The Branding of Oscar Wilde
Gillespie, Michael Patrick
The Branding of Oscar Wilde - 2016.
89
Although over the course of his life Oscar Wilde was surrounded by a number of flamboyant individuals, he set himself apart by his particularly adept talent for brand creation, a trait that went well beyond self-dramatization and that had much broader societal implications. Wilde’s branding distinguished him from a generation of eccentrics through a calculated ability to create a unique and arresting public persona that provoked response but stopped short of generating censure. Wilde’s brand was the seemingly uninhibited artist who knew exactly how to balance conflicting impressions, creating frisson but stopping short of revulsion. Between his time as a student at Oxford and the period he spent in the dock at his 1895 trials, Wilde’s “branding” protected his vanity and enhanced his reputation through an ability to shift emphasis and respond to surroundings. Understanding his brand and Wilde’s commitment to it according to the situation gives insights into how he developed as an artist and into the alternative perspectives of which readers need to be aware in order best to understand his work.
The Branding of Oscar Wilde - 2016.
89
Although over the course of his life Oscar Wilde was surrounded by a number of flamboyant individuals, he set himself apart by his particularly adept talent for brand creation, a trait that went well beyond self-dramatization and that had much broader societal implications. Wilde’s branding distinguished him from a generation of eccentrics through a calculated ability to create a unique and arresting public persona that provoked response but stopped short of generating censure. Wilde’s brand was the seemingly uninhibited artist who knew exactly how to balance conflicting impressions, creating frisson but stopping short of revulsion. Between his time as a student at Oxford and the period he spent in the dock at his 1895 trials, Wilde’s “branding” protected his vanity and enhanced his reputation through an ability to shift emphasis and respond to surroundings. Understanding his brand and Wilde’s commitment to it according to the situation gives insights into how he developed as an artist and into the alternative perspectives of which readers need to be aware in order best to understand his work.
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