The function of hosts: enabling fan–celebrity interactions at pop culture conventions

Abstract

Dr. Jackie Raphael's research is predominantly within the themes of celebrity culture, social media, endorsements, branding, iconic status and bromances. Dr. Raphael on the Editorial Board of Waterhill Publishing, and on the Advisory Board of Centre for Media and Celebrity Studies (CMCS). As a member of CMCS, Dr. Raphael has organised and chaired conferences globally. She also created and is the producer of Celebrity Chat, a scholarly YouTube series. Dr. Raphael has published various papers and books including Bridging the Gaps Between Celebrity and Media, Becoming Brands: Celebrity, Activism and Politics, and the upcoming Credibility and the Incredible: Disassembling the Celebrity Figure.

“Definitive playthrough”: Behind-the-scenes narratives in let’s plays and streaming content by video game voice actors

“…They join YouTube or Twitch to promote their work and, while accomplished acting professionals, follow the relatively recent norms of commented gameplay videos, along with their demands on relational labor (Guarriello, 2019). Their online content creation complements more traditional activities, such as convention appearances (Chaplin, 2019; Raphael and Lam, 2018), and can substitute them during a pandemic-related lockdown.…”

“…By collecting and then sharing these facts, audience members can boost their cultural capital (Glas, 2016; Klinger, 2006) while promoting a given cultural commodity among their peers. This hunger for behind-the-scenes information can be also monetized in the form of collector’s editions that feature additional content such as making-ofs, or conventions and film festivals where creators further discuss their work (see Chaplin, 2019; Raphael and Lam, 2018).…”

Fans on the silver screen: Portrayals of fandom in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

“…Most of those present in MCU films are autograph sessions, conventions, and public celebrations. Raphael and Lam argue that such events provide “a common fixture of contemporary popular culture conventions, sought after for their ability to offer close contact with celebrity figures and organized to facilitate in person fan‐celebrity encounters” (173–75). Conventions like these follow a well‐established formula, consisting of “pre‐staged encounters” enabling fan‐celebrity interaction in controlled situations.…”

Inside the movie roadshow: a critical approach to media events in China

“…In these previous studies, the social media aspect was sometimes briefly mentioned (e.g. Raphael & Lam, 2018). However, the ways in which face-to-face elements and social media are interrelated remains understudied.…”