a d**m that you're a fan! The crap you pull on us Celebrities that you would never dream of doing to your mother, and you do it to us constantly over and over again! Well, you've made us feel like s**t for the last time! The Celebrity Survival Guidewill straighten you're a** out!" (Voicemail message left by) A.B. "With The Celebrity Survival Guide, Travis & Shalisse have finally given celebrities a chance to say 'Hasta la Vista' to rude fans everywhere.I encourage all fans to read this book and terminate their bad behaviors! A.S. "The Celebrity Survival Guideis better than my daily CIA briefings!" C.R.