Forget Sex, Public Images Sell: The Power of a Celebrity's Public Image in the Media

In contemporary western society, the public image of a celebrity has powerful influences in the media. One reason for this is because a celebrity’s public image embodies social values that appeal to the general public by reflecting their desires, beliefs and values. These social values, whether good or bad, can influence the general public (in particular the fans who idolise them) by constantly circulating the image through the media to the extent that the general public considers the image as being socially acceptable. For example, let’s compare Taylor Swift’s public image to that of Rihanna. Both are successful female musicians in their early twenties, yet their public images reflect different social values.

Taylor Swift

Country singer, Taylor Swift, is portrayed/advertised in the media with a wholesome “good girl” public image who embodies virtuous values such as class, innocence and modesty. This “good girl” image is not only reflected in her sophisticated and feminine fashion but also in her clean and inoffensive song lyrics. As a result of maintaining her “good girl” image, Taylor Swift has been very popular in the pre-teen and teen market (which makes up the majority of her fan-base) as parents (who usually pay for Taylor Swift’s music and merchandise), consider Taylor as a good influence due to the well-respected social values she embodies. In addition, Taylor Swift also endorses products that fit with this image like Disney.

Rihanna

Now compare this to Rihanna’s racy public image. Similarly, Rihanna’s racy public image is also reflected in her provocative fashion and her “dirty” song lyrics (e.g. Rude Boy and S&M). Unlike Taylor, Rihanna’s image embodies social rebellion and promiscuity. These values appeal to a more mature demographic as parents consider Rihanna’s image as being inappropriate for young girls compared to Taylor Swift.

Through this comparison, it is clear that a celebrity’s public image has a significant influence in the media, as the social values the image embodies establishes the celebrity as a role model to the general public and fans.