Abstract
The subject of this paper, Banu Berberoğlu is a Turkish YouTube personality who used to publish vlogs about her humble life in a provincial city of northern Turkey. Berberoğlu’s online presence and visibility made her subject to public ridicule, as mocking her turned into communal entertainment for those familiar with the persona. Though not expressed explicitly, the fuss around Berberoğlu seems to revolve around her “claim” to be a YouTuber, anti-fans assuming that she does not “deserve” the title. Though many attack Banu’s personality, the fracas seems to pinpoint the question of who can be on YouTube with what content. Many find it objectionable the content Banu produces and scold her for holding a camera and nattering on, rather than offering the audience something tangible to watch. We see Banu roaming about with her boyfriend, eating junk food, presenting her newly bought clothes etc., accompanied by a monotonous speech giving us a simultaneous account of her actions. Her videos are so unintentionally uninteresting that some urged her not to shoot again. Did Banu get Youtube wrong? What is at stake in Berberoğlu’s reception is the very question of what, YouTube is for; and through the elaboration of Berberoğlu’s YouTube channel as a case study, the work aims to open further discussion about what in Turkey means to publish on YouTube, based on a case, which, apparently, has been deemed as an abuse.
Presenters
Özlem YıldızAssistant Professor, Faculty of Communications, İstanbul Yeni Yüzyıl University, Istanbul, Turkey
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
YOUTUBE, YOUTUBE PERSONALITIES, RECEPTION STUDIES, VLOGGING
