Updates:
This paper was recently reviewed at cherscholar.com; please check it out here…
A revised version was accepted for publication in the Film and Television Stardom Anthology. Stay tuned for the final copy!
ABSTRACT
It is a scheme as old as the star system itself, celebrity marriages to boost ratings or box office sales. This paper addresses the phenomenon of celebrity marriage and dissects its effects on a star’s image. Marriage can be used to a variety of ends: justifying a woman’s sexuality, rectifying a celebrity’s off screen antics, or simply giving the paparazzi additional fodder for gossip magazines. Sonny and Chér Bono, one of the most popular star couples of American culture, have defined a marriage blueprint for subsequent generations. This paper will thoroughly analyze the Bono Plan, which establishes what components are necessary for a successful star couple and how this new celebrity entity functions in American society. The case study then investigates Nick and Jessica’s revival of this formula to propel them into iconic status over thirty years later.
In a culture where marketing equals success, the star couple creates its own marketing machine by its mere existence. Audiences, intrigued by single celebrities, are ecstatic at the prospect of celebrities in love and their subsequent break ups. Even though the star couple may be a publicity stunt on its own, certain attributes must be present and utilized in order to achieve maximum returns. These include a strong husband-wife dynamic, a willingness to expose one’s personal affairs, and a stable, regular medium through which the public may observe their idols. Once these are in place, the star couple’s potential is infinite. The marriage can range from an American dream to a counseling nightmare and both situations speak to a large audience. In a market where individuality is a precious commodity, marriage can help a star detach from the larger cohort. Overall, the celebrity marriage is a win-win situation if its members can maintain it properly, but its inevitable dissolution will also guarantee them commercial success.
FULL PAPER
CHÉR
Chérilyn LaPierre Sarkisian was born in 1946 in El Centro, California. Her father was of Turkish/Armenian ancestry; her mother, French, English and Cherokee. This blend of cultures helped define Chér’s distinctive look. Although her father was predominantly absent from her life, Chér grew up with her mother and sister in a supportive home where the acting bug was well known. Chér’s mother, Georgia Holt, was an aspiring actress and often took her daughters to Hollywood to gaze at the stars.
After years of learning difficulties (she later discovered she was dyslexic), Chér dropped out of school at sixteen and began to study acting. The details of how she met Sonny are deliberately sketchy in order to gloss over the age discrepancy and potentially illegal connotations. Sonny was 12 years her senior. Some texts claim that they met in a coffee shop; others state that a mutual friend set them up. In a TV Guide interview, Chér admitted that “the world is in no way ready for” her and Sonny’s love story (TV Guide 1973). Either way, in 1962, they became friends and moved in together, platonically. He introduced Chér to Phil Spector and she began singing backup for The Ronnettes. After discovering her daughter was shacking up with an older man, Georgia immediately took steps to end the relationship. The resulting separation confirmed their love and they were quickly married on a trip to Mexico.
Sonny Bono devised an act for himself and his new wife. They began touring as folk singers in 1964 under the names Cleo and Caesar, attempting to capitalize on the popularity of the 1963 release Cleopatra. Their act lost steam, and they promptly dropped their clever monikers. Sonny continued writing music, eventually tapping into a melody that is still recognizable today. In 1965, the single, “I Got You Babe” shot to the top of the music charts, and Sonny and Chér became pop stars.
They adopted a new style defining the emerging “hippie” subgenre, sporting outlandish clothing (usually jeans and fur vests) and long hair. Sonny liked to joke that they were the first ‘unisex couple’ [Rolling Stone 1973]. Although their look was too extreme at first for the American market, a bit of planned propaganda put them on the cover of all teen beat magazines. In what is now recognized as a pseudoevent, they were thrown out of the London Hilton as reporters swarmed the building to get the story. This public rejection solidified Sonny and Chér as representatives of this new counterculture based on alienation. They were regularly asked to leave other hotels and restaurants. This quickly became a gimmick as Sonny wrote songs about rejection and love, two popular subjects in the world of American teenagers.
Many understood this counterculture image as contrived; Sonny was a thirty-year-old man looking to “represent the young people today (Post 1966).” He was a savvy businessman who knew how to capitalize on the fears and desires of a generation quickly becoming disenfranchised with the establishment. His young wife was the model hippie chick with a tough, realistic upbringing and a free spirit. She validated Sonny’s seemingly square life as a divorced father in his thirties. The sixties was the decade of both sexual and psychedelic experimentation. Although Sonny and Chér were the embodiment of this new generation, Sonny ensured that they distanced themselves just enough to avoid any controversy. Instead of embracing the drug culture, the Bonos used their sanctified sexual liberation to reach out to millions of teens looking for love. They seemed to be the perfect hippie couple, married and independent with the image of being “shacked up.”
Both Sonny and Chér were firmly anti-drug, a radical idea in the new radicalism of the sixties, and refused to sell into a growing trend of drug use. Sonny even narrated the 1968 educational film, Marijuana. He warned teens that they were “more than likely run the risk of an unpredictable and unpleasant bummer,” even though some have questioned his sobriety in the film. But in 1973, The Bonos were sitting on the board of the Drug Abuse Council and the Cerebral Palsy Foundation.
Aside from their firm stance on drug use, Sonny and Chér were apolitical, avoiding the potentially divisive topic through careful evasion. During an interaction with fans at Atlanta, Sonny responded to questions about his revolutionary tendencies (as displayed in “The Revolution Kind”):
“I don’t protest, the song says, ‘just because a man talks about what’s on his mind – that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s the revolution kind.’ Its our country- we’re just speaking’ our mind. Senators say all kinds of things an’ nobody calls them protesters.” –Bogdanovich
Sonny had applied his industry acumen to create a blockbuster act based around the singing talents of his young wife. Together, they were a worldwide success, scoring five top ten hits in 1965, their ‘debut year.’ Sonny developed Chér as a star, assisting her in vocal training and onstage presence. Before the phenomenon of Sonny and Chér, Chér had released a single entitled “I Love You, Ringo” under the pseudonym Bonnie Jo Mason. The track was shelved after producers claimed her voice was too husky. Even Chér admitted, “Everyone thought it was a faggot song (Rolling Stone).” Sonny recognized this unique quality and decided to showcase it as the center of their act. The duet format allowed Chér to be heard without assumptions of her sexuality.
