Sign in

ELLIS CASHMORE

@elliscashmore.bsky.social
329 followers 172 following 428 posts

Author of "The Destruction and Creation of Michael Jackson" (above), "Elizabeth Taylor" (both published by Bloomsbury) and "Celebrity Culture" (Routledge, now in its 3rd edition). Regular contributor to Fair Observer magazine.

PostsRepliesMedia
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
BRYAN FERRY IS 81 TODAY The man who made sophistication sound slightly dangerous — and decadence look effortless. #BryanFerry #RoxyMusic #Music #Rock #Celebrity
010
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
SYDNEY SWEENEY WANTS TO REPRESENT WOMEN IN SPORT? She might look at Joanna Wietrzyk, who recently won a HYROX Pro race after shitting herself during the event. Less glamorous. Rather more authentic. #SydneySweeney #WomensSport #HYROX #WomenInSport #Sport
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
WHY WAS ZOLANI TETE KILLED? The ex-world boxing champion was murdered by gunfire outside his home in South Africa. What does his murder dislose about the relationship between boxing, violence & crime? www.fairobserver.com/region/afric... #ZolaniTete #Boxing #BoxingFans #Criminology #Sociology
fairobserver.com
Why Was Zolani Tete Killed?
On August 21, former world boxing champion Zolani Tete was murdered by gunfire outside his home in Mdantsane, South Africa.
010
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
ART OF THE BLAG What happens when confidence becomes more valuable than competence?From Jason Arday’s rise to professorship to Trump’s repeated claims that an Iran deal is just around the corner, blagging has become powerful currency www.fairobserver.com/politics/tru... #JasonArday #Trump #Sociology
fairobserver.com
Trump, Arday and the Art of the Blag
Academia and politics today reward self-confidence over competence, as former Cambridge Professor Jason Arday
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
John Moores Uni investigated the allegations & didn't uphold plagiarism charge. Had it done so, it would have raised Qs about its own doctoral procedures & the thousands of degrees it's awarded. Institutions aren’t impartial observers of their own credentials. #JasonArday @ljmuofficial.bsky.social
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Overlooked consequence of #Arday case: it may make life harder for the next generation of black academics. Universities will insist every candidate is judged on merit alone. Sociology teaches us that people aren't that objective @universitypress.cambridge.org @timeshighered.bsky.social #Sociology
020
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Football is the world's most popular sport. But perhaps not despite its scandals — partly because of them Corruption, racism, violence and controversy keep the beautiful game permanently at the centre of public attention www.fairobserver.com/world-news/f... #Football #FIFA #SportsCulture #Society
fairobserver.com
Football’s Filthy Appeal
Major sports always seem to get hit with some legal or moral controversy. In the case of football, the world’s most popular sport,
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Hey Gianni, Don here. Tonight's soccer would be even better if they ran up a basketball-style score. Double figures would be fun, right? Gianni: "What a terrific idea, Don. I'll make a few calls and see what I can do." #FIFA #WorldCup #Trump #Infantino
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
The World Cup arrives in the US amid an unusual question: Does Donald Trump see football as the world's game—or as another stage for American power? Sport or a MAGA moment? Read: fairobserver.com/world-news/u... #WorldCup2026 #FIFA #DonaldTrump #MAGA #Football @myfairobserver.bsky.social
fairobserver.com
Will Trump Turn the World Cup into a MAGA Triumph?
The FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11, and America is hosting several matches. But does US President Donald Trump,
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
If West Ham are relegated, London taxpayers may have to cough up another £2.5 million because of the London Stadium lease deal Ah yes, Lord Coe’s glorious Olympic legacy—a publicly funded stadium #WestHam #WHUFC #LondonStadium #SebCoe #Olympics2012 #PremierLeague #FootballFinance
Foregrounded is Lord Coe looking self-satisfied and triumphant against a backdrop of London's Olympic Stadium.
