ENN4803 – Popular Culture and the Practices of Reception
“Discuss the self-representation of any one celebrity, and the way she or he has been presented in popular culture” (UNISA; 2010: 13).
Kelly Cutrone is the star of Bravo Television’s reality show, Kell on Earth (2010), has appeared in many episodes of both Music Television (MTV) shows The Hills (2006) and The City (2008) and is the author of If You Have to Cry Go Outside and Other Things Your Mother Never Told You (Harper One, 2010). Her fashion-based public relations business, People’s Revolution, has branches in New York, Los Angeles and Paris. Although her televised beaming around the world may be relatively recent she is no stranger to controversy or fame and has been a well-known New Yorker for many years. In opposition to censorship she organised the much publicised and controversial art installation, Love, Spit, Love (six couples engaging in sexual intercourse in an art gallery) with her first husband, Warhol protégé Ronnie Cutrone, in 1991. She consciously and honestly markets herself as a brand – being in the publicity business she is more than qualified to present herself as a concept, a brand and a celebrity, and has the sufficient media resources to do so.
As a publicist Cutrone is an expert at self-representation, highlighting it as personal branding in her book (branding defined as “promotion...by means of advertising” by the Oxford Dictionary of English; 2006: 207). Specifically with regard to her own brand or rather, herself as a brand, she says “My distaste for routine, my need to communicate with people on a constant basis, my inability to shut up, my love of language and words – these things are the strengths of my brand as a publicist. And in refining that brand over the years, I’ve managed to incorporate not only my personal traits but my values and spirituality” (my italics, Cutrone; 2010: 136). Speaking about personal branding in a more general sense, she writes “Personal branding is about figuring who you are and what turns you on and then monetizing it” (Cutrone, 2010; 129), which is essentially what she has done in not only becoming a publicist and owner of a public relations company (which handles projects as diverse as the press for Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream and fashion show production) but also in becoming an author and reality show cast member.
As part of developing herself as a brand, Cutrone has cultivated a consistent look for herself which primarily includes wearing only black clothing (which she has famously described as her “Amish psycho killer look”, Voss; 2010). She explains it by saying “The look of my brand, which came later, is also more deliberate than it may seem... I started wearing black not because I’m purposefully cultivating a hard-edged image, but because I just happen to look terrible in color!.. I now own this look, and it’s as much a part of my brand as my pitching style” (my italics, Cutrone; 2010: 137). The pitching style to which Cutrone refers is her penchant for candour, or as she puts it, “complete honesty... truthful and non-traditional” (Cutrone; 2010: 131). Cutrone’s choice to wear all-black has attracted much attention and is something she addresses not only in her book but in many interviews – the consistency of her wardrobe is viewed as iconic and enigmatic; it is the origin of rumours and both practically and aesthetically suits her high-fashion lifestyle and job requirements.
Another aspect of branding that Cutrone has mastered and that is part of her self-representation is differentiation. She states, “as a brand, adequate and normal will get you nowhere” (2010: 131) and “good brands are authentic, focused and consistent”, as can be seen in her look or ‘uniform’ discussed above (original italics, 2010: 139). Part of her success as a celebrity is due to her not only excelling in her job, but to her being intentionally edgy, unique and memorable. Cutrone’s avant-garde look, fondness for giving out words of wisdom and brutally honest approach mean that there are no publicists or any celebrities quite like her. She describes her brand at the moment as “renegade, strategically kooky, ballsy, bohemian, intuitive, ruthless and loving” (Cutrone; 2010: 136).
In the Introduction to The Celebrity Culture Reader, Marshall writes “Branding public identity is a clear translation of a personality into a commodity that is brokered and exchanged throughout the extended entertainment industry” (2007: 6). Cutrone’s growing celebrity means that her brand carries far more value now than it did before her television appearances and book were released; and is therefore able to be bartered for better worth in the world of entertainment. As the cycle goes, without her television appearances there would not have been so much interest in her book, without her book she would not have been such a sought-after interviewee, without those interviews her book would not have sold so many copies, et cetera. She has clearly “brokered and exchanged” (Ibid) her personality as a commodity to increase her popularity as a celebrity and to continue the cycle of growing the value of her name, her personality and herself as a brand.
Although previously very visible in the fashion industry and known by many due to the MTV reality series in which she appeared, Cutrone’s book is her most intentional and significant vehicle of self-representation to date. Part autobiography, part self-help guide and part career manual, it encapsulates her ethos and views, also serving as a guide to the young women who she feels passionate about reaching (discussed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcjlXAzzwp0).
