The aim of this article is to develop the concepts of masks and masking to interrogate the role of institutions in the co-production of ‘untouchable’ celebrity icon status. The empirical focus is the multi-institutional masking of Sir Jimmy Savile OBE KCSG. For decades, Savile was celebrated as one of the UK’s best-loved celebrity icons. One year after his death, he was exposed as a serial sexual predator. We argue that the largely compartmentalised official reports on Savile have presented a partial analysis. They have emphasised the importance of Savile’s celebrity status while taking it for granted, downplayed the significance of his moral standing in British society, and marginalised the proactive, enabling role of the BBC, the NHS and the British establishment. However manipulative the individual, we propose that it was Savile’s cumulative multi-institutional masking as celebrity personality (the BBC), celanthropist (the NHS) and, ultimately, celebrity icon (the British establishment) that co-produced his ‘untouchable’ status and enabled him for decades to deflect and discredit rumour, gossip and allegations about his sexually predatory behaviour. We conclude by reflecting on the ‘researchability’ of powerful elites, and by suggesting how our analysis might inform further research into the power dynamics that have co-produced the ‘untouchability’ of other celebrities subsequently exposed as serial sexual predators.

本文的目的是开发遮罩和遮罩的概念，以询问机构在共同制作“无法触及”的名人偶像地位中的作用。经验重点是Jimmy Savile OBE KCSG的多机构掩盖。数十年来，萨维尔（Savile）被誉为英国最受欢迎的名人偶像之一。他去世一年后，他被暴露为一个连续的性掠食者。我们认为，关于萨维尔（Savile）的大部分隔离的官方报告已经进行了部分分析。他们强调了萨维尔的名望地位的重要性，同时将其视为理所当然，低估了萨维尔的道德地位在英国社会中的重要性，并边缘化了BBC，NHS和英国机构的积极作用。无论个人如何操纵，我们认为，正是萨维尔（Savile）的累积多机构掩饰，如名人人格（BBC），天才主义者（NHS）以及最终成为名人偶像（英国机构）共同产生了他的“贱民”身份，并使他几十年来歪曲和抹杀关于他性掠夺行为的谣言，八卦和指控。我们的结论是反思强势精英的“可研究性”，并建议我们的分析如何为进一步研究权力动力学的进一步研究提供动力，这些动力学共同导致了后来成为系列性掠夺者的其他名人的“不可触摸性”。名人偶像（英国机构）共同发挥了他“不可动摇”的地位，使他数十年来能够转移和抹杀关于他的性掠夺行为的谣言，八卦和指控。我们的结论是反思强势精英的“可研究性”，并建议我们的分析如何为进一步研究权力动力学的进一步研究提供动力，这些动力学共同导致了后来成为系列性掠夺者的其他名人的“不可触摸性”。名人偶像（英国机构）共同发挥了他“不可动摇”的地位，使他数十年来能够转移和抹杀关于他的性掠夺行为的谣言，八卦和指控。我们的结论是反思强势精英的“可研究性”，并建议我们的分析如何为进一步研究权力动力学的进一步研究提供动力，这些动力学共同导致了后来成为系列性掠夺者的其他名人的“不可触摸性”。