Audiences became interested in the personal lives of this new, young, exciting couple. Tabloids investigated their relationship and interviews were regularly conducted in a candid manner at the Bono home. This blurring of public and private spheres was essential to cementing their connection with the fans. Life at home was simple: Chér played the role of flighty young wife while Sonny was a strict disciplinarian and workaholic. It was a classic American heterosexual marriage, with the husband as the more intelligent breadwinner and the wife in a submissive role, serving primarily as beautiful trophy and consumption figure (Veblen 61). The age difference enhanced this stereotypical dynamic. Chér was regularly referred to as Sonny’s ‘child-wife’ (Adler).
Chér was not as enthralled with fame as Sonny; often he met fans and signed autographs while she napped in private. Her reluctance to be a star, coupled with her dark beauty, made her an enigmatic creature clearly on the verge of blossoming. Although her character was not as physically evident to her fans, it came across in publicity.
“Sonny’s autography is sprawling, emotional forward-slanted; Chér’s is constricted, reserved, vertical, Sonny always asks the fan’s name before he signs; Chér seldom does. Sonny loves to be among them; Chér seems frightened – they’ve both been mauled by adoring mobs.
This is not to imply that Chér is shy or retiring. On the contrary, she has a very conscious vulgarity – one result, no doubt, of a desire to shock all the squares, not uncommon at 19. And not really unattractive. There’s relish in the way she swears, and, just hearing her talk, you’d think there’s nothing she’s afraid of, no one she’s intimidated by. Her surprisingly husky, womanly voice, which cracks helplessly sometimes, confirms the impression: She’s a sexy broad.” –Bogdanovich
As celebrities, Sonny and Chér’s consumption habits were also open for public inspection. Although Chér would not develop her iconic status in the fashion world until the 1970s, the couple made a point to live the good life. After entering the home of Tony Curtis, Chér proclaimed to Sonny that they would live in that home some day. One year later, that became a reality [*]. The couple purchased motorcycles and matching customized Mustangs. Chér had experienced an adequate upbringing, not poverty, but her family hardships were common knowledge, and she indulged, as it is necessary of young female celebrities. Interviews were regularly conducted on Chér’s shopping trips. In the Saturday Evening Post, she expresses a frustration with the celebrity life,
“I can buy everything I want and I don’t want to buy anything. There was a time, not long ago I wanted to buy everything and couldn’t afford to buy anything.” –Bogdanovich
The image of the simply dressed hippie was a major component of The Bono’s star image. This restricted purchases of fashion to maintain their anti-establishment image, despite newfound wealth.
Sonny and Chér managed to individualize themselves against a backdrop of other folk singing acts of the mid-sixties. The embraced the hippie style at the brink of its popularity, but by 1968, Sonny and Chér, along with their counterparts, had all but disappeared from public view; acid rock replaced their simple beats and harmonies [LIFE]. Sonny decided to embrace the cinema, first starring in Good Times (1967), then writing and producing Chastity in 1969. Good Times, although a flop, codifies the image of Sonny and Chér from the mid-sixties. In the film, the couple debates whether or not to make a movie. The script is unimpressive; it is a foreshadowing of the variety show, featuring sketches strung together with a light storyline, but it served as an excellent star vehicle for Chér. It spotlighted their home life and relationship dynamic: Sonny was presented as a hardworking artist hoping to advance his career while Chér is a confirmed as a young, talented, renegade fashion designer, drafting clothing on the tables of the local bistro. The film also confirms their industry morals; when presented with a shabby script, Sonny attempts to write a better one before the deadline (hence the sketches), but is unable to do so. Instead of reluctantly finishing their contractual obligation, Sonny and Chér walk away from show business.
The movie brings the audience into the Bono home; allowing fans to observe undetected the trials and tribulations of this young couple. The masculine dominance of their stereotypical heterosexual relationship is mocked while Chér’s latent intelligence and screwball comedienne potential shine through; her diverse singing and acting talent emerge from the erratic plotline. The arguments onscreen are an important factor in the public image of their private life. Although Sonny warns Chér not to argue in front of their fans (referring to the dog), the movie features multiple disputes where Sonny becomes enraged and reprimands Chér like an angry father.
On the other hand, Chastity is a Sonny Bono project (writer, producer and composer) starring Chér as Chastity, a young runaway whose history is alluded to through a series of monologues and voiceovers. The narrative is meant to parallel Chér’s life story, a young woman lost in the web of life running away from a difficult upbringing in a turbulent home. Chastity hitchhikes, hustles for spare cash, and sleeps wherever she can find a pillow. She maintains a pure soul while smoking marijuana, investigating Mexican cathouses and reluctantly sleeping with women. Chastity presents a very different Chér, demonstrating her acting abilities and breaking with her previous star image. Unfortunately, neither of these movies achieved box office success and the Bonos were in debt from their production cost.
During this intermission phase, a miracle occurred. Chér gave birth to Chastity in 1969. Sonny was now responsible for a small family and was desperate to renew their earlier success. He turned to Chér and demanded she buy a dress, saying, “its time for you to look like a woman.” They began working on a lounge act featuring songs and playful banter between the couple, perfecting strategies that would define their relationship in the 1970s. Chér’s sharp wit and biting tongue were successful with their nightclub audiences, and Sonny willingly played the fool, submitting himself to his wife’s hilarious jabs. They toured for a year before landing a television special on CBS entitled “The Sonny and Chér Nitty Gritty Hour.” The couple performed songs and engaged in a razor-sharp dialogue on stage; the special did not feature many sketches but concluded with a small improvisational troupe, where Chér was featured alongside three other actors and actresses. The show was a success, and Sonny and Chér were offered a primetime slot for their new variety show. They would soon be back in the spotlight.