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Why are assassins almost always men? History gives us countless examples of male gunmen—but almost no female equivalents. That’s not just coincidence. So where are the women? 👉 www.fairobserver.com/politics/whe... #Politics #Crime #Gender #Society #Violence #Masculinity #Culture #Media
fairobserver.com
Where Are the Female Assassins?
April’s White House dinner shooting makes me ask: Why does it seem only men go rogue and attempt to murder political figures?
010
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
IS MATERNAL LOVE NATURAL—OR SOCIAL? We treat the mother-child bond as instinctive. But history suggests otherwise. In rare cases, it fractures—with devastating consequences. fairobserver.com/culture/why-... #Motherhood #Parenting #Sociology #ChildProtection #MentalHealth #FamilyStudies
fairobserver.com
Why Do Mothers Kill Their Own Children?
A mother’s bond with her child is said to be one of the strongest human relationships. So how and why can some mothers
020
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Why doesn't the Michael Jackson movie cover the sexual abuse allegations? Here’s the answer: 🧤 fairobserver.com/culture/woul... #MichaelJackson #MJ #KingOfPop #MeToo #Biopic #MichaelMovie #PopCulture #CelebrityCulture #MusicHistory #Fandom #CelebrityStudies #FanStudies #FairObserver
fairobserver.com
Would Michael Jackson Have Survived in the #MeToo Era?
Director Antoine Fuqua’s Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, opens on April 24, a year later than scheduled. Parts of the film were reshot after
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
IS TRUMP JUST PRETENDING TO BE MAD? From Genghis Khan to Richard Nixon, leaders have turned apparent insanity into a political resource. Is Trump the latest? Read more: www.fairobserver.com/politics/is-... @bloomsburybooksus.bsky.social @theeconomistsydmun.bsky.social @bbcnewsuk.bsky.social #Trump
fairobserver.com
Is Trump Just Pretending to Be Mad?
Is Donald Trump mad… or is it an elaborate act designed to keep political rivals — and allies — wrongfooted? There’s
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
Would Michael Jackson have survived in the #MeToo era? Professionally, no. But he would still be alive today. That’s the paradox at the heart of this piece. www.fairobserver.com/culture/woul... #MichaelJackson #MeToo #CelebrityStudies #FanStudies #Fandom #PopCulture #MusicHistory
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
Social Media Addiction is NOT Addiction It can't rewire the body & override willpower Social media is choice with upsides & consequences fairobserver.com/more/science... #SocialMedia #Addiction #MentalHealth #Psychology #MediaNarratives #DigitalCulture #Gambling #Law #Opinion #Research
fairobserver.com
Social Media Addiction is NOT Addiction
Is the social media “addiction” the media often crows about truly an addiction? A new Los Angeles court ruling thinks
030
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
Scott Mills left the BBC suddenly, just after promising to be back on air. Cleared nearly a decade ago when police found insufficient evidence, his silence now suggests some new development may have reached the BBC — though what remains unknown. #ScottMills #BBC #Radio2 #Media
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
MADONNA — DIVA PROVOCATRIX For 4 decades she's turned scandal & provocation into art. Here I explore how she reshaped celebrity culture 👉 fairobserver.com/culture/mado... Grateful to publishers I’ve worked with over the years, inc @bloomsburybooksus.bsky.social @routledgebooks.bsky.social #Madonna
fairobserver.com
Madonna — Diva Provocatrix
Madonna turned up at the Milan Fashion Week in February. As always, she created a stir, issuing a reminder that she remains fascinating,
020
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Madonna — Diva Provocatrix For 40+ years she's mastered scandal, spectacle & reinvention — turning outrage into art No one before her did it this way. No one since has matched it. Coming in #FairObserver. #Madonna #QueenOfPop #MadonnaFans #MadonnaForever #MadonnaCelebrationTour
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
DIANA'S GHOST HAUNTS BRITAIN'S ROYALS 👑 Andrew's scandal shows the monarchy stripped bare by relentless media scrutiny. Diana reshaped royal life, leaving her ghost present in every headline fairobserver.com/culture/dian... #celebrity #RoyalFamily #Diana #AndrewScandal #MediaSpectacle
fairobserver.com
Diana’s Ghost Haunts Britain’s Royals
Diana, Princess of Wales, transformed the British monarchy’s relationship with the media by introducing unprecedented openness...
