Discourse &Society, Ahead of Print.
The digitally manipulated family photograph: MyHeritage’s ‘Deep Nostalgia’, and the extended temporality of the photographic image
Convergence, Ahead of Print.
This article examines how the digitally manipulated family photograph functions as a means of understanding the temporal instability of the use and interpretations of photographic images. It begins by taking a close look at scholarly debates on how ‘credible’ the documentary value of a still photograph is, as well as how it is able to emotionally resonate with spectators. From this discussion, it becomes important to look at a key example of how an image can produce an emotional effect on a viewer; in this case, photographs of individuals’ deceased family members. While exploring how this allows the spectator to reconnect with their relatives, it is also crucial to acknowledge that readings of images like these are often determined by reductive interpretations of their stillness. As the consideration of photographs as ‘documents’ has been contested for an extensive amount of time, it is illuminating to turn to the properties of digital photography by inspecting the photo manipulation feature ‘Deep Nostalgia’ on the MyHeritage app that circulated around TikTok in 2021. I look at a YouTube compilation of people reacting to seeing photographs of their family manipulated in a way that gives the impression that they are moving and emoting, alongside discussions about this in recent pop culture articles. By taking a Barthesian reading of the extended temporality of these family photographs, it is important to recognise that the connection between the subject and the image is severed both iconically and indexically from its original context. However, by understanding this photographic image in the context of being digital it must be understood differently. I will therefore use the MyHeritage phenomenon as a means of arguing that the digital image is not inferior to the ‘realism’ of analogue photography and must, instead, be read in relation to the history of technological change.
This article examines how the digitally manipulated family photograph functions as a means of understanding the temporal instability of the use and interpretations of photographic images. It begins by taking a close look at scholarly debates on how ‘credible’ the documentary value of a still photograph is, as well as how it is able to emotionally resonate with spectators. From this discussion, it becomes important to look at a key example of how an image can produce an emotional effect on a viewer; in this case, photographs of individuals’ deceased family members. While exploring how this allows the spectator to reconnect with their relatives, it is also crucial to acknowledge that readings of images like these are often determined by reductive interpretations of their stillness. As the consideration of photographs as ‘documents’ has been contested for an extensive amount of time, it is illuminating to turn to the properties of digital photography by inspecting the photo manipulation feature ‘Deep Nostalgia’ on the MyHeritage app that circulated around TikTok in 2021. I look at a YouTube compilation of people reacting to seeing photographs of their family manipulated in a way that gives the impression that they are moving and emoting, alongside discussions about this in recent pop culture articles. By taking a Barthesian reading of the extended temporality of these family photographs, it is important to recognise that the connection between the subject and the image is severed both iconically and indexically from its original context. However, by understanding this photographic image in the context of being digital it must be understood differently. I will therefore use the MyHeritage phenomenon as a means of arguing that the digital image is not inferior to the ‘realism’ of analogue photography and must, instead, be read in relation to the history of technological change.
Charting a Different Narrative in India–Southeast Asia Relations: Case of an Indian State
Journal of Creative Communications, Ahead of Print.
In the current piece, we trace the rise, spread and subsequent decline of maritime trade relations between the eastern coast of India and Southeast Asia, with special attention to the regional state of Odisha of the Indian Union. Through a narrative history approach, we critically examine the historical accounts of India–Southeast Asia relations. While doing so we focus on Odisha and its shared past with the Southeast Asian region. As India stresses its ‘Act-East’ policy to improve its relations with Southeast Asia, such accounts hold special significance. We revisit historical narratives to highlight how it was not marked by a unilateral process of assimilation but that of acculturation in which both sides contributed to a shared past.
In the current piece, we trace the rise, spread and subsequent decline of maritime trade relations between the eastern coast of India and Southeast Asia, with special attention to the regional state of Odisha of the Indian Union. Through a narrative history approach, we critically examine the historical accounts of India–Southeast Asia relations. While doing so we focus on Odisha and its shared past with the Southeast Asian region. As India stresses its ‘Act-East’ policy to improve its relations with Southeast Asia, such accounts hold special significance. We revisit historical narratives to highlight how it was not marked by a unilateral process of assimilation but that of acculturation in which both sides contributed to a shared past.
