Cute Kids or Unhinged Teens? Framing Celebrities’ Coming of Age by Media and Audiences

• In Event: Coming of Age With Popular Media: Tracing Youth Cultures Through Screens, Comics, and the News

Abstract

This paper analyses coming of age in celebrity culture as discussed in online (audience reactions to) celebrity news on age-specific gossip websites as an inroad to understand how celebrity behaviour leads (online) media and audiences to negotiate childhood and adolescence, age-appropriateness and ‘(un)successful’ age transitions. Theoretically, this study builds on insights from celebrity studies, social constructionist childhood theories and intersectional feminist theory regarding age and gender as power structures. One constructed week of articles (N = 668) and comments (N = 5302) on celebrity gossip website JustJared and its teen spin-off JustJaredjr. is subjected to a quantitative and qualitative framing analysis. Results show that 16-20 year old celebrities hold a special position, being judged most negatively by JustJared audiences, and most positively by those of JustJaredjr. This age group is framed as having increasing agency, but is also subjected to strong scrutiny. Additionally, framing analysis shows JustJaredjr. to use more positive frames with regards to young celebrities, while Justjared’s concern with protecting young children strips them of their agency.

Authors

• Hilde Dy Van den Bulck, U of Antwerp

• Annebeth Bels, University of Antwerp

• Nathalie Claessens, U of Antwerp