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Chapter 2: The Making of a Star: Hollywood as Destination and Dream
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21 2 The Making of a Star Hollywood as Destination and Dream Lynn: People come out here with dreams. Outside Destiny Theater on Wilshire Boulevard, Jesus Christ’s Hollywood star sits unobtrusively, a bit worn and easy to miss. The star rests among several icons of the Hollywood entertainment industry—less than twenty feet from a refurbished United Artists movie house, less than two hundred yards from the offices of the Hollywood Reporter, less than two miles from the newly built home of the Academy Award ceremonies, the Kodak Theater, and only a few minutes’ drive from its kindred stars on the pink and charcoal terrazzo Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard. It fails to appear in travel brochures, and no tour busses stop at the sight. Even the occasional pedestrians on this distant boulevard hardly glance down as they walk by. Despite its inconspicuous presence, Oasis pastor Philip Wagner intended the star to attract attention, and its introduction to the world was anything but quiet. Every Hollywood star has an official unveiling, and Jesus’ star was no exception. On Wednesday, July 17, 1998, the Oasis Christian Center hosted a public unveiling for Hollywood’s newest star with a gathering of supportive celebrities—Edward James Olmos, Steve Garvey, Marilyn McCoo, and Rosey Grier. Jesus’ star featured widely in newspapers, television news broadcasts, and radio talk shows. But Jesus’ Hollywood star was immediately embroiled in controversy. In a July 30 Los Angeles Times article headlined “Chamber Fails to Take a Shine to a New Star,” reporter Hector Becerra accurately reports that the idea for the Jesus star came from Pastor Philip. After seeing a Walk of Fame plaque for the Reverend Billy Graham honoring his broadcast sermons, he thought, “Why not have one for Jesus Christ?” Having just acquired the movie theater, Philip intended to establish a Walk of Faith (note the subtle word change) on the sidewalk in front of the church building on Wilshire between Highland and La Brea avenues to honor ordinary people making significant contributions to society beyond the celebrity spotlight, for example, single mothers who raise their children and send them to college. “I thought we could use the language of the city and give Jesus Christ the recognition he deserves.” It was a good Figure 1. Just south of the famous Walk of Fame, the entrance of the Oasis Christian Center features a specially crafted Hollywood star honoring Jesus Christ. (Photo by Soo Petrovich.) [44.212.50.220] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 10:37 GMT) The Making of a Star 23 idea, but apparently Jesus did not go through the proper channels before being awarded his star. The disapproving “Chamber” in the headline was the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, and as quickly as the media announced the new icon, it picked up on the controversy that ensued. From the Toronto Star of July 31, under the headline “Jesus Christ’s Super Star Burns Hollywood Burghers”: “The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is upset that a church near the legendary ‘Walk of Fame’ has unveiled a star honouring Jesus Christ that resembles the plaques dedicated to hundreds of entertainers of stage and screen.” The writer quips: “Hollywood is a tough place to earn your star, even if you are the son of God.” Adding fuel to the controversy was the reaction of many local residents outraged at what they considered a lack of respect for the Hollywood Boulevard star as an established symbol of celebrity. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce issued a statement that claimed: “There is nothing wrong with creating a Walk of Faith or with the church honoring Jesus. . . . The question is whether they should have created a star similar to ours without first checking with us.” The Hollywood Boulevard star is a brand icon attracting millions of tourists, and the Oasis Christian Center’s selection of Jesus sidestepped the bureaucratic nomination process and apparently violated a Hollywood Chamber of Commerce trademark. Within weeks the chamber had extended permission to Oasis to keep the star honoring Jesus Christ and in return had obtained a commitment that future Walk of Faith stars would be a different color and no more than half the size of official Walk of Fame stars. Leron Gubler, the chamber’s executive director, told the Associated Press, “We are pleased that we have been able to resolve this amicably.” He assured the press that the church had no intention of violating the chamber’s trademark, and the chamber had no objection...