King O'Riain, Rebecca (2021) “They were having so much fun, so genuinely..”: K-pop fan online affect and corroborated authenticity. New Media and Society, 23 (9). pp. 2820-2838. ISSN 1461-4448

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Abstract

This article examines the relationship between K-pop boybands and their fandoms in the West as mediated by digital streaming performances. It investigates the socio-emotional organization of online interaction orders in K-pop fan communities, the emotional forms of expression, and the social assessment of their authenticity. The article asks two questions. First, how is the loyalty of fans elicited through the emotional experiences of fandom online? Second, how are these emotions validated by fans as “authentic”? The article argues that the experience of “liveness” is central to the process through which fans feel emotionally close to their K-pop idols and this facilitates investment by fans in emotional interactions “in real life” with other fans. Fans also rely on “corroborated authenticity.” This corroboration of internal interactions comes from two sources: (1) the presence of related/similar content on the other digital platforms and (2) the connection of the apparently “placeless” digital platforms to a particular ethnic place, Korea.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Affect; Authenticity; Emotion; Fans; Fandom; Interactive audience; K-Pop; Liveness; V Live;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Institutes > Maynooth University Social Sciences Institute, MUSSI Faculty of Social Sciences > Sociology
Item ID:	16335
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.117/1461444820941194
Depositing User:	Dr Rebecca King O Riain
Date Deposited:	20 Jul 2022 11:40
Journal or Publication Title:	New Media and Society
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	Publisher
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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