Cirrus@Austlit

'This special issue addresses notions of fakery in our contemporary media environment, from fake news to the deepfake. While all media contains elements of creative fabrication, we define ‘media fakery’ as an attempt to conceal the origins of information that must contain a degree of human intentionality to be considered ‘fake’. Fakery is no longer limited to news media or any particular mode of communication; as tools for manipulating digital content are more readily available to all, the reach of fakery in media is increasingly broad. The essays in the special issue address varying definitions of ‘fakery’ in different forms of media production and consumption. They interrogate both the authentic and the fake and expand dichotomous understandings of media fakery as either ‘good’ or ‘bad’.' (Wyatt Moss-Wellington, Celia Lam, Filippo Gilardi : Introduction : Media and Fakery introduction)

'Celebrity seminars are a common fixture of contemporary popular culture conventions, sought after for their ability to offer close contact with celebrity figures and organized to facilitate in person fan-celebrity encounters. Following a well-established formula, the seminars constitute ‘pre-staged encounters’; managed events enabling fan-celebrity interaction within controlled situations. Celebrities offer anecdotes and answers to selected fan questions that are regulated by hosts. These three agents constitute the main ‘players’ or agents in a ritualistic social situation governed by inherent rules and behavioural expectations. This paper examines the interaction between celebrities, fans and hosts during question and answer seminar sessions to explore the role of the host, as a facilitator of fan-celebrity interactions. It offers an Australian perspective through its focus on six celebrity seminars held at the Supanova pop culture expo, Gold Coast in April 2016. Qualitative ethnographic methodology was employed with observation of participation interaction at seminars. Fan-celebrity interaction, as moderated and facilitated by the host, will be discussed from the perspective of dynamics of power, control and desire. In particular, the multifaceted role of the host within the fan-celebrity encounters is examined in detail.' (Publication abstract)

'In an endless room of immeasurable proportions, a being exists watching over the narrative threads of each person's life. An entity that has existed since time immemorial and in who lies the responsibility of merging stories that should be combined, and separating those stories that should never meet. He monitors our destinies, our fate and all the interactions we have in life: he is the Story Keeper'.

Source: IMDB. (Sighted: 27/7/2012)