Research On Idol Transmutation Phenomenon Under The Horizon Of Cultural Sociology

Starry idol is one of the most remarkable phenomenon nowadays, but behind themask of its prosperity is the reality of traditional spiritual idol’s loss. An idol is thesymbol of human spiritual beliefs, idol transmutation phenomenon reflects thedevelopment of era spirit. In the process of civilization development has worshippsychology been secularizing and individualizing, leading to the change of idol type.The transition from production society to consumer society raised the transformationof production idol to consumption idol, the change from elite culture to popularculture leaded to the transmutation of elite idol to popular idol, the evolution fromprint media to electronic media contributed to the transformation of a hero to thecelebrity idol. Under the multi-dimensional horizon of cultural sociology, thetraditional spiritual idol has been shielded by modern entertainment icon. We haveentered into a new era in which idols are mass produced, entertainment andconsumption are universal.An idol in production society is a model in the field of production, and an idol inconsumer society is a model in the field of consumption, the transformation fromproduction idol to consumption idol reflects the transfer of idol’s economic functions.An elite idol is a social elite which was made by elite culture carrying the mission ofsocial progress and cultural prosperity, an popular idol is produced by popular cultureas a model for universal entertainment, the change from elite idol to popular idolreflects the transfer of cultural discourse. A hero in print age was the real human event,while the celebrity in mass media era is human’s "pseudo event", which is createdmainly by media in order to attract attention and enhance the visibility, the changefrom heroes to celebrities reflects the transformation of human beings’ law of value.The transformation of audience also constructs the landscape of idol transmutation.On the type of idol audiences, the followers of the traditional hero have grown intotoday’s star fans. On the transfer of right of building icons, the traditional idols wasmade by official ideology, admirers were just passively one-way to accept the call andretrofit of idols, but the modern audiences gradually involve in the process of idolconstruction. Fans are the text’s "hunters" and "nomads", they participate in theconstruction of idols in the process of interacting with idols. On the development ofway of idol worship, traditional idol worship is a religious worship, while today’s idol worship is mainly a kind of entertainment and consumption activity, fans construct theidol wonders by paying for the idols.Modern idol is a kind of culture symbol of alienation, the traditional symbol ofspiritual beliefs has become a symbol of the consumption, an entertainment tool andan empty image. Although it is able to shape a carnival of prosperous time and letpeople’s empty mind get a paralytic satisfaction, it cannot replace of the ultimate careand spiritual salvation function of the distant religious organizations and the declineof traditional icons. Modern idol is also a kind of the real individual of alienation,under the control of the mass media and the market mechanism is the modern idolgetting into entanglements between a real self and a public self, and suffering the lossof identity. The phenomenon of idol worship also loses its spirit connotation of havingfaith and the pursuit of lofty, and become a game of entertainment and consumptionunder the control of the interests’"invisible hand". The alienation of modern idolculture has announced that the spiritual idol is in the dusk, but the hidden "dialogue"practice and the unprecedented thirst of spiritual care for modern people seem tosuggest a favourable turn for idols in the future.