[Air-L] CfP: The Semiotics of Celebrity Fallouts

[Simone Driessen]

Dear colleagues, may we draw you attention to the following CfP?



The Semiotics of Celebrity Fallouts: Questioning Power, Morality, and Fame

Special Issue Social Semiotics

Guest editors: Simone Driessen (Erasmus University Rotterdam), Gaëlle Ouvrein (Free University Brussels), and Eve Ng (Ohio University)

The past years have illustrated how cancel culture has emerged as prominent socio-cultural, and even political phenomena. More so, the rise of these phenomena has challenged traditional notions of fame and celebrity, but also of accountability, power relations, and societal values. Think about how the #MeToo-movement and particularly the allegations against Harvey Weinstein shocked Hollywood, how certain celebrities, like Ellen DeGeneres or Kevin Spacey, have fallen of their (symbolic) pedestals, but also how the trial-by-media led to fans and media still putting Johnny Depp in a more favorable position than Amber Heard. In all these cases of celebrity bashing or allegations against celebrities, issues like (gender) inequality, power relations, but also morality play a role. And precisely these issues are foundational in and to many cases we would consider core examples of cancel culture or celebrity bashing. This Special Issue delves deeper into the complex dynamics of cancel culture, like the practice of celebrity bashing or boycotting stars from the public debate, by exploring and critically examining these phenomena, their implications and consequences from different perspectives (e.g, media-psychological, legal, commercial, etc.) and from a multi-disciplinary approach. Is it, in today's world and creative industries, necessary to revise how we consider or think of cancel culture? Should we view celebrity bashing in a trend of celebrity in crisis, or as an effect of increased (and continuous) para-social relationships not living up to expectations?

            In this Special Issue for Social Semiotics we invite researchers to explore the roots of cancel culture and celebrity bashing, its mechanisms and consequences, as well as contributions investigating the role of (social) media fueling or mitigating these phenomena. Furthermore, this Issue aims to look at the ethical and moral dimensions and implications of cancel culture and celebrity bashing, but also its impact on those involved, the industries in which this happens, or the social structures which they touch upon. Anchored in the journal's aims and scope, to scrutinizing societal organization and everyday lives, contributors are invited to undertake semiotic analyses that focus on the interconnected nature of words, images, behaviors, and various other signifying elements. We encourage scholars to explore how these semiotic phenomena contribute to the construction of societal narratives, and particularly, how they may perpetuate biases, imbalances, or legitimize and sustain power interests - issues laid bare by cancel culture and celebrity bashing. The analytical frameworks for articles may draw upon linguistic analysis, visual analysis, content analysis, ethnography, interviews, or production studies, anchored in the principles of Social Semiotics. A critical aspect of the submission should lie in its ability to unveil and critique the limitations and variations in how (semiotic) resources related to or practices like canceling and celebrity bashing expose potential reinforcement of societal power dynamics. We look forward to including a global perspective, contributions discussing particular cases, cultures, countries are most welcome.

            This Special Issue wishes to contribute to a nuanced and critical understanding of these phenomena, but also enrich the scholarly dialogue on the social-, cultural-, and political framework of fame, celebrity, morality, and social accountability.


At this stage, we solicit abstracts of max. 350 words length. We will then select a number of submissions, to be developed in an article of 7/8000 words (bibliography included). For any questions about this CfP, please contact Simone Driessen: driessen at eshcc.eur.nl<mailto:driessen at eshcc.eur.nl>.



There are no (author) submission fees, publication fees or page charges for this journal.


Proposed timeline:

Deadline Abstract Submission: 8 May 2024

Communication of proposals selected: 29 May 2024

Deadline for full papers: 30 September 2024

Refereeing process: 30 September 2024- 30 December 2024

Delivery of definitive version of texts: 28 February 2025

Publication: April 2025


Dr. Simone Driessen
Assistant Professor in Media & Popular Culture, ESHCC

Visiting address Erasmus University Rotterdam
Van der Goot Building/ Room M7-15
T: 0031 (10) 408 2468

I am unable to answer emails outside working hours Monday to Friday. I endeavour to respond to student emails within one working day. On Friday I'm on parental leave, and I will not be responding to emails on that day.

Recent publications:
- Driessen, S. (2023). The Participatory Politics and Play of Canceling an Idol: Exploring How Fans Negotiate Their Fandom of a Canceled 'Fave'<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13548565231199983>. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies.
- Driessen, S. (2022). Campaign Problems: How Fans React to Taylor Swift's Controversial Political Awakening<https://doi.org/10.1177/00027642211042295>. American Behavioral Scientist.