Isabella Rossellini’s assertive marginality

A sustainable paradigm in contemporary ageing culture

Autori

  • Sara Pesce Università di Bologna

Parole chiave:

Isabella Rossellini, ageing, sustainable ecosystem, fashion, film, social network

Abstract

This study explores the intersection of celebrity ageing and ecological sustainability, using Isabella Rossellini’s career trajectory as a case study to examine how ageing celebrities navigate the margins of the attention economy, the production systems and the beauty standards. As celebrities transition from cultural centrality to marginality, they often engage in experimental behaviors that challenge societal norms, offering insights both into sustainable personal management and environmental resilience. By analyzing Rossellini’s public roles in the new millennium, this paper uncovers how ageing celebrities influence audience perceptions of ecological issues, drawing parallels between individual adaptation to ageing and broader principles of environmental justice. The discussion situates these dynamics within the frameworks of environmental heterogeneity, salvage capitalism, and sustainable ecosystems, emphasizing the socio-cultural implications of resource scarcity, unequal distribution, and ethical disposal –  whether of attentional capital or natural resources. This analysis underscores the interconnectedness of cultural dynamics and environmental challenges, revealing how celebrity culture both mirrors and influences collective attitudes toward sustainability and resource preservation. Ultimately, this research contributes to scholarly debates on celebrity engagement with environmental causes, arguing that ageing celebrities, by transforming their cultural obsolescence into innovative and inspirational narratives, reflect broader adaptive processes within societal and ecological systems.

Biografia autore

Sara Pesce, Università di Bologna

Sara Pesce is Associate Professor of cinema at the University of Bologna, where she teaches film history, cinema and literature, and performance studies in audiovisual media. She was a Fulbright scholar at New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, and at Columbia University, at the Department of English. She has undertaken research on the cultural roots of the Hollywood film industry, on cultural memory and digital culture in the contemporary global context, and on screen acting, stardom, celebrity culture, and fashion. Her research is published in journals and edited collections. She is the author of books: on Hollywood Jewish founders (2005. Dietro lo schermo. Gli immigranti ebrei che hanno inventato Hollywood), on World War II and Italian Cinema (2008. Memoria e immaginario. La seconda guerra mondiale nel cinema Italiano), and on Laurence Olivier (2012 Laurence Olivier nei film). She is editor and author of a book on film melodrama (2007. Imitazioni della vita. Il melodrama cinematografico) and of one on time, memory, and paratextual media (2016, The Politics of Ephemeral Digital Media. Permanence and Obsolescence in Paratexts). She is co-founder of INC, the Italian Research Network on Celebrity Culture.

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Pubblicato

2025-07-01

Come citare

Pesce, S. (2025). Isabella Rossellini’s assertive marginality: A sustainable paradigm in contemporary ageing culture. Mediascapes Journal, 25(1), 16–28. Recuperato da https://rosa.uniroma1.it/rosa03/mediascapes/article/view/19102

Fascicolo

V. 25 N. 1 (2025): Celebr-Age: Celebrity and Ageing in Media and Sports Contexts

Sezione

Saggi

Licenza

Creative Commons License

TQuesto lavoro è fornito con la licenza Creative Commons Attribuzione 4.0 Internazionale.

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