Du populaire au populisme ?

The aim here is to define the values of French celebrity weeklies and the social identities they convey. More specifically, their alleged popularity is examined with respect to their democratic impact. Is the cult of celebrity a populist ideology per se ? Does it sanction the abuses generated by the « Society of the Spectacle » ? Or, insofar as it gives rise to new political practices, could it contribute to revitalize the public sphere ?