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
DIANA'S GHOST HAUNTS BRITAIN'S ROYALS 👑 Andrew faces relentless media scrutiny. Diana set the stage, and the House of Windsor can’t look away. Coming soon to #FairObserver #RoyalFamily #Diana #AndrewScandal
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Zionist to the core’: If athletes use social media to express political views, commentators have right to scrutinize them. Public speech invites public commentary — in sport as anywhere else aje.news/vzod0g v @bloomsburypol.bsky.social JEnglish #Olympics #Media #FreeSpeech #MilanoCortina2026
aje.news
‘Zionist to the core’: Swiss commentator slams Israeli bobsleigh team
Stefan Reina's commentary on the Israeli team's run in Cortina focused on the athletes' support of the genocide in Gaza.
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 15/02/2026
Condoms gone in 3 days at the Olympic Village. Proof that peak performance isn’t confined to the sporting arena. 🥇😏🛏️ people.com/olympic-vill... #Olympics #WinterOlympics #MilanCortina2026 #OlympicVillage #Olympians
people.com
Olympic Villages Run Out of Condoms at 2026 Games Due to 'Higher-Than-Anticipated Demand'
The Olympic villages at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics already ran out of condoms for the athletes, the organizing committee confirmed to PEOPLE on Saturday, Feb. 14.
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
Dart frog toxin: 200 times more potent than morphine? Drug dealers are taking advance orders. ‘We haven’t seen excitement like this since Breaking Bad,’ said one South American cartel figure. ‘A product that markets itself.’” news.sky.com/story/navaln... #Putin #PoliticalAssassination
news.sky.com
010
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
Australia’s idiotic social media ban was always unpoliceable, easily evaded & perversely seductive to teenagers. Now parts of Europe are lining up to copy it — proof that bad policy travels fast. fairobserver.com/business/tec... #SocialMedia #TechPolicy #DigitalRegulation
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
SHOULD FIFA PULL THE WORLD CUP OUT OF THE US?⚽️Read in #FairObserver: fairobserver.com/culture/shou... #WorldCup2026 #FIFA #DonaldTrump #Infantino #SportsPolitics @fanseurope.org @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social @iscsupporters.bsky.social @lasparks.bsky.social @theathleticfc.bsky.social
fairobserver.com
Should FIFA Pull the World Cup Out of the US?
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter is urging fans to boycott the 2026 World Cup in the United States, citing recent civil unrest..
000
Reposted by ELLIS CASHMORE
The Debate - France 24 @f24debate.france24.com · 02/02/2026
“He'll use it as a stage for his politics.” Amid #ICE crackdown in #Minnesota, @elliscashmore.bsky.social highlights what we can expect from Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance
001
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
“Why didn’t she just leave?” This article asks a harder, unsettling question: how does sexual exploitation take hold and endure for decades – without chains? fairobserver.com/culture/sexu... @myfairobserver.bsky.social #SexualExploitation #Agency #Power #CoerciveControl #Sociology #Gender #Abuse
fairobserver.com
Sexual Exploitation — Why Leaving Is Not So Simple
A woman was coerced into sexual exploitation for over 30 years through invisible captivity that eroded her agency without physical restraint.
010
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
Brooklyn may have shattered the illusion of the Beckhams as the “perfect happy family” — but don’t expect our fascination to fade. If anything, it just intensified. 🔗 fairobserver.com/culture/why-... via @myfairobserver #Beckhams #CelebrityCulture #Fame #Family #Media
fairobserver.com
Why Do the Beckhams Still Fascinate Us?
