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Chapter 9. Visual politics and celebrity humanitarianism

How colonial culture is revitalised in the West

Abstract

This chapter turns towards the aesthetics of contemporary celebrity humanitarian action and examines critically the imaginaries Bob Geldof’s and Bono’s representations open towards Africa. I argue that despite their intention to bring about economic changes for Africa, the spatio-temporality of their imaginaries repeat the colonial violence by elaborating on colonial imaginary. The chapter concludes that celebrity humanitarianism, as a form of cultural governance, is also of crucial importance to the study of international relations. Consequently, the intention of the chapter is to act as an invitation for future research on the relationship between imaginary violence and celebrity humanitarianism – and the global politics of this activity.

Abstract

This chapter turns towards the aesthetics of contemporary celebrity humanitarian action and examines critically the imaginaries Bob Geldof’s and Bono’s representations open towards Africa. I argue that despite their intention to bring about economic changes for Africa, the spatio-temporality of their imaginaries repeat the colonial violence by elaborating on colonial imaginary. The chapter concludes that celebrity humanitarianism, as a form of cultural governance, is also of crucial importance to the study of international relations. Consequently, the intention of the chapter is to act as an invitation for future research on the relationship between imaginary violence and celebrity humanitarianism – and the global politics of this activity.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Introduction 1
  4. Part I. Approaches to visual communication and the question of power
  5. Chapter 1. Images 11
  6. Chapter 2. The critical tradition in visual studies 39
  7. Chapter 3. The map, the mirror and the simulacrum 55
  8. Chapter 4. Disenchantment with politics and the salience of images 69
  9. Part II. Case studies
  10. Chapter 5. Organising political consensus 91
  11. Chapter 6. Walls, doors and exciting encounters 113
  12. Chapter 7. The politics of visual representation 151
  13. Chapter 8. The politics of identity and visuality 181
  14. Chapter 9. Visual politics and celebrity humanitarianism 199
  15. Chapter 10. The economics of gay reality television 225
  16. Chapter 11. Mending endings 245
  17. Chapter 12. Representing the state of exception 269
  18. Index 291
Images in Use
This chapter is in the book Images in Use
https://doi.org/10.1075/dapsac.44.12yrj

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Introduction 1
  4. Part I. Approaches to visual communication and the question of power
  5. Chapter 1. Images 11
  6. Chapter 2. The critical tradition in visual studies 39
  7. Chapter 3. The map, the mirror and the simulacrum 55
  8. Chapter 4. Disenchantment with politics and the salience of images 69
  9. Part II. Case studies
  10. Chapter 5. Organising political consensus 91
  11. Chapter 6. Walls, doors and exciting encounters 113
  12. Chapter 7. The politics of visual representation 151
  13. Chapter 8. The politics of identity and visuality 181
  14. Chapter 9. Visual politics and celebrity humanitarianism 199
  15. Chapter 10. The economics of gay reality television 225
  16. Chapter 11. Mending endings 245
  17. Chapter 12. Representing the state of exception 269
  18. Index 291
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