Course:ASIA321/Template

Introduction

introduction: what you aim to cover in this Wiki page; who is your target audience; why this page matters to them.

Biography

A brief biography: there is no need to repeat what has already been said on Wikipedia. Read the corresponding Wikipedia entry rigorously, and supplement it with any crucial biographical information missing from the Wikipedia entry, or any recent development in the celebrity’s biography. Organize this part through the major turning points in his or her personal life and professional career.

Life roles

The celebrity’s life roles: How many different roles the celebrity plays throughout his or her lifetime? Are there any conflicts among different roles? And how does each of these life roles serve to have an impact on their contributions to the professional field (such as the field of acting, filmmaking, etc.)?

Screen roles

The celebrity’s screen roles: How many different roles the celebrity plays on the screen? Are there any conflicts among different roles? And how does each of these roles serve to have an impact on his or her professional career?

Substantive analysis of the celebrity's profession

A critical analysis of one or two films starring the celebrity under analysis: select one or two films and engage in close reading of particular scenes to tease out 1) how the role the actor plays in the film correlates to or contradicts the actor’s persona in real life; 2) how the social, historical, and geographical settings in the film relate to those where the actor grew up or experienced in their personal life; 3) how the film’s plot or sub-plot relates to the life stories of the actors. Feel free to insert film still images and clips to accompany your demonstration.

The celebrity’s contribution to their professional field (cinema, film culture, and beyond): in addition to mentioning the professional awards, media coverage and audience’s frenzy that recognize the celebrity’s acting skills or filmmaking talents, think about their contribution to film culture on a higher and larger plane. For instance, how does their acting differ from their predecessors’ style and lead to a renewal of the traditional school? How do their works push the limits of our understanding of what cinema can do and deliver? What does their global recognition mean for Chinese national cinema? What does their cinematic iconicity mean for Chinese culture and Chinese people? Does their iconicity exceed the boundary of cinema and exercise an enduring influence in the Chinese-speaking or even global community?

Key societal, economic, political, moral, and historical forces that influenced the celebrity’s career: based on your research, identify the various larger contexts in the production, circulation, and consumption of the celebrity and their works; describe how the celebrity’s career is impacted by the socialist legacy (Soviet Union’s method of training), the change of national policy, the changing geopolitical tension between China and US, the changing status of women, the Orientalist gaze, the Confucian morality, the neoliberal economy, the rise of the Internet, the hegemony of globalization, etc.

Reception of the celebrity

Reception of the celebrity: describe the changing reception of the celebrity in assorted contexts. How is the celebrity received in the past (pin down particular historical eras) vs. in the present-day? How is the celebrity received in Chinese societies vs. non-Chinese societies (not just Europe and America, but also in other Asian, African, and Latin American countries)? What were/are some of the scandals (misinformation and disinformation) reported and circulated about the celebrity? Please also speculate on, for instance, why different bodies of audience will receive and entertain the same celebrity similarly or differently? Why did the celebrity’s scandals bring about certain kinds of reactions from the public and resolve themselves in a particular way?

Critical literature review

A critical literature review: review at least five to six English-language scholarly studies on the celebrity and his/her celebrification/celebrity status (1 monograph plus four peer-reviewed articles; if there is no monograph, review six peer-reviewed articles; you may consult and review Chinese-language research papers if there is not enough English-language studies to review). In each literature review, focus on recapturing the author’s major argument or contention; the method, evidence, and analysis the author used to arrive at that argument/contention; as well as why this article matters for the celebrity’s critical biography you group is writing.

Critical debates

Critical debates: What social, cultural, and ideological problems are suggested through the literature review? Focus on the moments when scholars, journalists, reviewers, or the public make complaints over or judgements of the celebrity, especially when they exhibit divergent or contradictory attitudes toward the celebrity in terms of his/her achievement, professional life, personal life, scandals, etc.. Those moments are often very telling occasions for you to diagnose the explicit and implicit debate going on among them. You want to articulate how they disagree with one another; why there will be such a strong or mild disagreement; and if you can find a middle-ground or an alternative perspective to diffuse the tension therein. Feel free to incorporate ideas from our in-class lectures, discussions, and other external sources. Feel free to look at the debate from a psychological, sociological, anthropological, economic, political, philosophical, historical, and aesthetical point of view if the disciplinary knowledge can offer an interesting insight into this issue. You should find your own interpretation or solution on this aspect.

Conclusion

Conclusion: You should conclude your Wiki paper by summarizing the topic, specifying how your critical biography of the celebrity can be a valuable tool for understanding (Chinese) celebrity histories in general, and for understanding the celebrity’s contributions in particular. You also want to summarize the theoretical debates and controversies over the celebrity your critical biography discussed above and briefly suggest a position or a direction for future investigation or research.

References

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