Talking about Angelina – celebrity gossip on the Internet. (1st June 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jerslev, Anne
• Is Part Of: Northern lights. Volume 12(2014)
• Page Start: 105
• Page End: 122
• Publication Date: 2014-06-01
• Subjects: Motion pictures -- Periodicals; Television broadcasting -- Periodicals; Mass media -- Periodicals; 791.4
• DOI: 10.1386/nl.12.1.105_1
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1601-829X

Abstract

The article uses gossiping about Angelina Jolie on two different celebrity entertainment news sites in order to propose a contextual understanding of online gossip/talk. A contextual reading explains differences between types of talk on the sites in view of the different affordances of the sites, the sites' particular profiles, the particular invitations to gossip (often in the form of paparazzi photographs), and the different types of users taking part in the discussions. The article discusses the two sites and argues that gossip on one site resembles oral gossip and is performed by a random group of visitors whereas on the other site, Jolie fans perform a double move when talking about Jolie: on the one hand they elevate her and on the other hand they include her in their extended family.