Theaters, social media, and streams: Evaluating social word-of-mouth patterns of pandemic-era blockbuster films on Twitter
Convergence, Ahead of Print.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the U.S. film industry, prompting major studios to release blockbuster films on streaming platforms. This study examines the impact of pandemic-related changes on the film industry by analyzing social media conversations on Twitter as a proxy for success. We introduce a novel metric to measure social word-of-mouth (sWOM) longevity for 40 movies released across different genres and franchises. Results indicate that pandemic-era films experienced shorter sWOM lifespans than pre-pandemic counterparts, and streaming releases generated shorter sWOM conversations than theatrical releases. This suggests that streaming releases risk quicker cultural obsolescence due to limited social media discussion time. This study offers valuable insights for industry practitioners navigating the evolving cinematic landscape.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the U.S. film industry, prompting major studios to release blockbuster films on streaming platforms. This study examines the impact of pandemic-related changes on the film industry by analyzing social media conversations on Twitter as a proxy for success. We introduce a novel metric to measure social word-of-mouth (sWOM) longevity for 40 movies released across different genres and franchises. Results indicate that pandemic-era films experienced shorter sWOM lifespans than pre-pandemic counterparts, and streaming releases generated shorter sWOM conversations than theatrical releases. This suggests that streaming releases risk quicker cultural obsolescence due to limited social media discussion time. This study offers valuable insights for industry practitioners navigating the evolving cinematic landscape.
Book Reviews
Convergence, Ahead of Print.
Levelling, differentiation and structure of feeling: Address and interlocutor reference in Indonesian political interviews
Discourse &Society, Ahead of Print.
This article discusses the ways in which participants in Indonesian political interviews address and refer to each other. Drawing on Raymond Williams’s concept ‘structures of feeling’, it proposes levelling and differentiation as mechanisms by which interview participants orient to a common feeling. Levelling and differentiation form a dialectical process characterised by tension that emerges through positioning of the self and the addressee relative to social categories and social orders. Such positioning involves exploiting the semantic contrast between kin terms, which denote relationality, and pronouns, which individuate, in addition to mobilising other linguistic resources including names and titles. The article suggests that the differentiation made between how those in the highest office and politicians below them are addressed and referred to is indexical of a shared consciousness about the relevance of rank.
This article discusses the ways in which participants in Indonesian political interviews address and refer to each other. Drawing on Raymond Williams’s concept ‘structures of feeling’, it proposes levelling and differentiation as mechanisms by which interview participants orient to a common feeling. Levelling and differentiation form a dialectical process characterised by tension that emerges through positioning of the self and the addressee relative to social categories and social orders. Such positioning involves exploiting the semantic contrast between kin terms, which denote relationality, and pronouns, which individuate, in addition to mobilising other linguistic resources including names and titles. The article suggests that the differentiation made between how those in the highest office and politicians below them are addressed and referred to is indexical of a shared consciousness about the relevance of rank.
Violent incongruencies: Analyzing The New York Times’s discourse on George Floyd demonstrations and the Capitol riot
Discourse &Communication, Ahead of Print.
American news media outlets have a storied past of delegitimizing protest movements, particularly through violence. However, recent literature has suggested news media outlets in America are slowly beginning to pull away from this trend. Moreover, recent protest history has several memorable examples of this attempted course correction, such as CNN’s viral ‘fiery but mostly peaceful’ headline during the demonstrations following the murder of George Floyd. Along with this series of protest demonstrations, one of the most historically significant demonstrations of protest in the 2020s was the Capitol riot of January 6, 2021. This study utilized a discourse analysis methodology to explore textual and visual framing incongruencies of participant violence in The New York Times’s coverage of these historic demonstrations. Findings point to a consistent visual and textual framing of violence within the NYT’s coverage of George Floyd Demonstrations, but not within its coverage of the Capitol riot. Possible discrepancies in participant labeling were also observed.
