When a celebrity dies …Social identity, uses of social media, and the mourning process among fans: the case of Michael Jackson

Abstract

The present qualitative survey studies fans’ reactions to the death of Michael Jackson (MJ). We put forward the hypothesis that the time of a celebrity’s death is when the researcher can most fully understand certain psychological and social functions of the celebrity in question. The results highlight that the relationship between fans and celebrities can be mediated by a third person, a loved one who is part of the entourage of the fan. The fan is emotionally attached to this person. We explain how the use of interpersonal communications and social media operate differently depending on whether the fan has based the construction of their identity on the image of MJ (which is of course a complex process) or on their position as a member of the social group of fans. Fans whose identity was based on MJ need to rearrange their model of personal identity. The results underline five functions of social media in the mourning process. They also show that prolonged use of social media could be associated with a slower resolution of the fans’ mourning process. These results are aimed at gaining a better understanding of the relationships between celebrities and their fans, especially parasocial interactions and the role played by celebrities in the construction of fan identity.

Keywords:

• social media
• fans
• social identity
• parasocial interactions
• mourning process

Notes

^1. Twelve suicides and over 100 suicide attempts were recorded following the death of MJ ([online] www.mjjcommunity.com [accessed 9 December 2012]; this information is, however, unverifiable).

^2. Intercoder reliability refers to the extent to which two or more independent coders agree on the coding of the content of interest with an application of the same coding scheme.

^3. The saturation point is reached when additional interviews provided little or no new information, but rather provide the same information over and over again.

^4. The citations have been extracted from semi-directive interviews. Initially done in French, they have been translated into English.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Didier Courbet

Didier Courbet, PhD, is a professor of Communication Science at Aix-Marseille University (Aix-en-Provence Institute of Technology, Research Institute of Information and Communication Sciences, IRSIC), France. His research interests focus on: fan psychology and the relationship between celebrities and fans; and the reception and influence of the media (Internet, social media, television). [Online] www.irsic.fr/Didier-COURBET?lang=fr [accessed 2 december 2013].

Marie-Pierre Fourquet-Courbet

Marie-Pierre Fourquet-Courbet, PhD, is a professor of Communication Science at Aix-Marseille University (Aix-Marseille School of Journalism and Communication, Research Institute of Information and Communication Sciences, IRSIC), France. Her research interests focus on: fan psychology and the relationship between celebrities and fans; and the reception and influence of the media (Internet, social media, television). [Online] www.irsic.fr/Marie-Pierre-FOURQUET-COURBET?lang=fr [accessed 2 december 2013]