Spring 2022

Athletes of this generation have a job beyond their sport–the upkeep of their image. With the increased reliance and usage of social media, athletes became entities in themselves and were encouraged to engage in brand-building activities. Fans now can interact with athletes on a much more personal level. This research examines the social media platform Instagram and its potential role enabling toxic, parasocial relationships between athletes and fans. A quantitative analysis of Instagram comments was performed to learn how fans of professional tennis players Naomi Osaka and Eugenie Bouchard engaged with online content. This study is important to understand how social media opens society to a more direct and personal form of communication. Social media shifted boundaries and changed perceptions of what is accepted and appropriate between fans and athletes. Mentor: Jessalyn Strauss

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Social media has provided a unique opportunity for individuals to share information and opinions, and TikTok’s rise in popularity among Generation Z has been astronomical in connecting youth and communities around the world. Users have taken to TikTok to discuss pressing matters, specifically fast and sustainable fashion. This quantitative study examines TikTok hashtags to determine the conversations being discussed on this matter. The findings of this study suggest that TikTok users are creating content to produce meaningful conversations surrounding sustainable and fast fashion. Mentor: Laura Lacy

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In recent years, television producers and companies have strived to engage and promote content that is more inclusive and diverse, specifically focusing on promoting shows that feature a racially diverse lead cast. This study analyzed the representation of marginalized identities in predominately Caucasian TV shows during primetime. Through a quantitative content analysis, this study found that there was some growth in the number of racial minorities that were represented on sitcoms during primetime television. Although there has been a significant change in diversity in Hollywood, TV executives must make sure that their work is respectable and properly representative of these identities. Mentor: Daniel Haygood

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The portrayal of women in Super Bowl advertisements, particularly in recent years, has been a topic of significant discourse and discussion. Few studies have analyzed women’s portrayals in ads from the largest annual television broadcast in the United States, and none have look specifically at the Super Bowls within the four-to-six years prior to the writing of this article. To study these portrayals, a content analysis was performed on all the consumer-targeted ads from Super Bowls L through LV using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The general framework for the qualitative part of the analysis included the advertising trend of gender role stereotypes, the “sex sells” paradigm, and the emergence of “femvertising” (ads focused specifically on women’s empowerment). Findings suggest the need for more nuanced evaluations of these portrayals, due to the importance of women’s inclusion and characterization. Mentor: Laura Lacy

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While the topic of mental illness is becoming more prevalent in America and western pop culture, not all mental illnesses are represented frequently or accurately. This qualitative study investigates how fictional characters with symptoms of aphasia, a mental disorder causing difficulty with speech production or language comprehension, are portrayed in scripted film and television. The goal of this study is to analyze first impressions of aphasia gathered from film. A college-aged audience assessed three characters (Hodor from Game of Thrones, Timmy from South Park, and Michael Armstrong from Hot Fuzz) in semi-structured focus groups to discuss their initial reactions of characters displaying aphasia. The findings show that physical abnormalities and submissive personalities are common among characters exhibiting traits of aphasia. These findings also align with previous research about lower intelligence and maturity ratings and higher aggression ratings in characters with mental disorders. Participants stress that character complexity correlates to more likability and sympathy, illustrating how character depth is crucial for positive representation of the characters. Mentor: Daniel Haygood

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Mental health and mass shootings are two topics that are increasingly prevalent in the media. This study analyzes the framing of online news coverage of Black and White mass shooters and whether the portrayal of these perpetrators changed after the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. Qualitative content analysis of 36 articles and 12 perpetrators showed that perpetrators are grouped and framed based on personality and background. The data suggests that articles about Black perpetrators were less likely to include mental health discussions and more likely to include behavioral details about the shooter that were irrelevant to the crime. Results showed that the 2020 movement sparked an increase in mental health conversations among articles about Black perpetrators only in cases that could be deemed more newsworthy. This data suggests that there are implicit biases disseminated in these reports, as articles are framed differently depending on the perpetrators background, personality, or race. Mentor: Daniel Haygood

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