In August of 1971, The Sonny and Chér Show premiered on CBS in the coveted 8pm time slot. The show was originally installed as a five-week replacement series, but was so successful that the network brought it back in the fall season. The show was drastically different from their earlier work, appealing to adults without alienating teenagers. It followed the classic format of other variety shows at the time (Carol Burnett, Flip Wilson and Dinah Shore), featuring staged song and dance numbers interwoven with comedy sketches and playful banter from the Bonos.
In this show, Chér transformed from a shy, playful teen with promising talent to a statuesque, beautiful woman with an intelligence and tongue to rival any man, which she unleashed weekly on her husband. Chér used the variety show to showcase her vocal and theatrical abilities. She gained respect as a talented singer and a screwball comedienne. In the tradition of Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett, Chér was capable of playing a shy, reserved schoolgirl or a loud, brazen vamp. The sketches ranged from Cleopatra on the Nile to Raggedy Sonny and Chér. The couple embraced their flaws, specifically Sonny’s height and Chér’s nose, and ridiculed each other to the delight of millions of viewers each week. Sonny and Chér avoided political controversy and embraced social satire. The show featured segments including the infamous “Vamp” sequences where Chér played classic femme fatale characters (Cleopatra, Eve). They also created a regular segment using opera to poke fun at other television programming including “All the Familius” (featuring Archie Bunker in this racist-based spoof of the popular sitcom) and “The Cultural Spot” where TV commercial slogans form the basis of a Russian opera.
This new format continued to blur the division between public and private spheres, which will be discussed at length in the comparative analysis. Even though the audience was aware of the scripted banter, the show capitalized on the their need to become part of this relationship. Chér played the character of a wise cracking, sassy young woman, while Sonny struggled to keep his head above water. “Noting the fact that Chér seemed to enjoy the putdowns as much as the audience did, we couldn’t wait to size up the situation off camera (Photoplay 1972).” The relationship at home maintained its husband-dominated dynamic presented during the Bonos’ first wave of stardom. This allowed audiences to revel in the patriarchal flip presented on screen without questioning whether or not the humor was appropriate. Sonny dubbed Chér the “New American Woman”.
She also became one of the ten best-dressed women in the world. Bob Mackie, the contracted designer for the Carol Burnett Show, designed all of Chér’s dresses on The Sonny and Chér Show, establishing the program as an outlet of fashion and culture. In 1972, Chér was photographed in a seventeen-page Vogue spread. That same year, the Bonos were featured in Life Magazine. The story summarizes the transition of Chér from a “shaggy, aggressively unkempt hippie singer” to “a high-gloss primetime sex symbol.”
Chér embodied every quality of womanhood during this new feminist movement. She was presented as intelligent, beautiful and talented, with the ability to balance a career and the duties of wife and mother. Ironically, the cover story of this issue documented a new class of women walking out on their families entitled “Dropout Wife.” It chronicled a Seattle woman who did not believe marriage was a rewarding and fulfilling life. In contrast, Chér was pictured at home, with Sonny and Chastity, looking very happy and content. She was clearly a liberated woman of a different sort.
Sonny and Chér embraced their ethnic heritage on the show, placing it in the forefront of the standup routines. Sonny was regularly referred to as ‘the little Italian’ while Chér’s best zingers were capped with the phrase, “there’s one for the Indian.” Physically, their potentially ambiguous ethnicity allowed them to explore a wider range of characters from gypsies, to Arabian royalty, pioneers to Native American Indians. It also allowed the show to be easily exported overseas. Iranian women associated with Chér’s swarthy complexion and powerful presence. They emulated her dress, style and attitude even though the programs were broadcast in English and the jokes were usually lost in the translation.
These two ex-rock freaks had reformed their rebellious ways and joined the establishment, performing for the adults they had previously rebelled against. In 1965, Sonny and Chér “invented and captured ‘the married-couple bag’ (Bogdanovich).” This cooperative effort never wavered and the Bonos developed a timeless formula for a successful star couple:
1. Establish a husband-wife dynamic: make the couple its own celebrity entity.
2. Expand your audience: use primetime television as family television.
3. Mock yourself first: Successful topics include personal traits and tensions within the marriage.
4. Don’t be jealous and remember your wife is sexy. The star couple is a vehicle that will showcase the woman. Embrace this and run with it.
5. Keep it simple and fun.
And a key point that was discussed too late…
6. Maintain separate careers.
JESSICA SIMPSON
Jessica Ann Simpson was born in Waco, Texas in 1980. The first daughter of a Baptist minister, she was raised in a supportive, religious environment. Her father was popular among the youth in the congregation and would frequently host gatherings at the Simpson home, offering solace to many troubled teens (Rolling Stone). Jessica began singing at the age of five in her father’s congregation, initiating a lifelong passion for music. She continued to sing in the church and, at the age of 12, auditioned for the Mickey Mouse Club along with Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake. After watching Christina sing from backstage, Jessica became nervous and subsequently botched the audition. Dejectedly, she returned to Texas and, with the help of her family, continued to pursue her goal of singing.
At this point, Jessica’s father, Joe Simpson, became her manager. She began to take lessons to perfect her voice and at fourteen, signed with Buster Soaries’ new gospel music label, Proclaim Records. Unfortunately, the label collapsed and Jessica’s dreams were once again crushed, but her family and faith prevailed. Jessica was able to complete her first album with a loan from her grandmother, and begin touring the Christian pop music circuit. Singin alongside gospel greats like CeCe Winans, Jessica quickly gained recognition among Christian youth.
