internetcelebsblog-blog

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The Rise of the Internet Celebrity: What Makes an Internet Celebrity famous?

The rise of the internet has resulted in the creation of a new form of celebrity - the internet celebrity. In order to understand what an internet celebrity is, this post will consider how internet celebrities rise to fame and stardom.

The term ‘internet celebrity’ characterises the way in which people gain prominence and popularity on the internet (Abidin, 2018b). With the increase of accessibility within the internet enabling everyone to have the ability to be an internet celebrity, it is important to appreciate how internet celebrities come to gain the position of a celebrity. Subsequently, it is appropriate to discuss six interconnecting measures, as outlined by Abidin (2018a), that determine the success of an internet celebrity (Abidin, 2018a). To begin with, the scale of the internet celebrity has arguably surpassed that of traditional celebrities in terms of global reach and popularity due to increased and omnipresent exposure. This is enhanced by the accessibility of internet celebrities which are available on a range of different internet and social media platforms, of which may be used to promote their content. To contextualise this, many YouTube celebrities promote their new videos by posting links to their videos on other social networking sites to gain greater traction.

The increased visibility on different platforms coincides with a greater range and scale of audiences, of which are more likely to be loyal to the internet celebrity which makes the creation of a fanbase easier. Nevertheless, greater maintenance of the content is required so that audiences are kept entertained and engaged. This suggests that the nature of celebrities has shifted with the role of the internet meaning that omnipresence is considered a norm. The extensive management required can explain why many internet celebrities use their fame as a vocation. Building upon this, the maintenance of their celebrity status can be divided into two subgroups as theorised by Abidin (2018a). Firstly, ‘anchor content’ which coincides with the traditional formation of a celebrity as having a unique talent or skill (for example, an internet celebrity who posts dancing videos), followed by ‘filler content’ which displays emotional content such as day-to-day interactions (for instance, an internet celebrity who posts about the outfit they are wearing). To explore this, we can appreciate the rise in stardom of YouTuber-come-singer Troye Sivan. After posting both anchor (singing) and filler (dialogue videos) content on YouTube, Sivan was signed to a record label and is now a professional singer. After his fame, Sivan created a second YouTube channel to support his career as a professional singer (Abidin, 2018c). This case study can exemplify that internet celebrities can successfully transition between anchor and filler content if they divide their content and audiences correctly. With this in mind, it is clear that internet celebrities are, in fact, a product of perception and performance.

In contemporary society, the term ‘celebrity’ has digressed from the traditional sense of talent, instead, ‘celebrity’ has been associated with simply ‘being known’. With this, the transition of celebrities onto the online sphere has resulted in the definition of celebrity having new attributes outside of the constraints of traditional fame.

Appendix:

Word Count: 517

Bibliography:

Abidin, C. (2018a) Internet Celebrity: Understanding Fame Online. Emerald.

Abidin, C. (2018b). What is an internet celebrity any way? [Blog]. Retrieved from https://thesocietypages.org/cyborgology/2018/09/13/what-is-an-internet-celebrity-any-way/[Accessed 22ndDecember 2018].

Abidin, C. (2018c). Cultures of Internet Celebrity On Youtube - Crystal Abidin [Video]. Aalto University. 23 March 2018. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zknz1b7t4jc[Accessed 22ndDecember 2018].

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How Does the Internet Influence Parasocial Relationships?

In ‘Internet Celebrity: Understanding Fame Online’, Abidin (2018) outlines the influence that the internet has on parasocial relationships (Abidin, 2018). To comprehend how the development of the internet has transformed the relationship between the public and internet celebrities, this post will outline the influence of parasocial relationships on internet activity by promoting the ‘ordinary’ and the ubiquity of the internet.

Parasocial relationships, a phrase coined by Horton and Wohl (1956), characterise the development of a one-sided relationship between a media consumer and celebrity (Horton & Wohl, 1956). Conventionally, parasocial relationships develop towards a traditional celebrity who has built their social influence based on an accomplishment, status or talent through traditional mediums such as television (Abidin, 2018, p.4). However, with the ubiquitous nature of the internet in contemporary society, parasocial relationships are also formed with the recent concept of ‘Internet Celebrities’. Arguably, the intensity of such relationships has increased with the proliferation of the online sphere as interactive environments aid communication between celebrities and fans through social media metrics, such as interactive ‘polls’ on Instagram which invite audience engagement. Whilst this enables communication with celebrities to be simpler and instantaneous, it also means that the content produced by internet celebrities is readily accessible which results in greater maintenance of the celebrity’s social-status being required. This is typified by social networking sites permitting internet celebrities to update regularly, ensuring a constant exposure to their fans. This engagement is likely to strengthen the parasocial relationship as the fan is likely to view the celebrity as one of their peers, this subsequently destabilises the elitist status that was previously synonymous with the celebrity ideology.

