villains, and on the flipside were the bad boys – the highwaymen and
criminals. Though we don’t know who he was, I would call Jack the
Ripper a celebrity. Even at the time, there was a bizarre kind of
commercial economy attached to him. People paid money to tour the
crime scenes, or see wax effigies of his victims. That is celebrity. It may
be a cruel, dark, twisted form of fame, but it still ticks all the boxes.Scandal has often fuelled the fires of fame. But what determined
whether it supercharged a celebrity or destroyed them?
It could certainly go either way. Mae West is an example of someone
who actively used scandal as a springboard to become more famous.
In 1926, she put on a play called Sex in which she played a sex worker.
The newspapers were outraged and West was thrown in jail for
indecency. But loads of people came to the play and they loved her.
She was bawdy with a really fresh and edgy sense of humour. As West
once famously quipped, she “climbed the ladder of success wrong by
wrong” rather than rung by rung, which is a lovely pun, and she
ended up a Hollywood icon. For her, being a bit of a deviant who
could titillate and thrill audiences was a route into people’s hearts.
But while some people were able to make scandal part of their
personal brand, for others, it was hugely destructive. There were
plenty of women in the 18th and 19th centuries who wrote what were
called “whores’ biographies” – basically kiss-and-tell stories. The most
famous is probably the courtesan Harriette Wilson. Selling your story
could be a lucrative business. Wilson blackmailed her former clients,
threatening to write about them unless they paid her off, to which her
former lover the Duke of Wellington reportedly famously responded:
“Publish and be damned.” Her book was a huge bestseller because, of
course, people were desperate to read about the sex life of the Duke of
Wellington. But in the long term, women like Wilson generally ended
up dying in poverty, as they were never allowed to become respectable.
A lot of them later tried to write poetry or novels, but it was too late
because their reputations were tarnished.Fame has frequently been unwanted or come at a price – can
you give some examples of how damaging it could be?
The ancient poet Virgil describes fame as a giant bird-like monster
covered with eyes, tongues and ears to represent gossip and rumour.
This monster stalks the land and never sleeps, hunting people down
like a ravenous predator. It’s a terrifying idea, like some horrendous
Godzilla painted by Dali.
It’s important to remember that fame was something that could
be done to people – it could be attributed to you against your wishes.
History has loads of examples of people who despised being famous,
and found it really intrusive and troubling – Florence Nightingale,
for example. Even though people lauded her as a hero, and named
ships and pubs and children after her, she absolutely hated that fame
arrived on her doorstep.
Then you get people like the philosopher and novelist Jean-Jacques
Rousseau, who was a massive star in the 1760s. He’d written this novel
called Julie; ou, la Nouvelle Heloise, and people just loved it – they
cried, wrote him letters and began turning up at his house to say hello.But faced with all this adoration, he started to lose his mind, and went
into a weird, paranoid delusion where he no longer trusted his friends.
He would see perfectly nice paintings of himself done by reputable
artists, and think they were monstrous attacks on him. He refused to
speak to one woman for a year because she’d got an engraving of him
in her house. He lost all perspective and he ended up in a conspiratori-
al headspace, obsessed with the idea that the world was judging him.
Quite often the attention from fans could be crippling. The
18th-century actress Mary Robinson couldn’t go to a hat shop without
hundreds of people waiting outside to see what she was buying and
trying to grab hold of her. Dickens was similarly hounded by crowds
everywhere he went, particularly when he was touring in America.
He had people breaking into his hotel room and was even targeted by
a stalker. Then there was Florence Lawrence, the first ever Hollywood
star to be named in the 1910s (prior to that, movie stars were almost
always anonymous). Her manager faked her death, and when she
turned up alive she was mobbed by fans. Ironically, she was very
nearly crushed to death and ended up with post-traumatic stress
disorder. I’m not saying that fame is always horrible, but there is an
element of the Faustian pact to it.Has writing this book made you look differently at how we
engage with celebrity culture today?
The truth is that I originally intended to write a slightly snarkier book.