In 1997, Jessica met with the CEO of Sony Records, Tommy Mottola. He offered a contract after hearing one song. Her image, voice and morality gelled into a perfect package. Jessica’s debut album “Sweet Kisses” was released in November 1999. Earlier that year, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera released their debut albums in January and August respectively; Jessica was making a late entrance into an already fierce market. She hoped her voice and her message would cause her to stand out among her blonde counterparts. Jessica also had a different history: The Mickey Mouse Club vaulted Britney and Christina into their pop music careers, but Jessica was not afforded this opportunity. Instead, she worked for years before her ‘debut.’ For the most part, these distinctive qualities became lost in the pop culture factory of 1999, and although “Sweet Kisses” went platinum in August of 2000, she was quickly absorbed into the flood of young blonde pop singers, which I lovingly referred to as “pop-tarts ”. This cohort expanded to include Mandy Moore, Willa Ford, and others.
Like the other pop-tarts, Jessica found a following through a well-marketed plan, pasting her image on magazine after magazine. Teenage girls turned to Jessica for hair tips, makeup advice, abstinence counseling, and more. Her consumption habits were well documented, but no more than her competition. She was simply another pretty blonde girl with a pretty voice who actually believed in her message of abstinence instead of using it to sell more records. “I want people to fall in love with my voice before my image,” she claimed. Her fan base consisted primarily of girls who were confused or let down by Britney and Christina’s conflicting sexual images. Britney was often criticized for overly sexual behavior while paying lip service to her pledge of abstinence.
What did set Jessica apart from the pack was her romance with Nick Lachey of 98 Degrees, another boy band desperately trying to establish themselves in the shadow of The Backstreet Boys and N’SYNC. Jessica met Nick in 1999 while recording “Sweet Kisses” and touring with his band. The relationship became public with the release of their duet on her album, “Where You Are.” They starred in the music video and made appearances together. Jessica became the blonde pop-tart in love, experiencing what the other girls were merely singing about . She had now disengaged herself from the other girls: she was talented, beautiful and more importantly, true to herself, her faith and her boyfriend. Nick was also able to use the relationship to differentiate himself from 98 Degrees and the other boy bands.
Together, they appeared to be the perfect American couple: young, beautiful, successful, adored and most importantly, virtuous. While the other pop-tarts utilized their sexuality to the fullest extent, often contradicting their words and actions, Jessica upheld her religious upbringing and preserved her virginity until marriage. She publicly pledged to remain abstinent until marriage through the organization, “True Love Waits.” The lyrical content of her album professed her commitment to her body and herself. This unwavering pledge seemed to validate her provocative marketing techniques, which included photo spreads in the same men’s magazines that featured the sexualized Britney and Christina.
After the popularity around her first album began to dissipate, Jessica began working on her second album. She was relatively out of the public eye; her healthy relationship with Nick was not as tabloid-friendly as the various Britney wedding scandals and Christina’s nude cover of Rolling Stone. Jessica continued to perform and record, making appearances for various charities (she is presently an international ambassador for Operation Smile, a reconstructive-surgery nonprofit) and performing at the inauguration of President George W. Bush. Her second album, “Irresistible,” was released in June 2001 and was met with little fan fare. It peaked at #2 on Billboard and spent a mere nine weeks on the charts. By comparison, “Sweet Kisses” peaked at #1 and spent forty weeks on the charts. Her career had reached its intermission phase.
During this comparatively slow time period (she continued to tour and make appearances), her relationship with Nick was quickly developing and in February 2002, they announced wedding plans for October of that year. As minor pop royalty, their wedding was the tabloid event of the season. Images of Jessica in a Vera Wang dress were plastered on every magazine; the centerpieces, the cake, and the guests were photographed, scrutinized and snatched off supermarket shelves by a ravenous public desperate for just this massive display of consumption.
Upon returning from the honeymoon in Fiji, MTV, the couple’s number one fan, proposed a reality show. The network offered to film Nick and Jessica in their home during their first year of marriage. In front of the cameras, the couple moved into their new, multimillion dollar house in Calabasas, California. They continued to work on separate music projects and learned to live as husband and wife. A massive media scheme was in the works. In August 2003, Nick and Jessica exploded back into the spotlight.
It began with the release of her third album, “In this Skin.” This album was a drastic departure from her earlier work. She now embraced full womanhood and her lyrics openly discussed marriage and sex. The overall content of the album was very sexual, but focused. There is no moral question to her sexuality; it exists within the confines of marriage and is therefore immune to scrutiny. By fully embracing her new sexual being, Jessica has increased her marketability exponentially. She has situated herself as a Pin-up, with all associated stereotypes (Dyer Stars 50).
The book I Do: Achieving Your Dream Wedding was also released in August, documenting the process and lead up to the wedding of Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey. The book reads like a wedding planner for a young American princess with millions of dollars to spend. The first step, hiring the best wedding coordinator money can buy. I Do features world famous designers and artists; no penny is spared in creating this romantic spectacle perfectly suited for young pop royalty. Vera Wang designed Jessica’s dress, Harry Winston supplied the 11-carat diamond headband and renowned photographer Joe Buissink was on hand to capture every perfect moment. Although the intention of the book’s design is to appeal to all budgets, offering hints on how to choose the best photographer, location and menu, no wedding could live up to the this spectacle. I Do also assists young brides-to-be in surviving the days leading up to the wedding, including rehearsal dinners and family confusion. Jessica offers her experiences to assist her fans with their magical weddings. The book also comes with a DVD, which features a brief video, of the wedding day and family photo albums narrated by Nick and Jessica. The DVD concludes with upbeat confession of their wedding night, “I’m glad I waited.”