Similarly, the projection of ‘the ordinary’ enables parasocial relations to foster rapidly, with many internet celebrities blogging about everyday activities, such as fashion blogger Zoella’s (2015) ‘Christmas Gift Giving’ where the internet celebrity shows the audience what gifts she has bought, filmed in Zoella’s bedroom (Zoella, 2015). This coincides with Horton and Wohl’s (1956) evaluation that the celebrity must relate to the viewer by displaying their lives as public (Horton and Wohl, 1956, p.217). This increased exposure can have detrimental effects on the celebrity, with many fans falling under the illusion of intimacy because of the personal content posted. This is supported by Kirvesmies (2018) who discusses how parasocial relationships are formed when looking for a ‘friend’ or desiring escapism (Kirvesmies, 2018, p.77). This questions whether the nature of the internet celebrity is enticing parasocial relationships.

Parasocial relations can also be used in favour of the celebrity, with many marketing strategies endorsing internet celebrities to promote products. Chung and Cho (2017) suggest that the effectiveness of this marketing technique is based on the parasocial relation between the endorser and consumer which offer an authentic opinion on the product (Chung & Cho, 2017). However, many consumers are unable to recognise such content as marketing which has resulted in all advertising on Instagram being required to state ‘#ad’ (Purtill, 2017).

Parasocial relationships have developed with the popularity of internet-based media, but so has the intensity and format of such relationships. It is clear that whilst parasocial relationships can be used in favour of the celebrity, it is clear they may have detrimental effects too.

Appendix:

Word Count: 532 words

Bibliography:

Abidin, C. (2018). Internet celebrity: Understanding Fame Online (1st ed.). Emerald.

Chung, S., & Cho, H. (2017). Fostering parasocial relationships with celebrities on social media: Implications for celebrity endorsement. Psychology & Marketing, 34 (4), 481-495.

Horton, D., & Wohl, R. (1956) “Mass Communication and Parasocial Interaction: Observation of Intimacy at a Distance.” Psychiatry, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 215-229.

Kirvesmies, T. (2018). Parasocial relationships between Gen Z and social media endorsers (Master's thesis).

Purtill, J. (2017). Instafamous must reveal #ads under new transparency rules [Blog]. Retrieved from on 22/10/2018 https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/social-influencers-must-reveal-ad-under-new-transparency-rules/8315962

Zoella. (2015, December 19). Christmas Gift Giving with Louise | Zoella. Retrieved from YouTube on 22/10/2018: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=61&v=DJylWm7ybZY

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The Culture of Insensitivity: Why Do Eyewitness Accounts Go Viral?

Eyewitness accounts have been scrutinised in the media in recent years, with many eyewitnesses becoming viral for comedic effect. With this in mind, Abidin (2018) questions whether it is socially acceptable to laugh at these viral eyewitness accounts due to the exploitation of victims for satirical gain (Abidin, 2018). However, a more pertinent issue is to consider why certain eyewitness accounts go viral and whether this virality stems from racial prejudice. To respond to this, this post will explore how humour derives from the way viral ‘stars’ recount their trauma.

Humour can be understood as a coping mechanism as humour merely depreciates the severity of the event (Swaminath, 2016). By understanding this, we can appreciate why humour can be used in recounting serious events. With this, an eyewitness account goes viral when the incident reported contains an element of comedy which results in the interview being circulated and becoming viral. Among others, Abidin recounts the cases of Charles “dead giveaway” Ramsey (2013) who rescued kidnap victims and Michelle “not today” Dobyne (2016) who escaped a fire, both of which recall serious events which should not have warranted laughing (Abidin, 2018, p.38-40). In order to explain why these eyewitness accounts became viral, it is imperative to appreciate three elements that characterise the success of an eyewitness account. To begin with, viral accounts include unexpected responses which are uncharacteristic of the serious nature of an eyewitness report. For instance, when rescuing victims of a kidnapping, Ramsey stated that he knew something was wrong when the “pretty white girl” ran into the arms of a black man (Levs, Gast & Alamsy, 2013). Ramsey’s remark juxtaposed the severity of the situation of the kidnapping which made the account comical and also made light of the racial divide.

Alternatively, many viral eyewitnesses gain traction due to catchphrases such as Dobyne’s “not today” which resulted in merchandise featuring Dobyne and this catchphrase being sold (Abidin, 2016). Catchphrases can also support stereotypical assumptions associated with race and class.

Finally, stereotyping may lie at the core of viral eyewitnesses which enables the ability to laugh at such accounts being even more plausible. This reflects upon the dilemma raised by Blay (2016) which questions whether viewers are laughing with or against the viral star as it is easier to mock stereotypical identities (Blay, 2016, in Abidin, 2018, p.41). However, this merely marginalises certain identities as memes and viral eyewitness mockeries simply commodify the notion of ‘otherness’ (Knight Steel, 2013, in Abidin, 2018, p.40). Abidin also evaluates how the majority of viral eyewitness accounts typically represent black identities which, therefore, suggests that racism coincides with humour.

