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Exploring the transition of celebrities into institutional-electoral politics, the book argues that many insights developed by genre theorists could be highly instrumental to understand the celebrity politics phenomenon. It analyzes the historical and cultural specificity of celebrity politics as it evolved through different countries and cultures.

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1. Celebrity Politics: A Theoretical and Historical Perspective PART I: TELEVISION CELEBRITIES AND ISRAELI POLITICS 2. Female Models in Israeli Politics: From the Runway to TV, and from the Small Screen to the Knesset 3. Like Father Like Son: Converting Media Capital into Political Power (Or, How an Israeli TV Presenter Became Finance Minister) PART II: MAKING MUSIC MATTER: THE ELECTORAL POLITICS OF POP CELEBRITY IN LATIN AMERICA 4. Tropicalizing Politics: Gilberto Gil´s perplexing Miscegenation of Music and Politics 5. The Harvard Lawyer against The Bad Boy from Bronx: Explaining the Political Performance Gaps Between Rubén Blades and Willie Colón PART III: CINEMA CELEBRITIES IN AMERICAN POLITICS 6. The American Pattern of Celebrity Politics: From ´Military´ Role Model to Civilian Hero? 7. Entertainment Industries and ´Liberal´ Celebrities: The Failure of Converting Attention into Political Power PART IV: CELETOID POLITICS: VICTIMS, HEROES AND ORDINARY PEOPLE AS A VALUABLE ELECTORAL ASSET 8. Juan Carlos Blumberg and the Populism of Fear Politics in Argentina: Converting Mediatic Crimes into Political Capital 9. Reality Shows and Celebrity Politics: An Accelerated Platform for Rookie Politicians? Conclusions Bibliography Index

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Nahuel Ribke obtained his PhD from Tel Aviv University in 2010. His doctoral thesis examines the emergence and expansion of the Globo Television Network during the military regime in Brazil (1965-1985) through the analysis of historical, political, economic, cultural and technological aspects of television work. His research interests cover Institutional and Cultural Processes through Latin American Mass Media, Celebrity Politics and Mass Media History.

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