Finally, to complete their return to the public arena, Newlyweds debuted on August 19, 2003 (“In This Skin” was released on the same day). The show follows Nick and Jessica during their first year as a married couple. Viewers follow the couple as they move in and decorate their new home, work on their respective albums in the studio, shop and travel around the country. Like every other reality television show featuring celebrities, it is an exercise in the publicity machine. The audience is brought into the personal lives of their favorite stars. Fans watch as Jessica and Nick argue over phone calls and dinner options, but also get to attend special events such as Jessica’s party for Nick’s 30th birthday, and Nick’s massive surprise party for Jessica’s 23rd, which was edited into its own special broadcast as the third season premiere.
Jessica was relatively unknown to audiences outside of her fans, and she was written off as just another pop-tart. Newlyweds introduced her to a much larger audience and her stupid observations have been recorded in pop history, solidifying her image as a ‘dumb blonde’. Comments like, “I don’t eat buffalo” when offered buffalo wings and her confusion as to whether Chicken of the Sea Tuna was chicken or fish, have been repeated incessantly and have even led to endorsements, including Pizza Hut’s Buffalo Chicken pizza.
Nick’s relative intelligence becomes apparent when contrasted with Jessica’s lack thereof. He is regularly caught rolling his eyes at her comments and expressing frustration with her incessant whining and child-like antics, leading some to use the term, “child-wife” (he is seven years her senior). She is incapable of housework; Nick admits to thinking, “she’s never hung up a towel in her life.” An episode features her coming home from a brief tour to find over a dozen loads of laundry. Confused and frustrated, she begins hurling dirty clothes into the foyer. Although she claims to be a decent cook, the couple rarely eats at home, dining out regularly at various chain restaurants. Her domestic inabilities confirm her privileged upbringing, further enhancing the image Jessica as a spoilt, sheltered American princess. The show has helped structure a husband-wife dynamic demanded by the Sonny and Chér blueprint.
The cameras follow Jessica as she travels on shopping sprees and fun filled afternoons with her girlfriends, making the viewer part of her personal entourage and demonstrating the consumption habits of a young, rich, American woman. Her overall spending is extravagant and whimsical. She seems to be disconnected from reality with regards to money, often spending without thinking. The first episode follows Jessica as she purchases two pairs of underwear for $746, then calls Nick in an extreme panic over the purchase.
With all of this media exposure, there was only one thing left to do: visit as many talk shows and other media outlets possible. The Newlyweds hit them all, including Larry King Live, Leno, Letterman, Oprah and Regis. Jessica was featured on the cover of Redbook, People and Blender. November’s Rolling Stone dubbed her “Housewife of the Year.” Ironic, although she is a mediocre housewife at best, her celebrity status elevated her domestic abilities and media coverage. She posed for the cover in a pair of boy-cut panties, a tank top, and high heels pushing a Swiffer. In it, she discusses her career as the perpetual underdog, her choices to remain abstinent until marriage and her “boobs,” a term she uses frequently.
The article postulated this, “Could America’s favorite blonde be as ditzy as she seems on TV, or is she taking us all for a ride?” This alternative reading of the Dumb Blonde led to feminist readings of Marilyn Monroe. Using her feminine charms and delightful stupidity, she managed to overturn the patriarchy to make it work in her favor [Dyer Heavenly Bodies 61]. In the case of Jessica Simpson, her glaring stupidity conflicts with this reading. Her slip-ups are not ironic pearls of wit; they are foolish, unscripted comments. It is hard to believe that she has ulterior motives. This is not to say that her Dumb Blonde image is not being used for maximum returns. Her father/manager is clearly a clever businessman who has commodified both his daughters, turning them into matching pop princesses. He has established his family as American pop royalty, but none of this industry magic can be credited to Jessica.
In January 2004, The Newlyweds hosted Saturday Night Live. They were in a series of sketches together, playing off of the dynamic established on their program. They poked fun at themselves; Jessica happily spoofed her own intellectual deficiency while Nick played his role as the patient and supportive, yet frustrated husband. The show went so well, ABC presented Nick and Jessica with their own television special, The Nick and Jessica Variety Hour. In the tradition of Sonny and Chér, Nick and Jessica would star in a one hour TV special featuring choreographed song and dance numbers, sketches and humorous banter.
The program aired on April 11, 2004, one week before Jessica’s performance on VH1 Diva’s Live. Nick admitted to never watching The Sonny and Chér Show because he wanted their program to be ‘original.’ The problem was that their writers did, and this resulted in a remarkably average rendition of the formula Sonny and Chér had once perfected. Jessica lacked the sarcastic wit and dry delivery of Chér, instead, blonde jokes, simple humor and commercial satire dominated the show. Guest stars featured Mr. T, Kenny Rogers, and Kit, the car from KnightRider. By attempting to reach an older audience, Nick and Jessica got swept up in an eighties revival anchored only by late nineties folk star, Jewel. Conversely, The Sonny and Chér Show featured the hottest pop stars and contemporary social satire. That being said, the Nick and Jessica Variety Hour was a one-time special and should not be compared to a Sonny and Chér’s successful three-season run.
Despite its flaws, The Nick and Jessica Variety Hour was an amazing piece of family television. Their staged husband-wife dynamic, although different from Sonny and Chér, proved successful with audiences. The pop stars invited older celebrities on stage and cracked jokes that were before Jessica’s time, but the content was clean and accessible to all ages. The couple even confronted Kermit and Miss Piggy who were shooting another variety show on the same soundstage. This cross-generational success led to even more media coverage in more mature media outlets.
The transition to television skyrocketed Jessica’s career. Since the ABC special, she has graced the covers of GQ, Maxim, Elle and more. She is becoming recognized in the world of fashion, but only as another perfect body to put clothes on, she lacks the distinctiveness of Chér’s look and physique (she is four inches shorter than Chér). She has also signed on to play Daisy Dukes in the movie revival of Dukes of Hazzard and ABC has scheduled a new reality sitcom featuring Jessica as “Jessica Sampson” a beautiful, ditzy blonde reporter interviewing various celebrities as her established on screen character, the Dumb Blonde.
