4. DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS
4.3 Analysis of Yi’s Blogging Comments:
4.3.2 Comments Left by Visitors
國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
69
4.3.2 Comments Left by Visitors
Apart from the comments left by Yi’s fans, there are also many people who are just visitors and who also reveal their thoughts about her or her texts. For example, some people estimated the kind of person she was from her texts:
“I am not your fans and never leave message. I just like your texts and I believe they are your real self.”
(vnita2009-01-12 19:36:37)
“From reading your blog, though not much, I can feel you are a very emotional person, just pessimistic sometimes.”
(新浪网友 2009-01-13 15:22:23)
“A woman can write texts like these should have a clear judgment toward her own love.”
(新浪网友 2009-01-12 13:09:56)
Also, some people did express that they felt Yi’s words came from the bottom of her heart and they could feel that this was her true voice:
“I always pay attention to this blog because I feel it’s like reflection of myself.
A authentic female voice.”
(新浪网友 2009-01-10 21:58:49)
“Yi Neng Jing, I believe you. I believe your texts are from the bottom of your heart. I hope you can really become happy and be yourself.”
(心—窝 2009-01-26 22:26:57)
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
70
“Your texts always made me feel so touched. A very genuine and pure you. Never pay attention to those interferences but those happiness in your mind. Though you are a star, your texts made me feel you are a woman who full of hope to life.”
(新浪网友 2009-01-14 14:42:25)
A visitor even compared her blog with other celebrities’ blogs, and again praised her authenticity:
“I seldom paid attention to you in the past. Just feel you are pretty and have a good voice. I read your blog first time today. There are many stars who preserve their privacy in their blog, but I see authenticity in yours. I am a person who follows the feeling. Therefore I believe your honest and kindness.
Your blog gives me the feeling of peaceful, pureness…I am not your fans but do have a good impression when I enter in. I believe you are recording your true mood.”
(独语 2009-03-18 20:04:26)
However, some visitors did express their dislike of Yi. For example, Yi mentioned Mother Theresa in one of her posts, and a lot of people expressed their anger and said she had no right to compare herself with a holy figure like Mother Theresa.
““Honest and straightforward make you get assault; however, you still have to be honest and straightforward”----Are you qualified of talking about honesty? I really look down on you.”
(新浪网友 2008-12-09 08:37:03)
“Yi Neng Jing really thought she can be alright by transcribing some texts from Mother Theresa. She didn’t think she is wrong and still believed others try to do harm to her. She should really go see the doctor.”
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
71
(新浪网友 2008-12-09 08:37:28)
“Take Mother Theresa’s words to hide your own embarrassment. You are really shameless, Yi Neng Jing.”
(新浪网友 2008-12-09 10:45:27)
Many of these criticisms were deleted to maintain a more positive image on her comment board. These deletions were futher exposed by visitors:
“Are you guys finding she keeps deleting responses and articles? Her blogging posts in Taiwan had been deleted a lot. She deleted all those posts that don’t support her.”
(新浪网友 2008-12-09 08:49:09)
“I opened a new blog about Yi Neng Jing and people can go there to scold her as much as you want and divulged your angers. Too many posts left here have been deleted and the Internet users can’t see people’s real evaluations to her.”
(新浪网友 2009-03-28 09:00:05)
Some people felt that Yi’s blogging texts were authentically written; however, some also thought her beautiful texts were incompatible with the image presented in the real world:
“The written texts are pure, but the person has the other side. Some people can be totally inconsistent between themselves and their texts written. That’s my impression toward Yi Neng Jing.”
(新浪网友 2009-01-31 14:58:19)
“Still think it’s pretty fake.”
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
72
(新浪网友 2008-12-09 10:31:51)
A visitor even made an analysis of Yi’s blogging post, saying that her published blogging articles were a public relations strategy to shape a good image:
“From the last post “Little Prince’s painted plate” to this post “A Simple Path”, what a nice PR campaign. She tested public’s reaction first, then started to justify herself, by borrowing people who have pure hearts. An innocent kid and a kind-hearted great figure…she will be less terrible if she didn’t use this strategy.”
(新浪网友 2008-12-09 09:39:39)
These comments suggest that some audiences are aware of the propaganda nature of celebrities’ social media platforms and do not believe the images presented on them. These audiences did not change their perception of Yi even though they had read Yi’s blogging articles. However, an opposite situation occurred. There were also people whose negative perception changed after reading Yi’s blogging posts, although they are not shown very often on the comment board:
“I didn’t like for a very long time. However, after seeing your post, I suddenly have a mood of crying. I feel more sad when others keep reprimanding you. All my negative feelings toward you disappeared along the assaults. ..I had the feeling that you are a hypocrite woman. It’s not until today did I discover you live pretty real.”
(纳兰清 2009-01-31 18:03:46)
“First of all, I want to apologize here. I used to think you are only a mediocre woman. But from your written texts today, I can feel you are a emotional
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
73
woman who full of hopes toward life. I wish you can have more hopes toward your life in the future. And let us see a brand-new Yi Neng Jing.”
(不伦不类 2009-03-21 06:42:31)
“I have to say you are writing really well. I didn’t think you are a talented person in the past, but the first visit to your blog gives me a new impression.”
(新浪网友 2009-04-01 19:20:15)
“Actually I understand you gradually. I really don’t understand you in the past and thing you are wrong. Right now, I think you have many things that deserve me to learn.”
(新浪网友 2009-04-20 20:56:41)
If they had not come to Yi’s blog, their impression of Yi would still come from the mass media’s reporting. A celebrity’s blog provides audiences with a chance to know a celebrity in a more “profound” way if the celebrity really pays attention to operating his/her blog and maintains an authentic image for his/her fans to believe.
4.3.3 Summary
Before audiences start to browse a celebrity’s social media platform, they already have a pre-existing image of the celebrity in mind, whether positive or negative. After browsing celebrities’ social media platforms, some people may change their perception, and some may not. Whether or not it can have an influence on audiences, at least it gives them a chance to re-recognize a celebrity or get to know them better from other angles or viewpoints, which are different from those of the mass media. Therefore, mass media and celebrities’ blogs are like two forces, pulling and pushing audiences into their manufactured discourses.
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
74
Audiences’ opinions would not be exposed if there was not a platform like a blog for them to express their ideas. Thus, an aggregation of these ideas, thoughts and expressions become a source of news for reporters to know what the public’s opinions are. Although they are inevitably put under the mass media’s framework, at least this suggests that an audience is no longer a silent crowd, but has the power to project its voice.
‧ 國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
75