“Why We’re Obsessed With Celebrities’ Bookcases During Quarantine” — The New York Times, 2020, 4:20 — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmdXN2FR2eY

Introducing the credibility bookcase, a background that lends authority to your video interview. From a dramaturgical perspective, it can be seen as a form of sign equipment we display to others to enhance our front stage self. In other words, books and bookcases are intellectual accessories. But it’s not just books, though—Joe Biden’s carefully placed football delivers an all-American vibe, and the material of the bookcases can indicate socioeconomic status as seen with the fancy woods endemic in celebrity homes. This video also considers how intellectual authority has a specific and inflexible look. When someone deviates from the traditional dark suit (on a white man), their deviance may be sanctioned by enforcers of the status quo. Deviations in traditional professional attire may be scrutinized by the media or one’s colleagues, and as a result, less attention is paid to the substance of what was said by the individual.

How else might we theorize or analyze these bookcases? Sociologically, I think it would be interesting to analyze the details found within the various credibility bookcases. Perhaps the size of the bookcase and content vary by professional status, gender, age, or other variables. It would also be worthy to investigate individuals who defy the trend in their interviews. Would a non-bookcase background detract authority from what an expert has to say?   

From the video’s description: Our critic Amanda Hess looks at why scrutinizing a celebrity’s bookcase has become a pandemic parlor game.