Where most celebrities rise, saturate the media and fade, former football star David Beckham remains in the limelight.
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
From broadcast schedules to algorithmic attention: YouTube didn’t just disrupt television — it reordered everyday media life — a theme familiar to readers of @theoryculturesociety.org @bjsociology.bsky.social @sagesaga.bsky.social 🔗 fairobserver.com/business/tec... #Sociology #Culture #MediaPower
fairobserver.com
YouTubing Reality
Since its inception in 2007, YouTube has evolved from a simple video-sharing site into the world’s dominant media platform,
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
Is TV dead? Gen Z has already moved on — and YouTube is where attention now lives. If you study media, culture, or sociology, you’ll want to read this 🔗 fairobserver.com/business/tec... #MediaStudies #Sociology #CulturalStudies #SocialScience #Students via @myfairobserver.bsky.social
fairobserver.com
YouTubing Reality
Since its inception in 2007, YouTube has evolved from a simple video-sharing site into the world’s dominant media platform,
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 01/01/2026
Brigitte Bardot was once a global fantasy — and later a lightning rod for hate. Can we love the art when we reject the artist? My new piece for @myfairobserver coming soon. #BrigitteBardot #Culture #Ethics
010
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
If we’re serious about inclusiveness, why do we still divide honours between Knights and Dames? Let’s modernise Britain: everyone “Sir.” Or (why not?) “Dame.” #UKHonours #Gender #Inclusivity #Equality #Britain #Politics #Culture #Satire #DameIdrisElba
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 26/12/2025
The #AllBlacks once dominated world rugby. But now #SouthAfrica have assumed control. Where once players were drawn from 4.5m whites, today they come from 65 million. NZ must feel how the rest of the world has felt for the past 100 years. #RugbyUnion #Springboks ##NewZealand #RWC
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 23/12/2025
WHY CHILDREN KILL: THE INCOMPREHENSIBLE DEATH OF ROB REINER Reiner and his wife were found dead in their Brentwood home. Their son Nick is charged with their murders. Why? Read now in #FairObserver ⬇️ 🔗 www.fairobserver.com/culture/why-...
fairobserver.com
Why Children Kill: The Incomprehensible Death of Rob Reiner
Director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead in their home. Their son, Nick Reiner, has been charged...
011
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
BREAKING: Widow Twankey may vanish from Aladdin pantos after complaints she’s “misogynistic and demeaning.” British Christmas traditions brace for another makeover. 🎭 #Pantomime #WidowTwankey #Christmas #Culture #Tradition #UK #Aladdin #Aladdin-sane
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
Joshua v Paul. Sabalenka v Kyrgios. When you grow up on UFC hype, WWE logic, reality TV & influencer culture, a YouTuber fighting an Olympic champ no longer feels sacrilegious. The line between “sport” and “entertainment”? #Joshua Paul #Netflix #Tennis #SportBusiness #SportsMedia
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
Bank manager: So, Mr McDonald, you’re applying for a $50,000 loan to attend next year’s World Cup finals. I quite understand — ticket prices, accommodation and travel will be eye-wateringly expensive. Unfortunately, your council flat doesn’t really qualify as collateral #WorldCup ⚽️ #FIFA #Football
001
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 13/12/2025
“Ronaldo is the only foreign player worth what he earns because of the global exposure he brings.” — former Saudi sports minister What does that tell us about football now? 👉 www.fairobserver.com/culture/cris... #SportsBusiness #GlobalExposure #FootballEconomics #Ronaldo
fairobserver.com
Cristiano Ronaldo in the New Media Ecosystem
Cristiano Ronaldo is the best-known, best-followed, best-paid and possibly just best football player in the world. But is...
