Never Go To Vegas
Never Go To Vegas
March 18, 2019
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48m
•
Episode Ranking: 18/100
TOPICS: Hollywood Culture Human Connection Rational Discourse
Episode Description
The Aspirational Class & Celebrity Culture: A look at unspoken social rules that govern different classes. The hosts compare A-list celebrities to health-conscious, educated elites. They explore how wealth and status shape modern behavior.
Ideabrix Summary
The 'Never Go To Vegas' episode of the 'Hidden Brain' podcast, hosted by Shankar Vedantam, delves into the mechanics of celebrity culture and the broader concept of social elites, drawing on the insights of Elizabeth Currid Halkett, a professor of urban planning at the University of Southern California. The episode begins by outlining the 'rules' of becoming an A-list celebrity, emphasizing the importance of exclusive social networks and controlled public exposure. Currid Halkett's research suggests that celebrity status is not solely a result of talent or personal attributes but is significantly influenced by a collective interest that is recursive in nature. This phenomenon is analogous to the 'winner-take-all' market in cultural industries where attention begets more attention, creating a feedback loop that elevates certain individuals or products to stardom.
The narrative then transitions to the concept of elite social groups beyond Hollywood, where Currid Halkett extends her analysis to the 'aspirational class'—a segment of society that is highly educated and invests in cultural capital through activities such as yoga, breastfeeding, and consuming organic food. These seemingly inconspicuous consumption choices are, in fact, markers of social position and are exclusive in their own right. The podcast explores how these choices, while beneficial on an individual level, contribute to the perpetuation of social inequality.
The episode also addresses the dynamics within the A-list celebrity network, revealing that A-listers maintain their status by attending exclusive events with each other, thereby reinforcing their exclusivity. Currid Halkett's research, using photographic data from Getty Images, shows that this network is highly insular, and breaking into it often requires a 'quantum leap' such as a significant career breakthrough or association with existing A-listers. The discussion further highlights the geographical concentration of celebrity events in Los Angeles, New York, and London, and how getting photographed in the wrong places, like Las Vegas, can actually diminish a celebrity's star power.
The narrative then transitions to the concept of elite social groups beyond Hollywood, where Currid Halkett extends her analysis to the 'aspirational class'—a segment of society that is highly educated and invests in cultural capital through activities such as yoga, breastfeeding, and consuming organic food. These seemingly inconspicuous consumption choices are, in fact, markers of social position and are exclusive in their own right. The podcast explores how these choices, while beneficial on an individual level, contribute to the perpetuation of social inequality.
The episode also addresses the dynamics within the A-list celebrity network, revealing that A-listers maintain their status by attending exclusive events with each other, thereby reinforcing their exclusivity. Currid Halkett's research, using photographic data from Getty Images, shows that this network is highly insular, and breaking into it often requires a 'quantum leap' such as a significant career breakthrough or association with existing A-listers. The discussion further highlights the geographical concentration of celebrity events in Los Angeles, New York, and London, and how getting photographed in the wrong places, like Las Vegas, can actually diminish a celebrity's star power.
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