But by pure coincidence, David Bowie died on the morning I sat down
to begin writing. After spending all day listening to the radio, looking
at Twitter and reading obituaries, I realised that Bowie had had an
enormous impact that went beyond changing the tides of culture and
history. He really influenced people’s personal lives and how they felt
about themselves. And it opened my eyes to how celebrity culture –
perhaps through music, a favourite author, or a movie that changes
you in some way – helps us discover more about who we are.
Getting thrilled or titillated or angry about strangers we don’t
know can change how we think about a whole spectrum of things- societal roles, sex, gender, morality, drugs and crime. We use those
strangers as sounding boards for our own opinions and also as role
models for who we want to be. Celebrities
quite often cross the line, and sometimes,
that will reinforce where the line is. But, if
we like them enough, they’ll move the line,
and we’ll end up redefining the boundaries
of acceptability. So while celebrity culture
isn’t necessarily always a good thing, we
can’t dismiss it as superficial or vacuous.
It’s incredibly important in shaping our
morals, values and ethics.
Sex sells Mae West embraced a subversive sex appeal in order to catapult
herself to fame – but other celebrities found themselves burned by the limelightThe poet Virgil described fame as
a giant bird-like monster that stalked
the land and never slept, hunting
people down like a ravenous predator.
It’s a terrifying ideaBOOKSINTERVIEW
GETTY IMAGESMORE FROM USListen to an extended
version of this interview
with Greg Jenner
on our podcast soon at
historyextra.com/
podcastvillains,andontheflipsidewerethebadboys– thehighwaymenand
criminals.Thoughwedon’tknowwhohewas,I wouldcallJackthe
Rippera celebrity.Evenatthetime,therewasa bizarrekindof
commercialeconomyattachedtohim.Peoplepaidmoneytotourthe
crimescenes,orseewaxeffigiesofhisvictims.Thatis celebrity.It may
be a cruel, dark, twisted form of fame, but it still ticks all the boxes.Scandalhas oftenfuelledthe fires of fame.But whatdetermined
whetherit superchargeda celebrityor destroyedthem?
It couldcertainlygoeitherway.MaeWestis anexampleofsomeone
whoactivelyusedscandalasa springboardtobecomemorefamous.
In1926,sheputona playcalledSexinwhichsheplayeda sexworker.
ThenewspaperswereoutragedandWestwasthrowninjailfor
indecency.Butloadsofpeoplecametotheplayandtheylovedher.
Shewasbawdywitha reallyfreshandedgysenseofhumour.AsWest
oncefamouslyquipped,she“climbedtheladderofsuccesswrongby
wrong”ratherthanrungbyrung,whichis a lovelypun,andshe
endedupa Hollywoodicon.Forher,beinga bitofa deviantwho
couldtitillateandthrillaudienceswasa routeintopeople’shearts.
Butwhilesomepeoplewereabletomakescandalpartoftheir
personalbrand,forothers,it washugelydestructive.Therewere
plentyofwomeninthe18thand19thcenturieswhowrotewhatwere
called“whores’biographies”– basicallykiss-and-tellstories.Themost
famousis probablythecourtesanHarrietteWilson.Sellingyourstory
couldbea lucrativebusiness.Wilsonblackmailedherformerclients,
threateningtowriteaboutthemunlesstheypaidheroff,towhichher
formerlovertheDukeofWellingtonreportedlyfamouslyresponded:
“Publishandbedamned.”Herbookwasa hugebestsellerbecause,of
course,peopleweredesperatetoreadaboutthesexlifeoftheDukeof
Wellington.Butinthelongterm,womenlikeWilsongenerallyended
updyinginpoverty,astheywereneverallowedtobecomerespectable.
A lotofthemlatertriedtowritepoetryornovels, but it was too late
because their reputations were tarnished.Famehas frequentlybeenunwantedor comeat a price– can
you give someexamplesof how damagingit couldbe?
TheancientpoetVirgildescribesfameasa giantbird-likemonster
coveredwitheyes,tonguesandearstorepresentgossipandrumour.
Thismonsterstalksthelandandneversleeps,huntingpeopledown
likea ravenouspredator.It’sa terrifying idea, like some horrendous
GodzillapaintedbyDali.
