Abstract

This article examines a new type of celebrity: the negative celebrity, famous because their conduct arouses disgust and compassion. Various studies have analyzed this phenomenon and often linked it to issues of class. This article will look at the rise of this type of celebrity in Italy, using focus groups to analyze how such celebrities are perceived by the audience. The results show that in Italy class proves to be less explanatory. On the contrary the process of laying blame against female celebrity seem to be present; gender identity is the most discriminating factor in generating a negative judgment.