A journey to stardom: an analysis of celebrity construction and management of J Jetrin Wattanasin

Abstract

The objective of the research was to study the celebrity construction and management of J Jetrin Wattanasin through the eras of communication media towards sustainable stardom. The study was qualitative research, conducted by three main research methods: a) documentary research, b) in-depth interviews with 24 key informants, classified into 10 groups: Pop Artist Celebrity, Sport Celebrity, Family Member, Close Friend, Colleague, Fan Club, Sport Expert, Entertainment Expert, Media Expert, and Academician, and c) participant observation. The findings showed that the factors affecting the celebrity construction of Jetrin are his personal factors, which cover his background and upbringing, his journey to stardom, and his personal characteristics; roles and influence of media, and his fan clubs. On the other hand, the strategies Jetrin uses to manage his celebrity are fan club maintenance, image management, crisis management and marketing communication, which are related to the Boorstin’s Concept of a Hero and Bourdieu’s Concepts of Capitals: Cultural, Economic, Symbolic, and Social Capital which can be transmitted across generations and converted from one into another and backward. All of these factors and strategies enable Jetrin to sustain his long-lasting stardom and to stand against the time for more than 20 years.