Celebrity Culture and Crime: The Joy of Transgression

We live in a celebrity culture where even criminals can become 'well known' and celebrated on a mass scale. This book engages with the concept of celebrity and its relationship with crime through criminals who become celebrities (criminal celebrities) and celebrities who become criminals (rogue celebrities). Drawing on a range of case studies, Foucault's theory of governmentality is used to examine the influence of celebrated criminals as a controlling force in contemporary society, examining high-profile criminals such as Ronnie Biggs, John Dillinger, 'Dodgy' Dave Courtney, the Krays, Myra Hindley and Ian Brady; and celebrities such as O.J. Simpson, Gary Glitter, Paris Hilton, Michael Barrymore and Michael Jackson.