ABSTRACT
Although public figures ranging from Brad Pitt to David Beckham can be understood as contemporary figures whose public life seems to take on more importance than their professional careers, it is worth noting that it is women rather than men who 'are particularly likely to be seen as celebrities whose working life is of less interest and worth than their personal life' (Geraghty, 2000: 187). For example, Christine Geraghty notes that 'Liz Hurley's work as a model and actress [has 1 contributed less to her celebrity status than Versace dresses and an errant boyfriend' (ibid.: 187). However, while existing work
suggests that the media routinely 'write vacuous nonsense about famous women - their appearance, their fluctuating weight, their dress sense' (Gritten, 2002: 33), I would argue that such celebrity reporting can be seen not simply as a trivial or tyrannical comment which privileges appearance over talent, or attractiveness over ability, but rather as a potentially empowering discourse for the female reader.