Viral eyewitness accounts are a unique phenomenon which build upon stereotypical assumptions for comedic effect. Whilst it is not clear why people laugh at eyewitness accounts; this post offers a unique insight into why such accounts go viral. It is clear that eyewitness virality may be the result of innate stereotyping and unintended remarks.

Appendix:

Word Count: 490 words

Bibliography:

Abidin, C. (2016). Eyewitness virality, Racism, and Journalistic responsibility [Blog]. Retrieved from https://wishcrys.com/2016/04/05/eyewitness-virality-racism-and-journalistic-responsibility/ [Accessed 22 December 2018]

Abidin, C. (2018) Internet Celebrity: Understanding Fame Online. Emerald.

Blay, Z. (2016). “Why do we laugh at viral stars like Michelle Dobyne and Antoine Dodson?” Huffington Post, January 16.

Knight Steel, C (2013). “Shaking off the ‘Other’: Appropriation of marginalized       cultures and the ‘Harlem Shake’.” Selected Papers of Internet Research 4.0.

Levs, J., Gast, P., & Almasy, S. (2013). Charles Ramsey: I'm no hero in freeing of captive women. CNN. Retrieved from             https://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/07/us/ohio-cleveland-ramsey/index.html   [Accessed 22 December 2018]

Swaminath, G. (2006). ′Joke′s A Part′: In defence of humour. Indian Journal Of Psychiatry, 48(3), 177. doi: 10.4103/0019-5545.31581 

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Masculinity and Authentic Self-presentation – The Impact of Internet Celebrities on Challenging Heteronormative Notions of Masculinity

In ‘Internet Celebrities: Understanding Fame Online’, Abidin (2018) understood authentic self-presentation as a determinant of the success of an internet celebrity (Abidin, 2018). However, Abidin fails to take into consideration the impact of this authentic self-presentation on the media consumers, especially youth culture which has been dominated by heteronormative representations of gender. With the increase in awareness and agency of alternative gender identities, traditional gender stereotypes are challenged by internet celebrities who do not conform to these normative ideologies. This post will evaluate how representations of masculinity are challenged by the expression of gendered behaviour of male internet celebrities.

McCormack (2011) suggests that the popularity of male internet celebrities is enhanced by the display of authentic behaviours that do not necessarily conform to the heteronormative perception of men as heterosexual and hyper-masculine, such as male vloggers who give makeup tutorials (McCormack, 2011). One explanation for the success of these internet celebrities is that viewers can identify themselves within these self-presentations. With this, the internet permits this form of authentic self-presentation to proliferate due to increased agency online. This is supported by the function of the video platform YouTube being “a forum for individuals to talk about their lives, express their emotions and opinions” (Morris and Anderson, 2015, p.1205). This suggests that the internet has strengthened the ability to express oneself individually without fear of discrimination which is likely to help media consumers to feel more comfortable with their authentic identity.

Similarly, many male vloggers on YouTube frequently engage in behaviour that can be traditionally coded as feminine, for example James Charles posts videos of himself doing makeup tutorials and collaborating with makeup brands despite the common misconception that men ‘should not’ use makeup. Posting such content normalises untraditional forms of masculinity and encourages viewers who do not conform to these stereotypes to express their authentic identity. This is especially relevant as internet celebrities can act as role models for consumers.

Authentic expression is also supported by the normalisation of homosexual content by internet celebrities. Many internet celebrities engage in inclusive masculinity which suggests that they engage in homosocial interactions (such as openly discussing the attractiveness of men) without fear of being homo-sexualised (Morris & Anderson, 2015). To exemplify this, many male internet celebrities expose their vulnerabilities which normalise content which was previously stigmatised. To contextualise this, Morris and Anderson (2015) evaluate how YouTuber ‘CharlieIsSoCoolLike’ discusses in a YouTube video how he is “petrified of women” among other things, which rejects the stereotype of men being fearless (Morris and Anderson, 2015, p.211). Exposing these vulnerabilities normalises such content which is especially relevant to the social progression of society which encourages men to be more open with their feelings. This is supported by the ‘#icrybecause’ campaign (2018) which saw many male internet celebrities opening up about their feelings and replacing the stigma of ‘men should not cry’ with seeing crying as a sign of strength for men (BBC News, 2018).

Internet celebrities challenge the heteronormative representation of men due to the ability to express themselves authentically and not be limited to heteronormative stereotypes. The increase in expression and reception of alternative identities encourages the public to display their authentic self.

Appendix:

Word Count: 528

Bibliography:

Abidin, C. (2018) Internet Celebrity: Understanding Fame Online. Emerald.

BBC News. (2018). #icrybecause: Towie's male stars open up emotionally. BBC News. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45798464[Accessed 22nd December 2018]

McCormack M (2011) Hierarchy without hegemony: Locating boys in an inclusive school setting. Sociological Perspectives 54(1): 83–101

Morris, M., & Anderson, E. (2015). ‘Charlie Is So Cool Like’: Authenticity, Popularity and Inclusive Masculinity on YouTube. Sociology, 49(6), 1200-1217. doi: 10.1177/0038038514562852