Gayle Stever is an associate professor for SUNY/Empire State College, an institution that is focused on goals of lifelong learning, adult education, and access to higher education for all. She earned her Ph.D. in developmental psychology with an emphasis in the psychology of media from Arizona State University in 1994. She has spent the last 30 years studying fan/celebrity relationships from a participant observer perspective and to that end, has networked extensively into a number of fan groups of both pop stars like Michael Jackson, Madonna, or Josh Groban and also television stars like William Shatner, Rene Auberjonois or Alexander Siddig.

• 1. Introduction 2. Controversy over celebrity 3. Historical perspectives 4. Celebrity/audience relationships 5. Celebrity and the Media 6. Conclusions

Gayle Stever is an associate professor for SUNY/Empire State College, an institution that is focused on goals of lifelong learning, adult education, and access to higher education for all. She earned her Ph.D. in developmental psychology with an emphasis in the psychology of media from Arizona State University in 1994. She has spent the last 30 years studying fan/celebrity relationships from a participant observer perspective and to that end, has networked extensively into a number of fan groups of both pop stars like Michael Jackson, Madonna, or Josh Groban and also television stars like William Shatner, Rene Auberjonois or Alexander Siddig.

• 1. Introduction 2. Controversy over celebrity 3. Historical perspectives 4. Celebrity/audience relationships 5. Celebrity and the Media 6. Conclusions

Gayle Stever is an associate professor for SUNY/Empire State College, an institution that is focused on goals of lifelong learning, adult education, and access to higher education for all. She earned her Ph.D. in developmental psychology with an emphasis in the psychology of media from Arizona State University in 1994. She has spent the last 30 years studying fan/celebrity relationships from a participant observer perspective and to that end, has networked extensively into a number of fan groups of both pop stars like Michael Jackson, Madonna, or Josh Groban and also television stars like William Shatner, Rene Auberjonois or Alexander Siddig.

• 1. Introduction 2. Controversy over celebrity 3. Historical perspectives 4. Celebrity/audience relationships 5. Celebrity and the Media 6. Conclusions