Jean-Michel Espitallier's 'De la célébrité' Dissects Fame as 'Médiatic Duplication'

Jean-Michel Espitallier's new book 'De la célébrité' (Christian Bourgois) blends philosophy, wordplay, and poetry to analyze the transformation of anonymous individuals into celebrities, a process he terms 'duplication médiatique.' Subtitled 'Théorie et Pratique,' the work draws on Hegelian dialectics ('the image of a star is a moment of the star, it performs its celebrity') and revisits Guy Debord for the contemporary era, noting that John Lennon's 'Power to the People' failed to shift power from 'people' to 'the people.' Espitallier mocks the power of stars at all levels, admitting he has fallen into the trap himself. The book's typography mimics album covers and TV news 'breaking news' styles. He concedes that critiques of show business's alienating nature cannot compete with the narcotic dream and happiness stars provide, calling celebrities 'fetishes of alienation.' The work implicitly argues that anonymity may be a more enviable condition for 21st-century humans. Yann Perreau reviewed the book for artpress.