Celebrity leadership. Quando i leader politici fanno le star

The article focuses on the phenomenon of celebrity politics in contemporary democracies. It discusses several contributions on celebrity politicians. In particular, it approaches the topic from the viewpoint of possibile uses of celebrity by political leaders. It distinguishes from cases of leaders for whom celebrity is an intrinsic feature from those cases for whom celebrity is a communication strategy among others and is useful to shape and/or correct a public image. Then the article argues that a full comprehension of celebrity leadership requires a more extended analysis of followers’ attitudes and behavior. Drawing on a parallel between political followers and fans, the article points at the relevant changes produced by the digital platforms and highlights possibile research avenues.