Warne-ing signs of celebrity desire

The combination of increasing technological advancements and the advent of social media has seen a fundamental change in thinking surrounding the concept of celebrity. This change has had widespread ramifications, owing much to the fact that through globalisation the world is now permanently connected and that people are invariably more enthusiastic than ever before about the idea of following celebrity activity. The idea of the world being connected in this way was raised and discussed by Thompson, (cited in Rantanen, 2005, p.7), who says globalisation ‘refers to the growing interconnectedness of different parts of the world, a process which gives rise to complex forms of interaction and interdependency.’

Thomson’s theories were published almost twenty years ago, and yet when considering them today, it is easy to recognise how celebrities fit into them. This belief is supported by the views of Marshall (2010, p.498), who writes that the ‘change in the market of personalities…is derived principally from the technological shifts in the way people engage with contemporary culture.’ Of particular interest to this argument given his post career activities, and somebody well worth examining in light of the assertions above, is former Australian cricket player Shane Warne.

Shane Warne’s Test career did not get off to the best start, with the chubby young Victorian taking just one wicket in his 1991 debut against the touring Indians. However it was not long before his deeds on the field, and importantly those off it, started to see him placed firmly in the media limelight. Controversy never seemed too far away right throughout Warne’s career, with allegations of match-fixing, run-ins with teammates and being banned for taking his mother’s diuretic pills just some of the incidents that plagued his time in the game. Despite these events, Warne was considered to have one of the finest cricketing brains of his time, an innovator ahead of his years. As Twentieth century actress Eva Le Gallienne once said, innovators are inevitably controversial, and clearly Warne fit this mould.

A Young Shane Warne, full-faced and ready for action (Image courtesy of The Courier Mail)


However beyond the myriad controversies is a man who has undergone a process of rigorous transformation, highlighted by a distinct alteration in physical appearance and accentuated by his self-promotion in social media circles such as Facebook and Twitter. Warne’s behavioural change is indicative of what Marshall (2010, p.498) refers to as the ‘specular economy,’ writing that society is moving into an era where ‘collectively we are becoming more conscious of how we present ourselves and how others perceive us.’ While there may be an argument to suggest that Warne was always a do-gooder at heart and that his deeds went unnoticed, it is no accident that he has carefully managed his image since retiring from international cricket in 2007, not only mindful of how he is presenting himself, but sensitive to how he is represented in media circles.

I speak of Warne being a do-gooder not through any attempt to devalue the work he has done with The Shane Warne Foundation, but to highlight what is perhaps an unknown area of his life. So busy is he working for Sky TV in the UK, playing poker around the world professionally for 888poker and flying between his Brighton mansion and his home in the UK that his charity work often goes unnoticed. But would a cynical person wonder whether the reason Warne spends as much time on Twitter as he does is to build publicity for his foundation or for himself and his online identity? It is not an unreasonable question in light of the fact the charity was formed in the months that followed his 12-month suspension from cricket, and that by highlighting his philanthropy he makes it more difficult to procure criticism.

As discussed above, Thomson has talked about globalisation giving rise to complex forms of interaction, and while Twitter now seems almost conventional, it is still a worthwhile exercise in examining Warne’s use of the medium. Murthy (2013, p.42) writes that with Twitter, the public get a ‘posed view of the backstage: we see what people want us/let us see,’ essentially a ‘sanitised backstage pass (especially in the case of celebrity tweeters).’ This view is in line with Marshall’s contention of people being very aware of how they portray themselves via social media. Given the fact that Shane Warne has the second highest number of followers on Twitter in Australia (behind former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd), it can be no coincidence then that we see the type of carefully constructed, wholesome messages emanating from his account that Murthy refers to. Again, this is not a criticism of the man, but an observation that a concerted effort has been put into re-presenting his persona.

Shane Warne looking a lot finer and almost wax-like (Image courtesy of news.com.au)


Another area of interest in Warne’s life for many celebrity followers and media entertainment writers is the status of his relationship. Formerly married to the mother of his children, he is now engaged to marry British actress Liz Hurley. While Warne had been involved in allegations of texting affairs with British women years before they started to date, a cynical view of his relationship might be that Hurley offers Warne a platform to network with even more high profile people while still maintaining an image of a settled, contented and happy individual. Moreover, these high profile people are from sometimes vastly different places than where Warne might usually meet prospective new friends and business associates. This is an example of the process of globalisation as defined by Riley (2009), who writes that globalisation has ‘significant economic, business and social implications.’ By being able to intermingle with Hurley’s acquaintances, who in turn become acquaintances of his, Warne subsequently does his own brand a service.

While the use of the word brand may seem out of place when talking about a sports icon, it cannot be denied that through his actions Warne has indeed constructed, or rather reconstructed, himself into this very thing. A quick look at the types of posts on his twitter page suggests that this is a guy who knows about public relations, spin and the media, and is intent on delivering a message that portrays the Shane Warne brand in a good light. On top of this, his Facebook posts regularly ask that people ‘like’ his links, photos and statuses, and to share with other people the messages he is communicating. After all, if the message depicts Warne in a good light, then why not have more people see it? The most curious thing to monitor, however, is when Warne is not in control of the message being delivered, such as when he was seen at Royal Ascot with Hurley performing tricks with a beer glass. These images were published around the world and received mixed responses, but does it go to show, as an observer pointed out, that the boy can be taken out of Australia but Australia can never be taken out of the boy?

The comment left by a reader of the page above – Legend! – perhaps leaves the biggest impression amongst all those from critics and reporters both here and overseas. That is that despite everything he has done in the past, and in all likelihood any future controversies, blokes just love “Warnie”. One wonders then why such effort has been made to reconstruct his image, when regular Joes will love him all the same. It is evident that vanity is an issue Warne has faced for a long time and continues to face, based on his story of the diuretic pills he took from his mother to lose weight, his use and questionable promotion of Advanced Hair, and his continually changing appearance over the last few years. Are these all attempts to transform himself from “Warnie” to Mr Shane Warne in order to be liked and well received by the social elite and high profile celebrities? And if so, is there any real need when actions taken like those at Ascot, much the same as his actions on the Trent Bridge balcony, simply show him thumbing his nose in the face of those whose adoration he craves?

The best and worst of Shane Warne and "Warnie" (Image courtesy of the Herald Sun)


Put simply, Warne is an extremely complex individual seemingly still searching for a perfect personality. He wants so desperately to be approved of by this new circle of people with whom he associates, and yet every so often reminds them that he really doesn’t care what they think, following his own path and doing as he pleases. The good deeds and charitable work mentioned earlier do not come from Shane Warne, but from “Warnie,” the down-to-earth Aussie guy who Aussie guys adore. The great Scottish poet Rabbie Burns famously wrote in his 1786 poem To a louse ‘O wad some Power the giftie gie us, To see oursels as ithers see us!’ which loosely translates to what a gift it would be for the Lord to allow us to see ourselves the way others do. This strikes to the heart of Marshall’s argument regarding the specular economy, and of the issue of Warne’s identity. Surely if he knew just how much adulation he receives for simply being who he is, and not who he would rather become, the attempts to lose so much weight, the plastic surgery, the hair transplants would cease. Surely, if he could see himself as others saw him now, and how they saw him before all of these changes took place, he would go back to being “Warnie.”

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