Recently, ABC aired The Nick and Jessica Family Christmas Special, which was a Christmas version of the earlier variety show. Once again the Newlyweds played off of the dynamic established on their series. This time, Jessica’s sister Ashlee, Nick’s brother Drew (98 Degrees) and Brian McKnight made guest appearances. McKnight seems to stand out like a sore thumb in the white background of the thirty-some-odd members of the Simpson and Lachey families. The program is steeped in racial and cultural isolationism that is indicative of all Christmas specials. But in this case, they make a point to distance themselves from the cultural ambiguity that was regularly embraced on The Sonny and Chér Show. At one point, the doorbell begins playing “Hava Nagila, “ Jessica turns around and asks, “What’s wrong with the doorbell?” Upon further inspection, Nick discovers that it has been set to Chanukah and quickly corrects the situation.
Jessica has been compared to other classic American blonde bombshells including Marilyn Monroe and now stands as the embodiment of white American beauty in a global marketplace. Like others in this category, Jessica bleaches her hair “at a salon on the Upper East Side so exclusive that there’s no sign on the door (Rolling Stone 2003).” bell hooks raises the issue of white beauty in her essay, “The Oppositional Gaze” where she notes that the best blondes have all be brunettes, proving the contrived ultra white image as a method of perpetuating the white supremacy (hooks 119). Thanks to MTV’s international affiliates and a global obsession with American pop culture and icons, fans across Europe can tune into weekly public displays of affection. Jessica’s music tends to find its largest audience in countries such as Switzerland, Germany, Poland and the UK, i.e. other predominantly white countries.
Although her international following may be composed of limited ethnicities, her fan base at home is quite diverse. The audiences present at MTV’s TRL and other live performances are not homogenous; the crowd is composed of many ethnicities and ages. In March 2004, an appearance at a Boston area Wal-Mart was forced to end early when 50,000 fans showed up for an event expecting 5,000. Even though some of her magazine spreads have been questionable, she respects her fans and is constantly aware of her immediate influence, dressed modestly on Newlyweds and other television appearances.
Jessica Simpson may never win an Oscar, but she is embracing a career path that is incredibly successful right now, pop princess. But this cannot last forever. It seems impossible for Jessica to break out of her image established by Newlyweds, however, she is not trying to. Jessica has diversified her business options, entering the beauty and clothing market with her recently released line of “lickable” fragrances. The Sonny and Chér Show provided a vehicle for Chér to display multiple talents and prove that she is capable of being more than just a pop starlet. Jessica has yet to attempt to break out of her media-imposed character ascribed by her television series.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
Despite generational differences, the career paths of these two women are similar. Jessica has yet to display the same staying power as Chér, who is presently on the third year of her farewell tour. Their individual star images are alike in many ways, which may help explain why the star couple is such a successful commercial vehicle.
It all begins with the status quo and the expectations of the American public. The success of a given celebrity often depends on her ability to reinforce or overturn these social guidelines and existing state of affairs. In the case of the star couple, this new celebrity entity embodies ideas of morality with regards to the institution of marriage including heterosexuality, the husband and wife power dynamic and the role of sex in culture. In addition to these theories, the each member of the star couple will be judged with respect to ideas of beauty and preexisting social types. The marriage of these social types help define the American family dream.
The institution of marriage is an essential component of American society. Taken out of the emotional context and reviewed solely from a media standpoint, it can be used to generate publicity, confirm one’s heterosexuality or satisfy any number of demands placed on a celebrity. The main difference between these two marriages is in the career timeline: Chér was married before the fame and fortune and must credit Sonny for her career. Alternatively, Jessica established her own career before venturing into marriage, but both women used the star couple to their advantage.
Sex sells. Every member of a consumer-based culture knows this mantra, but sex can carry a stigma of promiscuity, which can instantly destroys a woman’s career. Marriage eliminates this negative connotation by confirming the morality and purity of a woman. It matters not that she appears on screen with multiple partners in shameful situations (see Chér’s performance in Chastity) if the public knows that she returns home to her husband. This phenomenon is not as powerful with men whose sexual lives have been historically justified; male celebrities have the advantage of bouncing back from sex scandals and may find that they actually improve their careers. Jessica, although she has not appeared onscreen in any compromising situations, has appeared in numerous men’s magazines known for their sexually provocative photo spreads. These magazines have also featured her more sexually active counterparts, Britney and Christina, but due to her marriage Jessica receives less disapproval and manages to maintain her wholesome persona, essential to her overall star image.
The sexual antics of these women go unquestioned because they retain the protective cloak of marriage, especially in regards to parental approval. Both Chér and Jessica started their career as teen idols. Generally, teen idols embody rebellious qualities and can increase their popularity by angering parents. Chér, although she was part of a hippie generation, was adamantly drug free and her sexual antics were justified through her marriage to Sonny. Jessica was also able to capture the approval of her fans’ parents by advocating abstinence until marriage. These seemingly oxymoronic personas (drug-free hippie, abstinent pop-tart) proved successful with teens and their parents, thereby bridging the generational gap from the start.
The power dynamic of a couple is an essential part of marriage. In our postmodern society, it is recognized that women should be perceived as equal to men. However, there remains a discrepancy in the confines of marriage, which can arise from differences in intelligence, monetary worth or age, to name a few. Chér’s play on the power dynamic is her trademark. Every week she would stand on stage, the most stunning woman on television, and put down her husband repeatedly to the excitement of millions of viewers. The women’s liberation movement contextualized her remarks, which affected both liberated women and wives locked in marriages. On screen, Chér embodied a new American woman, intelligent and unafraid. The story at home was very different; Sonny remained the dominant figure in the household. He monitored her activities and often refused her freedoms to which most women felt entitled (e.g. spending time with girlfriends). According to an 1973 issue of Photoplay, which featured Chér and Ann Margaret on the cover with the caption: “The Beautiful and the Bold: How they taunt and tease and test their men,” publicists for the Bonos claimed,
“The TV image is all a put on… the Bono marriage is the kind that dates back a hundred years, where the wife’s place was on her knees and the husband had his foot planted solidly on her neck.”
