I chose to analyze Justin Bieber for this assignment because he is active on Twitter, responsive to fans, and he provides fans with a sense of intimacy in his personal life. Justin Bieber is often “praised” for being very attentive to his fans through social media, especially on Twitter. He often Tweets how thankful he is to his “Beliebers” or his fans and tries very hard to respond to as many as he can. Here are a couple of his Tweets thanking and appreciating his fans:
According to Alice Marwick and dana boyd’s article “To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter” they write that this interaction between the celebrity and fans excites fans and encourages more to interact with the celebrity. Marwick and boyd write that “Fans @reply to famous people not only in the hope of receiving a reply, but to display a relationship, whether positive or negative. If fans receive @replies back, they function as a mark of status and are publicized within the fan community. For example, here is one popular Tweet exchange between Justin Bieber and a fan:
By directly responding to fans, Bieber strengthens his image by seeming like a “friend” but also interests more fans to interact with him to gain a response for their benefit which then goes on to benefit him on seeming more “real”.
According to Marwick and boyd fans are interested in following celebrities on Twitter because it offers them the, “the illusion of ‘backstage’, giving the impression of uncensored glimpses into the lives of the very famous. Although there is no way to determine the ‘authenticity’ of any celebrity practice, this uncertainty appeals to some audiences, who enjoy the game playing intrinsic to gossip consumption (Gamson, 1994)’” (Marwick and boyd, 140). Here is one selfie that Justin Bieber Tweeted:
This selfie is available to all of his followers and offers them an intimate and immediate look into his life. According to Warwick and boyd “[...] these pictures and videos [that celebrities post] add a visual dimension, they are still strategically chosen by the practitioner, in contrast to the unauthorized candids found in tabloids and gossip blogs” (Marwick and boyd, 142). While the selfie may seem to offer an intimate glimpse into Justin Bieber’s life, he took the photo to appear in a certain way, notably positive light.
Works Cited
Marwick, Alice, and Dana Boyd. "To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter."Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2017. <http://www.academia.edu/755942/To_See_and_Be_Seen_Celebrity_Practice_on_Twitter>.
Bieber, Justin. "Justin Bieber (@justinbieber)." Twitter. Twitter, 15 Feb. 2017. Web. 25 Apr. 2017. <https://twitter.com/justinbieber?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor>.
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