Author of Autobiographics: a Feminist Theory of Women’s Self-Representation, Leigh Gilmore, states that ““Self-representation can be most fruitfully understood for autobiography as the mutual independence between discourse and identity...” (1994: 82) which is shown in If You Have to Cry, Go Outside by Cutrone and Bryan’s juxtapositioning of Cutrone’s life story and current ethos with advice and anecdotes. Furthermore, Gilmore also mentions in the introduction of same that Estelle Jenelik (1980) “claimed that because women’s lives are characterized by fragmentation, interruption, and discontinuity, so are their autobiographies” (Gilmore; 1994: x). Although Gilmore continues by saying that the statement is a broad generalisation about the nature of women’s lives, it certainly rings true for If You Have to Cry, Go Outside. Far from detracting from the work, however, the intentional and unorthodox categorisation and chronological fragmentation are appropriate for the numerous genres in which it may be classed and the amalgamation of the many elements discussed above. Consisting of an Introduction, interview and nine chapters; titles of which range from “You are the Brand: Normal Gets You Nowhere” to “It’s Not a Breakdown, It’s a Breakthrough” and “Worrier to Warrior”; Cutrone uses experiences from her life to thematically illustrate the mantras and ideals by which she now lives and conducts her business; thus representing herself and her story.
In the contemporary entertainment industry Kelly Cutrone is something of a unique celebrity – she represents a female mentor that young women are able to see as a healthy role model, where the emphasis of her celebrity is not on physical image, weight, make-up or hair but on her personality, her strength, how she runs her business, her principles and the life lessons that she teaches others. Cutrone writes, “At first I thought young women would be afraid of me because of how harshly I’m portrayed on television, but when I meet them... they all want to know how they can be power-bitches too. They want to own their own companies and be truth warriors and achieve the same freedom I’ve fought so hard for” (my italics, 2010; 79). Although, as she states above, she is presented harshly on the various shows she has appeared in, their unscripted nature mean that this presentation of her is true, albeit only partially, as it is a result of editing and post-production techniques.
Unlike many other female reality television celebrities, Kelly Cutrone is famous for what she does instead of merely how she looks or who her family is. In a world where celebrity culture is increasingly superficial, Cutrone describes herself as a feminist, spiritual, strong and as a role-model for women (Cutrone; 2010). With her customary pragmatic take, Cutrone writes “If we as women want equal rights in the workplace, it’s time for us to start acting like equals. You call yourself a feminist? You say you want to advance the women’s movement? Then acknowledge that you’re no different than anyone else and deserve no special treatment” (Cutrone; 2010: 160). Her views on gender equality are therefore just that; equality without special favour or pitiful martyrdom. The continuing interest in her as a personality, business owner, television celebrity and author illustrate that audiences are not only accepting but requesting more of female celebrities who may not be Hollywood beauties but are strong, entertaining and successful mentors. In An Introduction to Theories of Popular Culture, Strinati writes “The increase in the interest shown in popular cultural representations of women within cultural studies and the sociology of culture has been part of the more general resurgence of feminism and feminist theory” (1995; 178). Studies or essays such as this highlight the importance of strong female leaders and celebrities in the current entertainment industry for progress towards gender equality, especially for the influence they might have on pre-teen or teenage women.
Kelly Cutrone appeared first on The Hills and then The City as herself, owner of People’s Revolution and employer of the respective cast members Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port. While heavily edited and manipulated for drama, these shows are ostensibly unscripted so Cutrone is able to present herself as she is or as she would like to be represented. Both shows centre on the fashion industry (The Hills is based in Los Angeles and The City in New York) and show their cast members in the context of their work at People’s Revolution and elsewhere. Except for an MTV True Life episode (True Life: I’m Going to Fashion Week, 2008), Cutrone’s appearances on these shows were the first time that she was broadcasted throughout the United States and internationally and signified the beginning of her increased celebrity status.
One of the ways in which Cutrone represents herself and is presented by others is in the frequent interviews that she gives. Always dressed in black, usually with loose hair and seldom any make-up, Cutrone makes for a fascinating and charming (if blunt) interview subject who has been hosted by the Chelsea Lately show and Ryan Seacrest, as well as countless other radio stations, websites, magazines and television channels. As well as product promotion, interviews are a chance for Cutrone to correct rumours, put facts straight and communicate ideas, dreams and support for others. When interviewed by Advocate.com she addresses the common rumour that she is homosexual by saying:
Advocate.com: I know you’re a busy woman, so thanks for taking the time out of your schedule to chat with us.
