[Commlist] CfP - The Semiotics of Celebrity Fallouts: Questioning Power, Morality, and Fame

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

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)>.

*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


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