Abstract
In this chapter I discuss the techniques and technologies that have evolved through history for bestowing immortality on individuals, and examine these in the world of contemporary celebrity. Immortality can be bestowed on an individual the moment part of their person – a recognisable representation of their face, a name on a street or building, or a recording of their voice – is released into material culture through some form of communication medium. Alternatively the person may be housed in another human body, in the form of impersonation. Either way, the experience for the honoured individual is that of replication. There is an important distinction between the practice of bestowing immortality from the posthumous celebration of a life. Death is not by any means a precondition for immortalisation, even if many of its most explicit artefacts (statues, for example) are only brought into existence after death.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Postmortal society: Multidisciplinary perspectives on death, survivalism and immortality in contemporary culture |
| Number of pages | 264 |
| Publication status | Published - 10 Apr 2017 |
Keywords
- celebrity
- fame
- media
- death
- immortalisation
- mortality
- culture