Chér agreed, “Sonny is the dominant one and I like it.” This confirmation of a classic American marriage allows Chér to be as extreme as possible on stage, mocking Sonny’s stature, talent, sex drive, and more.
The power dynamic is further reinforced by the term “child-wife.” Both of these women are significantly younger than their husbands (Chér by twelve years, Jessica by seven) and inherently look to them for support, both emotional and financial. Sonny was seen as an idol to many middle aged men, blessed with a smart, beautiful young trophy wife. Alternatively, many men admire Nick for his persistence, tolerating Jessica’s stupidity with her body as the reward. Although Jessica may earn more money than her husband, she looks to him to approve her actions, including career choices, small and large purchases, and minor daily decisions. Newlyweds often features sequences of Jessica whining and demanding attention from Nick for seemingly inane reasons. Their power difference is not as drastic as the Bonos’, due to the women’s liberation movement that Chér helped spearhead, but it is clear that Jessica’s self image is dependent on Nick:
“Nick has had a huge influence on my self-confidence, because he doesn’t think there’s physically one thing wrong with me. Now I try to look through his eyes rather than my own.”
This power dynamic also manifests itself in the spending habits of each couple. Our celebrities are not honored for their talent alone; they also represent what it means to be a member of American society. We turn to them for cues on how to walk, talk, dress and behave, and we demand that they share this insight. Stars become models of consumption in a consumer society where monetary wealth defines success. We adore stars for being rich and desperately try to emulate them. In the stereotypical couple, the man is defined as the breadwinner, diligent and hardworking, while the woman is the primary spender. Her consumption habits define the success of a couple. In a star couple where both partners contribute financially, the woman is still responsible for maintaining the couple’s social status through conspicuous consumption (Veblen 47). Both Chér and Jessica execute this obligation perfectly, becoming not just fashion idols, but also offering their personal purchases to the public as a veritable textbook of consumption (Chér’s shoe collection, Jessica’s $1,400 Egyptian cotton bed sheets.)
Another essential component of a star’s image is the use of social types in conforming to the status quo. According to Klapp, a social type is ‘a collective norm of role behavior formed by and used by the group: an idealized concept of how people are expected to be or to act (Dyer Stars 47).” Dyer presents a series of social types that are prominent in American culture; here, the Good Joe, the Pin-up and the Independent Woman will be the center of focus. Both Sonny and Nick are presented as Good Joes, embodying the American ethos. The Good Joe is friendly and easygoing, well liked, and socially appropriate in every sense of the word (Dyer Stars 48). The Good Joe is necessary in these star couples; other male social types involve deeper character reflection, which draws public attention away from his wife.
Chér and Jessica are two drastically different women and appeal to different aspects of America’s habitus, which guides our social worldview (Illouz 21). There are three prevailing models for the feminine sex role: domesticity, career and glamour. Generally, one becomes primary, at the expense of the other two, but a star couple confirms that all three can exist simultaneously within one woman. This guarantees her sexual attractiveness to men (Dyer Stars 30). How she utilizes these three models help define her social type.
Chér performed in a period of social upheaval, mediating an old worldview of a male-dominated marriage with a new demand from women for equal rights and treatment. In order to balance these factions of the audience, Chér embraced a duality of roles, a submissive homebody and a wise cracking, smart mouthed, liberated woman. On screen, she defined Klapp’s Independent Woman, using her intelligence and brazen commentary to respond to the patriarchal, heteronormative society. Unfortunately it is inevitable that the Independent Woman will subjugate her own desires and needs for love and marriage (Dyer Stars 56). Although this is true within the scope of this paper, it is worth mentioning that Chér has maintained her Independent Woman type by divorcing Sonny and pursuing her own dreams of stardom.
Where Chér represented one of Dyer’s alternative, or subversive, social types, Jessica conforms to the classic Dumb Blonde, defined by American idols like Judy Holliday and Marilyn Monroe. These women embody American concepts of beauty and expectations of intelligence; their popularity comes from their sex symbol status coupled with an innocent stupidity that is deemed attractive in a patriarchal society. In order to be classified as such, they must meet a requisite level of dumbness. Even though they seem to play into the expectations of men, the best Dumb Blondes exhibit a power over men as demonstrated in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, where a gold digging Monroe cleverly dupes men into her bidding while maintaining a flighty, naïve appearance. This is repeated verbatim within Jessica’s marriage.
“Nick, baby?” says Simpson. “Will you iron mah new shirt?”
“No,” answers Lachey, in a typical knee-jerk bit of sarcasm, but just a minute later – whipped mofo that he is – he rises from the couch to retrieve the iron from a closet.” [Rolling Stone 2003]
A retrospective reading of Monroe reveals her desire to be taken serious, demanding bigger parts and better treatment near the end of her career. Jessica has yet to show any intention of playing a character other than Jessica Simpson.
The Dumb Blonde teeters between social type and stereotype. As a stereotype, the Dumb Blonde stands to suffer from an inversion of cause and effect. Stereotypes assign a given trait to a characteristic, in this case blonde equals stupidity, but that trait can be misappropriated as the cause of a characteristic: she is stupid because she is blonde (Seiter 17). Jessica’s father and manager often attributes his daughter’s habitual intellectual indiscretions to this inversion:
“What’s happening here is Jessica knows she’s on camera…Since she was a little girl, people have been calling her a dumb blonde, (so) she begins to assume the role that everybody expects of her. That doesn’t mean that’s who she is. It’s a part of her personality, but it’s one that she’s enhancing on the show. It’s nothing that’s not real, but she unintentionally exaggerates (Malkin).”
