Sports and Entertainment Figures: How Quickly Do They Fade from the Collective Memory? (20th–21st Centuries) – On-site Conference – October 8 and 9, 2026 – University of Brest

Calenda Ad 1,431,838 (excerpts)

We propose to examine the more or less fleeting place that sports celebrities occupy in the collective memory of French society. While the world of sports entertainment seems to have been torn since its inception between media coverage—which inevitably leads to forgetting—and the pressure to create memorable and legendary moments, how has this role evolved over the decades? What about the actual influence of media-driven sports narratives andstorytelling on collective memory? Finally, to what extent do sports stars and their audiences each contribute to the longevity of their fame? These are the questions we propose to address from comparative and socio-historical perspectives.