[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 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/.

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