Real Lives Celebrity Stories

From reality television to celebrity gossip magazines, today's technologies have enabled a vast number of personal narratives that document our existence and that of others. Multiple academic disciplines now define the self as fluid and entirely changeable: little more than a performance that is chosen according to the situation. While news journalists still pursue the authentic narrative, advertising and politics might be accused of exploiting the narrative tendency, and across media the personal and public become increasingly merged. Real Lives, Celebrity Stories collects research from published and experienced professionals, practitioners and scholars who discuss narratives of real people across cultures and history and in multiple media. It uses narrative theory to interrogate the processes by which we create, promote and consume these stories of real people, and the ways in which we construct our own stories of self. By bringing together different disciplines it offers a theory of the production(s) of self in public spaces such as television, cinema, comics, fan cultures, music, news media, politics and cyberspace.

Wild, dangerous, and flat-out unbelievable, here is the incredible #1 bestselling memoir of the Canadian actor, gambler, and raconteur, and one of the greatest stand-up comedians of all time. A Globe and Mail Best Book of the Year As this book’s title suggests, Norm Macdonald tells the story of his life—more or less—from his origins on a farm in the backwoods of Ontario and an epically disastrous appearance on Star Search to his account of auditioning for Lorne Michaels and his memorable run as the anchor of Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live—until he was fired because a corporate executive didn’t think he was funny. But Based on a True Story is much more than just a memoir; it’s the hilarious, inspired epic of Norm’s life. In dispatches from a road trip to Las Vegas (part of a plan hatched to regain the fortune he’d lost to sports betting and other vices) with his sidekick and enabler, Adam Eget, Norm recounts the milestone moments, the regrets, the love affairs, the times fortune smiled on his life, and the times it refused to smile. As the clock ticks down, Norm’s debt reaches record heights, and he must find a way to evade the hefty price that’s been placed on his head by one of the most dangerous loan sharks in the country. As a comedy legend should, Norm peppers these pages with classic jokes and long-mythologized Hollywood stories. This wildly adventurous, totally original, and absurdly funny saga turns the conventional “comic’s memoir” on its head and gives the reader an exclusive pass inside the mad, glorious mind of Norm Macdonald.

Spider thinks he is a celebrity. Why you ask? Because if anyone sees him, they scream with "delight." This charming tale shows that your perspective on life, no matter how misconstrued, can keep you confident in any situation.

Get an Insider Glimpse into What Life is Really Like Among Hollywood's Bright Lights and Big Stars As a young woman struggling to make ends meet in L.A., photographer Jennifer Buhl never dreamed that a chance encounter with the paparazzi would lead her to chasing celebrities around in her bright-red, beat-up pickup truck. It wasn't long before she became one of the most successful "paps" in the business, photographing and interacting with stars up close and seeing her iconic pictures across magazine covers nationwide. A Hilarious and Utterly Addictive Memoir... Shooting Stars is the first memoir to offer the inside scoop on the world of paparazzi and their surprisingly cooperative relationship with the stars. Jennifer recounts her wild ride through this testosterone-driven industry with moxie, weaving juicy real-life celebrity encounters with her own poignant story of searching for love and finding her way among the glittering lights of Tinseltown. An Irresistible Snapshot... A smart and sassy chronicle of celebrity culture, fame, and the art of perfect timing, Shooting Stars reveals the real lives of Hollywood's rich and famous—from behind the camera.

First published in 1988. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.