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ABSTRACT
The tone of comments posted to entertainment websites is used to analyse the attitudes of audiences exposed to televised performances by singer/actress Miley Cyrus in 2009, 2013, and 2015. Significant differences are found in eight tonal variables (p < 0.05). These include a clear drop in ‘praise’ from 2009 to 2013 and a concurrent rise in ‘blame’. From a theoretical standpoint, the study attempts to understand these results both as a rebranding effort necessary for a rising star trying to break free of her youthful celebrity and as the result of societal shifts in American media culture.
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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
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Doug Mendenhall
Doug L. Mendenhall is Journalist in Residence and an assistant professor in mass communication at Abilene Christian University, Texas, USA. His PhD dissertation created a digital measurement for incivility in written messages, which he has applied to issues of politics, race, religion, and celebrity. His 15-year-old daughter no longer admits to singing along with Miley Cyrus, but she did.