The study of stars and celebrities is awash with enticing terms that compound the magic and mystery of their luminous subjects. Taking Fame to Market is the first historical exploration of the relationship between stardom as a form of popular heroism and as a commodity produced by capitalist enterprise. Beginning with an examination of the first star, David Garrick, King charts the representation of stars through a line of development that ends with the absolute celebrity of contemporary times, as exemplified by Lady Gaga. His case studies, which discuss the relationships of stars and celebrities with their fans, are placed in their social context and raise pertinent questions about the likely effects on audience perceptions of fame. King applies a new grammar of stardom to explore the differences between the stars of yesteryear and today's 'superstars', who are famous more for what they appear to be than for what they do. This phenomenon has been noted before, but the aim of this book is to explain it.