Abstract
This paper analyzes media identity in light of the augmentation of stardom via social media, considering how the ‘girl next door’ persona smooths the path for female social media influencers/stars. A number of contemporary film stars have augmented their personae through their roles as influencers. Stars such as Jennifer Lopez and Selena Gomez use the enduring archetype of the ‘girl next door’ to amass followers while managing the potential threat of their sexuality in a culture still deeply suspicious of knowingly sexual women. The ‘girl next door’ is a figure that reconciles the seemingly contradictory traits of innocence and sexuality in representations of femininity on and off screen, which was innovated in the 1910s and 1920s and remains fundamental to the portrayal of both female stars and the characters that they play. The girl next door should be fun, pure and unassuming; a ‘real pal.’ At the same time, she should have a magnetic sex appeal of which she is preferably unaware. A comparison of film performance by Clara Bow in 1927, television performance by Alicia Keys in 2021 and Instagram performance by Jennifer Lopez in 2022, among others, demonstrates the persistence of the ‘girl next door’ strategy and the ways that it has been updated in the age of social media.
Presenters
Sara RossDirector of Film Graduate Program/Associate Professor in the School of Communication, Media and the Arts, Media and Performing Arts, Sacred Heart University, Connecticut, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Media Identity, Stardom, Social Media, Feminist Analysis
