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Cancel Culture in Context : A Discourse Analysis of Celebrity Cancellations on Reddit and YouTube
Groenewoud, Jessica T.J (2025) Cancel Culture in Context : A Discourse Analysis of Celebrity Cancellations on Reddit and YouTube.
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| Abstract: | Cancel culture has made social media a primary space for public discussion of celebrity controversies. By examining user comment themes and tone during high-interaction periods, this thesis investigates celebrity cancellation discourse dynamics on Reddit and YouTube. It addresses a gap in cancel culture research by focusing on comment dynamics at peak moments and providing in-depth, user-centered analysis. A mixed-methods approach analyzed comments from YouTube and Reddit posts about six USA-based celebrity cancellations. Steps included community detection, trend analysis, and manual coding of top comments per community for tone, stance, and themes. Findings were contextualized against public statements and real-world developments, then compared across cases to identify recurring patterns. Findings reveal comment spikes in response to allegations, public statements, or media coverage. These peaks form cycles of engagement, with discourse evolving from accusatory and emotional to more reflective. Most comments show judgmental, critical, and emotional tones, reacting to allegations and offering moral judgment. This thesis argues that celebrity cancellations are dynamic, emotionally charged discussions shaped by platform dynamics, social media rhythms, moral judgment, and criticism, rather than objective, nuanced discussion of static events. Cancellation discourse sustains ongoing debates about accountability and public identity in participatory media. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 05 communication studies |
| Programme: | Communication Science BSc (56615) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/107996 |
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