The Celebrity Icon Mask: The Multi-Institutional Masking of Sir Jimmy Savile

Abstract

The aim of this article is to develop the concepts of masks and masking to interrogate the role of institutions in the co-production of ‘untouchable’ celebrity icon status. The empirical focus is the multi-institutional masking of Sir Jimmy Savile OBE KCSG. For decades, Savile was celebrated as one of the UK’s best-loved celebrity icons. One year after his death, he was exposed as a serial sexual predator. We argue that the largely compartmentalised official reports on Savile have presented a partial analysis. They have emphasised the importance of Savile’s celebrity status while taking it for granted, downplayed the significance of his moral standing in British society, and marginalised the proactive, enabling role of the BBC, the NHS and the British establishment. However manipulative the individual, we propose that it was Savile’s cumulative multi-institutional masking as celebrity personality (the BBC), celanthropist (the NHS) and, ultimately, celebrity icon (the British establishment) that co-produced his ‘untouchable’ status and enabled him for decades to deflect and discredit rumour, gossip and allegations about his sexually predatory behaviour. We conclude by reflecting on the ‘researchability’ of powerful elites, and by suggesting how our analysis might inform further research into the power dynamics that have co-produced the ‘untouchability’ of other celebrities subsequently exposed as serial sexual predators.

Charity and Abuse: Fundraising and Symbolic Power in the Case of Jimmy Savile

“…This article is an attempt to document the role of charity in Jimmy Savile’s abuse and explain what it is about charity that allows it to enable such crimes. All previous analyses of Savile’s work mention the charity he was famed for but have yet to make it central to their analysis, instead focused on safeguarding, institutional failure, celebrity, and “moral panics.” This is the first academic examination wholly centered on the role his charity and giving played in his crimes and ability to abuse children (a short section within Greer & McLaughlin, 2021 notwithstanding). As part of a growing critical literature on the realities of charitable giving for reputation building and protection, it is hoped this piece serves as useable case study for teaching and learning, and extra evidence to the symbolic power of charity theoretical framework, particularly as critical work on civil society elites grows (see Maclean et al, 2021; Scaramuzzino, 2020).…”

“…In a 5-year span in the mid-1980s, Davies (2014) estimates Savile ran 22 marathons and 44 half marathons. Through these “high-publicity moral feats,” Savile reinforced his status as the “go-to celebrity” for organizations seeking to raise funds (Greer & McLaughlin, 2021).…”

“…This article is an attempt to document the role of charity in Savile’s abuse and explain what it is about charity that allows it to facilitate such crimes. Previous literature on Savile discusses the charity he was famed for, but does not make it central to analysis of his actions, instead focusing on what can be learned about safeguarding (Erooga, 2018), notions of celebrity (Greer & McLaughlin, 2021), institutional failure (Greer & McLaughlin, 2013), and examinations of the case’s role in “moral panics” (Cree et al, 2014; Furedi, 2013) (as these revelations did lead to both accurate and inaccurate allegations and investigations into other celebrities from the era).…”

Seung-ri and the burning sun scandal: a study of K-pop idol reputations and identities

“…Celebrities are simultaneously "objects of envy and desire", evoking a mixture of awe, adoration, disdain, and resentment among those loving or consuming them (Schmid, 2006;Shin, 2015, p. 135). On one hand, celebrities are hailed as role models and represent privilege and power that can be abused, commanding so much influence, trust, and respect among admirers and the rest of society that their moral transgressions are, until and unless their status diminishes, often willfully ignored and played down (Lines, 2001;Fraser & Brown, 2002;Holmes & Redmond, 2006;Greer & McLaughlin, 2021). On the other hand, in the media and some academic writings, celebrities are represented as superficial individuals lacking in moral virtues and achievements or depraved and distressed figures hiding fallibilities behind their glamorous public images and are thus "unworthy of the privilege they enjoy" (Connel, 1992, p. 78;Holmes & Redmond, 2006;Ferris & Harris, 2011).…”