Although these women embody different social types, the Pin-up type is a requisite component in a woman’s image. The Pin-up presents women as sexual spectacles and sex objects, promoting surface appearance and depersonalization (Dyer Stars 50). This type has expanded from a specific body image (healthy, American cheerleader type) to a method of framing which emphasizes the woman’s sexual appeal. In a patriarchal culture, the woman must always be seen as a sexual object, whether or not that is the source of her celebrity.
These social types and their existence within a patriarchal culture lead to alternative, feminist readings of the celebrities. Chér’s role as a feminist icon is obvious; she was a voice for millions of women across the country affected by the feminist movement. Jessica’s feminist status starts as an offshoot of Chér’s balance of career woman and housewife, but her remarkable success defines her as the “Smartest Dumb Blonde in the World (Jacobs).” Then again, many feel that her onscreen antics set feminism back decades.
The star couple also encourages the dissolution of public and private spheres necessary for a celebrity’s public acceptance. The
public is desperate to know more about its celebrities, spawning thousands of tabloids and millions of photo-hungry paparazzi. Dyer describes the construction of star types and images from various media texts including promotion, publicity and filmic presentation. Promotion is the deliberate creation and manufacturing of an image. On the other hand, publicity is composed of non-deliberate image making which includes the documentation of candid moments and scandals, and films are the artistic product of the celebrity (Dyer Stars 62). The tabloid press plays a very important role in image construction; initially, celebrities are celebrated for their ability or achievements, but once they are established, further celebration becomes secondary whereas any whiff of sensation or scandal greatly enhances the newsworthy value (Whannel 148).
Marriage is a perpetual tabloid scandal. Dyer discusses the need audiences have to see celebrities suffer and the subsequent effect of this sadistic tendency (Stars 44). True or false, questions of divorce, extramarital scandal, problems in the bedroom and other personal details, are displayed on supermarket shelves for general consumption. Celebrities are subjected to the moral judgment of the public at every turn, in their private lives, public lives and relationships. The pervasiveness of reality TV has increased this righteous attitude of “the audience knows best,” most excellently displayed with the short-lived FOX series, Married By America.
The celebrity marriage embodies the American dream: to be young, beautiful, wealthy and in love. It is a classic story that guarantees success both at home and abroad. It speaks to people in marriages, couples hoping to get married and singles looking for love, themes that are common to a global audience. The generation gap of these two couples also manifests itself in a media discrepancy. In 1972, television was still a restricted medium, dominated by three networks, and had yet to become standardized internationally. The popularity of Sonny and Chér in Iran was an impressive feat. Today, MTV has colonized global television (except for Africa) and has the power to export culture. American pop stars owe much of their international audience to MTV and its affiliates. This network has the power to make or break celebrities around the world. Newlyweds is broadcast in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Poland.
Both of these women achieved a new level of stardom by embracing the medium of television, utilizing the most popular format of their time (variety or reality). The TV is a special appliance in the home, serving as a window to the world, exposing the viewer to a reality outside of his or her immediate existence. The audience shares common experiences with their television stars and usually feels a closer connection than with film celebrities. In a 1973 issue of TV Guide, Sonny defines a recurring interaction: a fan will recognize him and achieve instant familiarity, then succumbs to acute embarrassment, “[we] have been guests in their living rooms.” With The Sonny and Chér Show, the Bonos entered American homes every week, speaking directly to their audience. In Newlyweds, the audience is invited into Nick and Jessica’s living room, a drastically different dynamic with similar results.
Through this audience involvement, these couples have managed to accomplish the impossible, appeal to multiple generations. Sonny and Chér, who began as teen pop sensations, recognized the need to expand their fan base and embraced network television to reach a family audience. The Sonny and Chér Show is a staple of American pop culture, reminiscent of a time when families gathered around the television and shows were designed with all ages in mind. Although sexually charged, The Sonny and Chér Show utilized double entendre, subversively connecting with adults without alienating children and teens. Nick and Jessica also began their career as teen pop sensations, and continued to embrace this fan base by signing their lives over to MTV, the epitome of niche marketing. Families no longer share time in front of the television, often parents are unaware of their children’s favorite shows, but their performances on Saturday Night Live and The Nick and Jessica Variety Hour have placed them squarely in the sight of grown-up audiences, without neglecting their original fans.
These star couples have revised the original concepts of publicity and promotion by bringing audiences into their personal life. This combination of media texts provides a level of sincerity and authenticity not necessarily afforded by either individually. Revealing one’s private life serves to validate the studio-produced content and weekly appearances moderate tensions between the star and her image. Even though Sonny and Chér used a scripted text presented as off-the cuff, many fans believed that this was honest representation of their relationship. On the other hand, Newlyweds utilize editing to alter onscreen interactions without disrupting the illusion of reality. In both cases, the filmic presentation coincides with promotional narratives under the guise of non-deliberate publicity. This creates a cohesive star type wherein there is no conflict between the media texts and no tensions between the star and her image.
Even though Sonny and Chér had sewed up the “married couple bag” (Bogdanovich) in 1965, the star couple still serves its purpose today. In a culture where marketing equals success, the star couple creates its own marketing machine by its mere existence. Audiences, intrigued by single celebrities, are ecstatic at the prospect of celebrities in love and their subsequent break ups. Even though the star couple may be a publicity stunt on its own, certain attributes must be present and utilized in order to achieve maximum returns. These include a strong husband-wife dynamic; a willingness to expose one’s personal affairs, and a stable, regular medium through which the public may observe their idols. Once these are in place, the star couple’s potential is infinite. The married couple can range from an American dream to a counseling nightmare; both situations speak to a large audience. In a market where individuality is a precious commodity, marriage can help a star detach from the larger cohort. Overall, the star couple is a win-win situation if its members can maintain it properly, but its inevitable dissolution will also guarantee them commercial success.
“I believe that Nick and I are going to last forever… and if we don’t, it’ll make a good reality show.” –Jessica Simpson [Rolling Stone 2003]