To become a celebrity is to become a brand name. There is Ivory Soap, Rice Krispies, and Philip Roth. Ivory is the soap that floats; Rice Krispies the breakfast cereal that goes snap-crackle-pop; Philip Roth the Jew who masturbates with a piece of liver.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Fame reduces a person to a simplified commercial identity or stereotype.
- In plain terms
- Celebrities become brands with simple labels like soap or cereal.
- What can you take from it?
- Celebrity turns complex humans into simple, marketable caricatures.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does fame change identity?
- Can you be a person and a brand?
Another view
Some public figures successfully maintain complexity alongside their brand.
More from Philip Roth
When you publish a book, it's the world's book. The world edits it.
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