ABSTRACT

This article explores online (re)presentations of famous men and masculinities, and the surrounding concept of “the internet’s boyfriend”. The work examines how such discourse is shaped by global dynamics, structural racism, an “economy of visibility”, and demand for depictions of “difference.” Drawing on studies of celebrity, masculinities, marketing, and digital culture, I analyse how three famous men who are publicly desired and/or admired are (re)presented in digital spheres—memes, videos, articles, and accumulative discourse. Focusing on (re)presentations of Timothée Chalamet, Idris Elba, and Bong Joon-ho, I scrutinise how famous men are transnationally remediated in ways that can reinforce, resist, and rupture Anglo-Western normative notions of desirable masculinity. Culturally specific and hybridised ideas, identities, and ideologies that are projected onto such men online reveal the entanglements of issues concerning sexuality, (non)whiteness, exoticisation, nationality, masculinity, celebrity, and global media. Although “the internet’s boyfriend” is not always white, he is often someone who grew up in, identifies with, and is praised within, Western cultures. This article explicates how and why online (re)presentations of famous men in a transnational media landscape are couched in common narratives which include them being claimed as an (inter)national treasure, attractive to Anglophiles, and (re)presented as eccentric and exoticised Others.

摘要

本文探讨了名人和男性气质的在线（重新）展示，以及“互联网男友”的相关概念。该作品考察了全球动态、结构性种族主义、“可见性经济”以及对“差异”描述的需求如何塑造这种话语。通过对名人、男子气概、营销和数字文化的研究，我分析了三位受到公众欢迎和/或钦佩的名人如何（重新）呈现在数字领域——模因、视频、文章和累积话语。重点关注 Timothée Chalamet、Idris Elba 和 Bong Joon-ho 的（重新）展示，我仔细审视了名人如何以能够加强、抵制和打破英西合乎理想男子气概的规范观念的方式进行跨国矫正。特定文化和混合的思想、身份、在线投射到这些男人身上的意识形态揭示了有关性、（非）白人、异国情调、国籍、男子气概、名人和全球媒体等问题的纠葛。尽管“互联网男友”并不总是白人，但他往往是在西方文化中长大、认同并受到称赞的人。这篇文章解释了如何以及为什么在跨国媒体环境中对名人的在线（重新）展示以常见的叙述方式呈现，包括他们被称为（国际）国宝，对亲英人士有吸引力，以及（重新）呈现为古怪和异国情调其他。尽管“互联网男友”并不总是白人，但他往往是在西方文化中长大、认同并受到称赞的人。这篇文章解释了如何以及为什么在跨国媒体环境中对名人的在线（重新）展示以常见的叙述方式呈现，包括他们被称为（国际）国宝，对亲英人士有吸引力，以及（重新）呈现为古怪和异国情调其他。尽管“互联网男友”并不总是白人，但他往往是在西方文化中长大、认同并受到称赞的人。这篇文章解释了如何以及为什么在跨国媒体环境中对名人的在线（重新）展示以常见的叙述方式呈现，包括他们被称为（国际）国宝，对亲英人士有吸引力，以及（重新）呈现为古怪和异国情调其他。