¶ … Humanities Importance of the humanities in the professions:

A comparison of "Paul's Case," Muriel's Wedding and Andy Warhol's rendition of Marilyn Monroe

The modern concept of 'celebrity' is that anyone can be famous, provided that he or she embodies an ideal of glamour, using material trappings like clothing and possessions to show his or her 'specialness.' This is a common method of 'selling' a particular product in business.

The idea is paradoxical -- on one hand, celebrities are special, on the other hand the media suggests everyone can be a celebrity and 'famous for 15 minutes' if they buy the right item.

This can be seen in "Paul's Case" by Willa Cather, about a boy who feels as if he is above his classmates.

Paul desires to have a celebrity-like status, based upon his perceptions of himself as having innately refined tastes.

But this costs money, and Paul is unwilling to put in the hard work to succeed and instead steals this money.

A less tragic and more comic version of Paul can be seen in the 1994 film Muriel's Wedding. Muriel lives in a rural town in Australia, and believes that having a big wedding like she sees in fashion magazines will bring her happiness.

Paul's and Muriel's fascination with celebrity is echoed in Andy Warhol's pictures of Marilyn Monroe, endlessly replicating Monroe's image to illustrate the ubiquity and emptiness of celebrity, as it is sold in the world of commerce

Summary

"Paul's Case" by Willa Cather

Details the death of a dreamy young man who believes he is 'above' his surroundings.

Paul escapes into the theater and into his mind.

Paul is disgusted by commerce, and the everyday workings and demands of the world.

Eventually Paul steals money, commits suicide after his funds run dry.

Muriel's Wedding -- film directed by P.J. Hogan

Muriel, like Paul, lives in a rural area and

They refer to the popular culture, which also inspires Warhol to experiment with the technique of silkscreen printing, a popular technique used for mass production" (Andy Warhol's Marilyn prints, 2011, Web Exhibits).
Like Paul's and Muriel's fantasies, the image of Marilyn is mass-produced.

It is also a…