Kelly Cutrone: I love The Advocate. Let’s get to the lesbian rumo[u]rs — you want to start with that?
Oh, well, I was going to ease into it, but sure.
I thought I was a lesbian at one point after my divorce from Ronnie Cutrone... (Voss; 2010)
Kelly Cutrone: I love The Advocate. Let’s get to the lesbian rumo[u]rs — you want to start with that?
Oh, well, I was going to ease into it, but sure.
I thought I was a lesbian at one point after my divorce from Ronnie Cutrone... (Voss; 2010)
Rather than a comment on her sexuality, this quote has been used to illustrate her forthright manner, blunt approach and as an example of how she uses interviews to present facts or dispel rumours.
As well as regular promotion interviews, Kelly Cutrone also makes videos for YouTube; on her own, with colleagues, friends or her daughter; and also has her own YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/kellycutronetv). With a friend, actress and producer Justine Bateman, Cutrone has started her own ‘talk show’, Wake Up and Get Real, which is comprised of shaky, home-made videos highlighting personalities and places (http://wakeupandgetreal.tumblr.com/). In many interviews (such as with Ryan Seacrest; 2010) she mentions her desire to host a talk show in the future.
By writing her own book, appearing only on unscripted television shows to date, creating her own YouTube videos and managing her own publicity, Kelly Cutrone has minimised the gap between self-representation and media presentation as much as it can be done. Although a figure who invites controversy and who is disliked by many (Cutrone; 2010), she is able to control her media appearances so that she is presented exactly as she wishes to be. From reading her book and watching her on the various television series one receives the sense that while she does not mind if people approve or disapprove, like or dislike her, she finds it very important that she is portrayed as she truly is, not as someone else’s perception of her.
The Oxford Dictionary of English defines a ‘celebrity’ as “... a famous person, especially in entertainment or sport” (2005: 277) and ‘famous’ as “being known by many people” (2005: 624). As a doyenne of contemporary entertainment, Kelly Cutrone certainly conforms. A business mogul, single mother and a woman who rarely puts on make-up even for television cameras, she is far from the so-called Hollywood ideal (as is discussed by Kissling in “I Don’t Have a Great Body, but I Play One on TV, Marshall; 2009: 549). Yet her continuing popularity (Cutrone is reported to have recently signed a second book deal with Harper One and has mentioned that talks for a new MTV series are in progress) bears testament to both the need and desire for strong, female role models. Celebrity is not what Cutrone does; it has come to her as a by-product of her professional success and arguably (although raising her professional profile) does not impact tremendously on her day to day public relations work. It is rather how she does it – her career and lately her television appearances and book – that has attracted the interest of many people.
Sources Consulted
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Butler, J. 1999. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. New York: Routledge.
During, S. (ed.). 2007. The Cultural Studies Reader. 3rd edition. Routledge: New York.
Cutrone, K with Bryan, M. 2010. If You Have to Cry, Go Outside and Other Things Your Mother Never Told You. New York: HarperOne.
Gilmore, L. 1994. Autobiographics: A Feminist’s Theory of Women’s Self-Representation. New York: Cornell University Press.
Marshall, P. David. ed. 2006. Celebrity Culture Reader. Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group: New York and London.
Oxford Dictionary of English. 2006. Second Edition. Sv: “branding”, “celebrity”; “famous”. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Puma, J. 2010. Kelly Cutrone Talks “The City”, Jay-Z’s Black Everything and Hollywood’s Drug Epidemic. Available at: www.complex.com/blogs/2010/07/13/kelly-cutrone-talks- the-city-jay-zs-all-black-everything-hollywoods-drug-epidemic/. Accessed on: 15/07/2010.
Strinati, D. 2001. An Introduction to Theories of Popular Culture. London and New York. Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group.
Turner, G.2004. Understanding Celebrity. London: Sage Publications.
Voss, B. 2010. Kelly Cutrone: Cool Boss, Crappy Lesbian. Available at: http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Television/Kelly_Cutrone_Cool_Bo ss,_Crappy_Lesbian/. Accessed on: 01/06/2010.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcjlXAzzwp0. Kelly Cutrone If You Have to Cry, Go Outside.
Accessed on: 1/06/2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiPAD5Qs2aY. Kelly Cutrone on Lady Gaga, Lesbian Rumors and Stephanie Pratt. Accessed on: 1/06/2010.
