John Lennon, Michael Jackson: Do celebrities die anymore?
Essay outline
I. Introduction
A. Thesis statement
B. Background information
II. The argument for the thesis statement
A. Dead celebrities continue to earn
1. Michael Jackson
B. Use of dead celebrities in advertisements
1. Albert Einstein, Grace Kelly and Orson Weller in an advertisement for a luxury chain of Dorchester hotels.
2. Fred Asteine in a vacuum cleaner advertisement
III. Attitudes of people towards dead celebrity business
A. Negative attitudes
1. Reaction to Fred Asteine’s advertisement
2. Greig Marcus
B. Positive attitudes
1. Technology
2. Dorchester campaign
3. Stock photo agency corbis
IV. Conclusion
A. Impact of dead celebrity business
B. Reasons for the dead celebrity business
Summary of the assay
The author, Katrina Onstad seeks to answer the fundamental question whether celebrities do die anymore. She unravels how celebrities can be used to continue generating income once they die. She highlights both the negative and positive effects attached to death and how the acceptance by the public has evolved over the decades. She outlines examples of several dead celebrities that have been used in advertisements with some having a positive impact while others have a negative impact. There is even a category for the top-earning dead celebrity, and this goes to show how dead celebrities are being used for commercial purposes. Over the years, the attitudes of the public have changed. When an advertisement showcasing a dead celebrity was aired in 1997, it drove sales for the commodity down. In 2011, dead celebrities were used in a hotel advertisement, and it did not raise any concern from the public. If dead celebrities are to be used, they should not be disconnected from their personalities when they were alive. Humans have an inborn fascination towards death, and this might be the reason for the increase in the dead celebrity business.
Primary rhetorical mode
The central rhetorical style utilized by the author was the use of examples. Throughout the essay, she has given seven examples to bring out each point. Every paragraph in the essay either has an example of a dead celebrity and how they are being used to generate income after their death or living humans and means the ways they are generating revenue from dead celebrities. She gives an example of the advertisement by the luxury chain of Duchester hotels which showcased Kristin Scott Thomas (alive) dining along three dead celebrities (Albert Einstein, Grace Kelly, and Orson Weller). Fred Asteine was also used in a commercial for vacuum cleaners by the dirty devil. The stock photo agency Corbis acquired a roaster of dead celebrities including Mae West, and they rent them out to be used for endorsements. In 2009, these dead stars earned the agency approximately 50 million. George Lucas is also rumored to be purchasing film rights to dead stars hoping that one day he will utilize technology to bring all of them together in a movie. This mode is appropriate for this topic as it enables readers to connect theory with reality hence making it easier to understand.
Other rhetorical modes
The author utilizes definition in the essay, and it is seen when she expounds that classic personality means a dead individual. It is vital in bringing out this point since some readers may not have grasped what she meant and hence leading to confusion. The author also compares how the use of dead celebrities was perceived in 1997 and 2011. She points out that when Fred Astaine was used in a vacuum commercial in 1997, it drove sales down as it revolted both the public and the press. However, in 2011, individuals could easily photoshop themselves together with dead celebrities and use it as a Christmas card. The commercial by Durchester hotel also did not provoke disgust from both the press and public. This brought out the developments that have occurred in the dead celebrity business and how individuals have come to embrace it.
Understanding of strategies
a. Where does the money generated from dead celebrity business go to?
b. The money generated from dead celebrities might go to charity or family members. If it is benefitting the society, why should it not be encouraged to become a thriving business? Can some family members cause the death of celebrities to accrue financial gains? Are there mechanisms set in place to ensure individuals do not squander this revenue? Can celebrities sign agreements that could guide how their images are used after their death?
c. How the use of dead celebrities can be promoted to increase revenue generation.
d. Celebrities can be given the option of signing with agencies that will utilize their images after death. It is believed that the earning capacity of a person can sometimes be higher after death than it was when they were alive. Advertisements showcasing dead stars should also be encouraged. Individuals should also be encouraged to purchase promotional materials such as t-shirts and posters with images of the dead stars. Use of celebrity images that does not cause a disconnect with who they were, this way people can associate more with them leading to higher revenue.