010
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
Egypt and Iran are furious that Seattle will host a ‘Pride Match’ when they play each other at the World Cup. Maybe they should withdraw in protest.” @fifaclubworldcup.bsky.social om @seattletimes-rss.bsky.social eFWC26 @BBC @itvfootball.bsky.social tball #WorldCup2026 #PrideMatch #LGBTQ #Football
110
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
Egypt & Iran are furious that #Seattle will host a Pride Match when they play each other at #WorldCup2026. Perfectly reasonable, of course — they’re only asking them to ditch #LGBTQ+ celebrations and follow medieval religious doctrine for the afternoon. #Pride @FIFAcom @ussoccer.com
010
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
In 1920, a politician declared: “The USA is leading the world with this imaginative legislation: everyone will follow us in banning alcohol. You wait — Prohibition will end drinking forever.” 🍷 #ForbiddenFruit @SkyNewsAust @9NewsAUS @7NewsAustralia @abcnewsaustralia.bsky.social
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
🇦🇺Australia’s senseless under-16 social media ban kicks in. My piece in @FairObserver explains why this doomed law will backfire spectacularly: fairobserver.com/business/tec... @abcnews4.com #AusPol #SocialMediaBan #TeensOnline #DigitalRights #YouthCulture #Meta #Australia
fairobserver.com
Australia’s Idiotic Social Media Ban
Australia’s social media ban for children under 16 is set to take effect on December 10 — becoming the world’s first prohibition...
182
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
82% of Brits want #Israel excluded from #Eurovision2026. New poll shows 7 in 10 back a UK boycott after the EBU cleared Israel to compete. Ireland, Spain, Slovenia & the Netherlands have already pulled out over #Gaza. #BBC backs Israel’s inclusion. The public doesn’t. #UKPolitics
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
#Eurovision edges toward a crisis of its own making. Boycotts aren’t always effective, but they're symbolic & #Spain’s withdrawal may be the 1st crack in the façade. #EBU could've taken a vote on #Israel, as it did with Russia. Now it risks a domino effect that could sink 2026.
041
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
If West Mids Police ban an entire fanbase on discredited claims & still insist “we haven’t made anything fit,” the Q isn’t whether someone should resign — it’s who goes 1st ... and #Birmingham wants to host the Women’s World Cup? #Accountability #MaccabiTelAviv #WomensWorldCup
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 30/11/2025
#Birmingham bids to host games in #WomensWorldCup. "Just one thing," says head of West Midlands Police. "We won't be allowing away fans." Er, they're probably ALL away fans, chief. "In that case, our force will have a few quiet nights." #Football #WWC #FIFA #WestMidlandsPolice
020
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 28/11/2025
Twelve days until Australia’s idiotic social-media ban kicks in. We should thank the Aussies for volunteering as the canaries in the coal pit — with similar fates. fairobserver.com/business/tec... #AusPol #SocialMediaBan #DigitalRights #Australia #Meta #TeensOnline via @myfairobserver.bsky.social
fairobserver.com
Australia’s Idiotic Social Media Ban
Australia’s social media ban for children under 16 is set to take effect on December 10 — becoming the world’s first prohibition...
021
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 22/11/2025
Australia’s Idiotic Social Media Ban ... why it's doomed to fail. fairobserver.com/business/tec... @handle.invalid mau.bsky.social @theheraldo.bsky.social dsun.bsky.social @australia.theguardian.com @skynewsrss.bsky.social sky.social @brisbanetimes.bsky.social @canberratimes.bsky.social
fairobserver.com
Australia’s Idiotic Social Media Ban
Australia’s social media ban for children under 16 is set to take effect on December 10 — becoming the world’s first prohibition...
000
ELLIS CASHMORE @elliscashmore.bsky.social · 22/11/2025
Australia’s Idiotic Social Media Ban @elliscashmore fairobserver.com/business/tec... @abcnews4.com @smhn.bsky.social @theageaustralia.bsky.social @7newsaustralia.bsky.social @9newsaus.bsky.social @abc7.bsky.social
fairobserver.com
Australia’s Idiotic Social Media Ban
Australia’s social media ban for children under 16 is set to take effect on December 10 — becoming the world’s first prohibition...
000