American news media outlets have a storied past of delegitimizing protest movements, particularly through violence. However, recent literature has suggested news media outlets in America are slowly beginning to pull away from this trend. Moreover, recent protest history has several memorable examples of this attempted course correction, such as CNN’s viral ‘fiery but mostly peaceful’ headline during the demonstrations following the murder of George Floyd. Along with this series of protest demonstrations, one of the most historically significant demonstrations of protest in the 2020s was the Capitol riot of January 6, 2021. This study utilized a discourse analysis methodology to explore textual and visual framing incongruencies of participant violence in The New York Times’s coverage of these historic demonstrations. Findings point to a consistent visual and textual framing of violence within the NYT’s coverage of George Floyd Demonstrations, but not within its coverage of the Capitol riot. Possible discrepancies in participant labeling were also observed.
Masculinity crisis or gender reconciliation: A corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis of the effeminate Chinese masculinity debate on social media
Discourse &Communication, Ahead of Print.
Sexism and gender controversies often occur on the internet in contemporary China. The prevalence of male effeminacy is a part of the growing diversity of gender representations. This article investigates the dominant discourses surrounding the debate on male feminization, and netizens’ stance in Chinese social media discourse. By employing corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis, the study identifies four dominant discourses: resistance discourse, anti-discrimination discourse, patriarchal discourse, and nationalistic discourse. These discourses are constructed using various strategies, such as abstraction, authorization, categorization, and morality strategies, and are inextricably intertwined with China’s sociocultural background and broader social contexts. This study offers insights into the clash between conventional and liberal views on ‘soft masculinity’ and exemplifies how Chinese netizens actively leverage social media platforms to express views on gender issues.
Sexism and gender controversies often occur on the internet in contemporary China. The prevalence of male effeminacy is a part of the growing diversity of gender representations. This article investigates the dominant discourses surrounding the debate on male feminization, and netizens’ stance in Chinese social media discourse. By employing corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis, the study identifies four dominant discourses: resistance discourse, anti-discrimination discourse, patriarchal discourse, and nationalistic discourse. These discourses are constructed using various strategies, such as abstraction, authorization, categorization, and morality strategies, and are inextricably intertwined with China’s sociocultural background and broader social contexts. This study offers insights into the clash between conventional and liberal views on ‘soft masculinity’ and exemplifies how Chinese netizens actively leverage social media platforms to express views on gender issues.
A note from the editors:
Convergence, Ahead of Print.
Selfie Syndrome: A Study of Selfitis and Narcissism Among Young Adults
Journal of Creative Communications, Ahead of Print.
The study explores the selfie-taking behavioural pattern and the relationship between selfitis (obsessive–compulsive desire to take selfies and post them on social media) and narcissism. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among young Indian social media users aged between 18 and 30 years selected through referral sampling technique. The Selfitis Behaviour Scale was used to measure the level of selfitis, and the NPI-16 scale to measure narcissism. The study observed that taking selfies and posting them on social media is common among young social media users. Narcissism was found to be strongly correlated with selfitis and its six dimensions, indicating that people who exhibit narcissistic qualities are more likely to engage in excessive selfie behaviour. As SBS is a newly developed and not widely used scale, the study also assessed the validity and reliability of the scale. The results showed that the scale has excellent internal consistency and satisfactory convergent validity, and discriminant validity.
The study explores the selfie-taking behavioural pattern and the relationship between selfitis (obsessive–compulsive desire to take selfies and post them on social media) and narcissism. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among young Indian social media users aged between 18 and 30 years selected through referral sampling technique. The Selfitis Behaviour Scale was used to measure the level of selfitis, and the NPI-16 scale to measure narcissism. The study observed that taking selfies and posting them on social media is common among young social media users. Narcissism was found to be strongly correlated with selfitis and its six dimensions, indicating that people who exhibit narcissistic qualities are more likely to engage in excessive selfie behaviour. As SBS is a newly developed and not widely used scale, the study also assessed the validity and reliability of the scale. The results showed that the scale has excellent internal consistency and satisfactory convergent validity, and discriminant validity.