It’simportanttorememberthatfamewassomethingthatcould
bedonetopeople– it couldbeattributedtoyouagainstyourwishes.
Historyhasloadsofexamplesofpeoplewhodespisedbeingfamous,
andfoundit reallyintrusiveandtroubling– FlorenceNightingale,
forexample.Eventhoughpeoplelaudedherasa hero,andnamed
shipsandpubsandchildren after her, she absolutely hated that fame
arrivedonherdoorstep.
ThenyougetpeoplelikethephilosopherandnovelistJean-Jacques
Rousseau,whowasa massivestarinthe1760s.He’dwrittenthisnovel
calledJulie;ou,laNouvelleHeloise,andpeoplejustlovedit – they
cried, wrote him letters and began turning up at his house to say hello.Butfacedwithallthisadoration,hestartedtolosehismind,andwent
intoa weird,paranoiddelusionwherehenolongertrustedhisfriends.
Hewouldseeperfectlynicepaintingsofhimselfdonebyreputable
artists,andthinktheyweremonstrousattacksonhim.Herefusedto
speaktoonewomanfora yearbecauseshe’dgotanengravingofhim
inherhouse.Helostallperspectiveandheendedupina conspiratori-
al headspace,obsessedwiththeideathattheworldwasjudginghim.
Quiteoftentheattentionfromfanscouldbecrippling.The
18th-centuryactressMaryRobinsoncouldn’tgotoa hatshopwithout
hundredsofpeoplewaitingoutsidetoseewhatshewasbuyingand
tryingtograbholdofher.Dickenswassimilarlyhoundedbycrowds
everywherehewent,particularlywhenhewastouringinAmerica.
Hehadpeoplebreakingintohishotelroomandwaseventargetedby
a stalker.ThentherewasFlorenceLawrence,thefirsteverHollywood
startobenamedinthe1910s(priortothat,moviestarswerealmost
alwaysanonymous).Hermanagerfakedherdeath,andwhenshe
turnedupaliveshewasmobbedbyfans.Ironically,shewasvery
nearlycrushedtodeathandendedupwithpost-traumaticstress
disorder.I’mnotsayingthatfameis always horrible, but there is an
element of the Faustian pact to it.Has writingthis bookmadeyou look differently at how we
engagewith celebrityculturetoday?
Thetruthis thatI originallyintendedtowritea slightlysnarkierbook.
Butbypurecoincidence,DavidBowiediedonthemorningI satdown
tobeginwriting.Afterspendingalldaylisteningtotheradio,looking
atTwitterandreadingobituaries,I realisedthatBowiehadhadan
enormousimpactthatwentbeyondchangingthetidesofcultureand
history.Hereallyinfluencedpeople’spersonallivesandhowtheyfelt
aboutthemselves.Andit openedmyeyestohowcelebrityculture–
perhapsthroughmusic,a favouriteauthor,ora moviethatchanges
youinsomeway– helpsusdiscovermoreaboutwhoweare.
Gettingthrilledortitillatedorangryaboutstrangerswedon’t
knowcanchangehowwethinkabouta wholespectrumofthings- societalroles,sex,gender,morality,drugsandcrime.Weusethose
strangersassoundingboardsforourownopinions and also as role
modelsforwhowewanttobe.Celebrities
quiteoftencrosstheline,andsometimes,
thatwillreinforcewherethelineis.But,if
welikethemenough,they’llmovetheline,
andwe’llendupredefiningtheboundaries
ofacceptability.Sowhilecelebrityculture
isn’tnecessarilyalwaysa goodthing,we
can’tdismissit assuperficialorvacuous.
It’sincrediblyimportantinshaping our
morals, values and ethics.
SexsellsMaeWestembraceda subversivesexappealin orderto catapult
herself to fame – but other celebrities found themselves burned by the limelightThepoetVirgildescribedfameasa giantbird-likemonsterthatstalkedthelandandneverslept,huntingpeopledownlikea ravenous predator.It’s a terrifying ideaBOOKS
INTERVIEW
GETTY IMAGESMORE FROM USListento anextended
versionof thisinterview
withGregJenner
onourpodcastsoonat
historyextra.com/
podcast