Adolescent Girls’ Attitudes Towards the Media and Public Bashing of Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez

• In Event: ICA Interactive Paper/Poster Session II
  In Interactive Poster Session: Popular Communication Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

Journalists and readers increasingly bash celebrities online, a behavior that is easily accepted among adolescents. This study investigated whether these attitudes of acceptance differ according to the perpetrator of the bashing (the media versus the public) and the likeability of the involved celebrity (liked versus disliked). Using a vignette study, we investigated adolescent girls’ attitudes towards the media (journalists) and public (readers) bashing of a generally disliked (Miley Cyrus) and a generally liked celebrity (Selena Gomez). All participants read an identical negative news story (media bashing) and two related negative reader comments (public bashing). Randomly decided they either read this information about Miley Cyrus or Selena Gomez. Results of the mixed ANOVA show that the girls had less negative attitudes towards media bashing compared with public bashing. And, they more easily accepted the bashing of a generally disliked celebrity as compared to the bashing of a generally liked celebrity.

Authors

• Gaelle Ouvrein, U of Antwerp

• Sara Pabian, U of Antwerp

• Juan Manuel Machimbarrena, U of the Basque Country

• Charlotte Jacqueline De Backer, U of Antwerpen

• Heidi Vandebosch, U of Antwerp - Department of Communication Studies