"Television doesn't make stars. It's the written media, the press, that makes stars"
About this Quote
Chevy Chase is puncturing the cozy myth that fame is a pure meritocracy beamed into America’s living rooms. “Television” sounds like the obvious star factory: mass exposure, recurring roles, a face you can’t avoid. Chase flips it. The real machine, he argues, is the written press: the profiles, the captions, the origin stories, the canon-building that turns a working performer into a “star” with a narrative people can repeat.
The intent is defensive and slightly prosecutorial. A comedian who came up in the era when late-night appearances and SNL could make you recognizable overnight, Chase still insists recognition isn’t stardom. TV delivers visibility; print delivers legitimacy. The subtext is about power: television shows you, but journalists define you. They decide whether your public persona is “dangerous,” “difficult,” “genius,” “washed,” “comeback.” That frame outlives any episode.
It also contains a comedian’s self-aware cynicism about the bargain of celebrity. Stars aren’t only watched; they’re written into existence through quotes, feuds, rumors, and carefully shaped mythology. Especially in the 1970s-90s media ecosystem Chase inhabited, entertainment journalism and glossy magazines were the gatekeepers of cultural elevation, turning familiar faces into icons - or cautionary tales.
Underneath the jab is a warning: perform all you want, but your “brand” is authored elsewhere. The press doesn’t just report the celebrity; it manufactures the meaning of the celebrity.
The intent is defensive and slightly prosecutorial. A comedian who came up in the era when late-night appearances and SNL could make you recognizable overnight, Chase still insists recognition isn’t stardom. TV delivers visibility; print delivers legitimacy. The subtext is about power: television shows you, but journalists define you. They decide whether your public persona is “dangerous,” “difficult,” “genius,” “washed,” “comeback.” That frame outlives any episode.
It also contains a comedian’s self-aware cynicism about the bargain of celebrity. Stars aren’t only watched; they’re written into existence through quotes, feuds, rumors, and carefully shaped mythology. Especially in the 1970s-90s media ecosystem Chase inhabited, entertainment journalism and glossy magazines were the gatekeepers of cultural elevation, turning familiar faces into icons - or cautionary tales.
Underneath the jab is a warning: perform all you want, but your “brand” is authored elsewhere. The press doesn’t just report the celebrity; it manufactures the meaning of the celebrity.
Quote Details
| Topic | Writing |
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