Blogging to Fame: Reflection of Blog Celebrities’ Identities on Their Personal Blogs
BLOGGING TO FAME: REFLECTION OF BLOG CELEBRITIES’ IDENTITIES ON THEIR PERSONAL BLOGS
Abstract
This study aimed to determine how an attained celebrity status was reflected on personal blogs as extension of blog celebrities’ identities through case studies of David Guison (DG MNL), Seph Cham and Shai Lagarde (Love Chic), Danah and Stacy Gutierrez (The Plump Pinay), and Melai Entuna (Style and Soul). Using a qualitative approach guided by Social Comparison Theory and Communication Theory of Identity, the researchers conducted focus interviews with blog celebrities and textual analyses of their blogs in order to examine their identities upon attaining a celebrity status.
The findings revealed blog celebrities’ motivations for maintaining a blog, relationship to self, image portrayed in their blogs, para-social relationship with audience, self-relevant meanings, and identity standards, which comprised the identity of blog celebrities. For David, his attained celebrity status influenced his identity as manifested on his blog since it has become his means of building his career. As for Seph and Shai, their identities were almost the same before and after attaining celebrity status because they remained true to who they were from when they started blogging. However, their blog’s identity was still affected since they considered what they thought their readers would like to read in their blog. Similarly, Stacy and Danah had minimal changes in their identity as evident in their blog. However, their blog experienced a transition from merely being a personal blog to becoming a fashion blog because of the unintentional influence of their audience. Melai’s identity was most affected by the attained celebrity status as seen in her personality and blog. After feeling like losing her identity upon experiencing a celebrity status, Melai returned to her original motivation for blogging.
In conclusion, the cases of David, Seph and Shai, Stacy and Danah, and Melai showed that attaining a celebrity status affected their identities. This was reflected on their blogs, which were viewed as extension of their identities.
Macasinag, G. M. & Novela, J. G. (2012). Blogging to fame: Reflection of blog celebrities’ identities on their personal blogs. Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis, University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication.
Keywords: Blogging, Fame, Identity, Celebrity