4. DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS
4.3 Analysis of Yi’s Blogging Comments:
4.3.1 Comments Left by Yi’s Fans
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certain way, even though her original texts were cited. Thus, the influence of blogs can be discussed in the respect. Some used to argue that, as a grassroots medium, blogs finally turned audiences from consumers into producers. Audiences can make active publications.
However, what was not considered was the influence of a blogger. A blog’s influence is affected by the numbers of visitors and their subsequent mediations. However, in Yi’s case, if these mediations can only be communicated among people with similar qualities (e.g. Yi’s fans), instead of reaching the public, most people would still only be receiving messages from traditional media. In this situation, the effect of celebrities’ blogging may only be confined to their readers.
4.3 Analysis of Yi’s Blogging Comments:
200 comments are randomly chosen for analysis. 119 of them are positive comments, 52 of them are neutral comments, and 29 of them are negative comments. The comments are divided into the audience’s comments left in Yi’s blog as comments left by Yi’s fans and comments left by visitors. By grouping comments that show similar characteristics, the researcher can evaluate the audience’s opinions of Yi and the mass media reporting and their thoughts about social media platforms. These are detailed below.
4.3.1 Comments Left by Yi’s Fans
Many of Yi’s fans revealed that they liked Yi because of her texts. They often expressed their feelings about her words and equated her texts with herself:
“Annie Sis, I like you so much. Ha…this is the first time I leave message to you.
I like your texts very much. They make people feel very peaceful.”
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(海如 2008-12-27 14:57:17)
“I read your texts seriously. I can feel your mood and feeling when you wrote those words. I like those peaceful texts that make yourself stable.”
(依依 2009-01-12 16:05:43)
“It’s my first time entering your blog and also my first time using blog.
The first time I know you was because your voice; the second time I know you was because your glorious; however, I truly understand you because of your texts.”
(新浪网友 2009-01-13 15:16:36)
These fans often made a connection between Yi and her words. For some fans, these texts are not merely texts, but an important power and force in their lives:
“I went through the darkest period of my life recently. But whenever I browsed your blog, I saw words from Mother Theresa, who is also my favorite figures, I become brave again. I believe everything will pass. Darkness will pass. We can feel sad but never pessimistic.”
(新浪网友 2008-12-26 15:42:45)
“I am so happy I can see you start writing texts full of love and hope again. It’s these kinds of texts that attract me, making me believe love and has courage to believe.”
(Smilingfish2009-01-02)
“You, your songs, your texts have given me power in these years. What I can give you back is to give you support on this platform. Any predicament will finally be over. As long as you live, hope exists.”
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(Antoine2009-03-04 23:09:48)
When Yi came under serious attack from the mass media because of her extramarital affair, many of her fans still believed the image they had formed of Yi from her blog. Some revealed that a woman who could write beautiful words like this could not possibly be as bad a woman as the mass media portrayed her to be:
“I don’t care how public talk about you or how media write about you. Those are not important to me. Most importantly, we all believe you are still the knowledgeable and kind-hearted Yi Neng Jing.”
(新浪网友 2008-12-24 18:12:35)
“I have never believed those reports in the very beginning. Because I can understand your texts and your songs. Those texts flowed through my heart and are so close to me. I feel really delighted that you still write your blog under this pressure. And I still believe the possibility of well-being.”
(新浪网友 2009-01-02 22:59:46)
“When I saw many of your negative news, I still love you. When I heard many of your negative news, I still stick to my faith of loving you.”
(伊能回忆 2009-03-06 22:47:48)
These blogging posts are like hypnogenesis. They keep enforcing a particular image for fans to believe in. Although there were many negative news reports of Yi at that time, these blogging posts were like a counter force maneuvering the audience’s mentality. The key factor to sustaining this counter force was the “authenticity” Yi appeared to have, or at least, tried to have. Many people believed that her blog revealed her true nature, and that she
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was just as beautiful and pure as her texts:
“Sister, please allow me to call you this way. Though I love watching entertainment news and like going after stars; however, what I liked most is the authenticity behind the glory of stars.”
(听雨竹帐 2009-03-07 18:53:57)
“Sister Jing, you have to keep going and be happy and brave. A real you doesn’t need any explanations. A real self believes to those who really love you.”
(心心 2009-01-26 16:50:17)
“Sister princess, I am used to watching your blog. It always gives me a peaceful and stable feeling. I really like you. Not only because of your work, but also your personality. A very true person.”
(Smilingfish2008-12-26 23:20:26)
Some of them further denoted the low credibility of entertainment news, saying that it was the truth filtered by the mass media and should not be believed:
“What we are listening now and watching now are from mass media. Though their functions are communicating news, not many of them are real. I already have media literacy ability toward those news.”
(肉牛养殖专家 2009-01-08 17:10:21)
“The so-called “fact” that we know has already been filtered out by media once or even several times. They are already not “truth” of the event. So we don’t need to feel sad or angry because of those news. The well-being should be
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griped in our hand authentically.”
(新浪网友 2009-01-09 12:25:59)
“Don’t care about those rumors. You like “Yi Neng Jing”. That’s most important. People have their own life and it’s hard for others to understand.”
(CC2009-01-01 15:20:37)
Although many of Yi’s fans were not influenced by the negative coverage of Yi, a few did show their disappointment when they saw the picture. They expressed their confusion and disappointment in their comments. They did not understand why their beautiful model of true love and wellbeing could hold hands with another guy:
“Thank you for coming back. Many things have happened and didn’t come here to leave messages. Because I don’t know what to say. No matter what happened, I believe you have your own reasons. A person can write texts like that understands love….”
(娟娟 2008-12-08 23:42:16)
“Maybe you are never that perfect as we thought. But I also believe you are not that kind of person who deceives. No matter it’s holding hands or extramarital affair, we don’t care about it. The only thing we cannot forgive you is you don’t get your well-being.”
(新浪网友 2008-12-24 18:12:35)
When I heard your song long time ago I liked you a lot. ╮(╯▽╰)╭ . The news this time kind of damage my impression on you. I wish you can go through these days with courage, and cherish the person who cherishes you.
(freeyours2009-01-04 11:54:15)
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Some even showed their anger and sadness in their comments:
“I still liked you in the past, so pure and beautiful. However you seemed to have changed. I can’t stand your behavior recently. Do retrospect yourself, that’s the life in entertainment field.”
(baifenfen2008-12-09 08:54:31)
“We used to love you. But what you did can’t be perceived by us. You have a husband who loved you so much and a good kid. Why you destroy that?
We don’t understand. We really don’t.”
(新浪网友 2009-01-02 23:02:02)
“I hope you can find the well-being you are looking for. Today may be the last time I come to this blog. On one hand, I already passed the age of going after an idol and should look for my own career and well-being; on the other, I think this affair will indeed make you lose many fans. Don’t blame me for not being loyal…I do feel sad indeed.”
(S2009-01-02 16:27:58)
This is pretty complicated for Yi’s fans. Many loved Yi because of her persistent and touching description of love, but after the news of the extramarital affair came out, their role model was no longer so perfect. It can be seen that some of her fans were caught in the middle between Yi’s blog and the mass media reporting:
“It’s your own life and it shouldn’t be judged by others. Because I love you so much so I decided to take a neutral position. No long judge you or think about your right or wrong. I just hope I can hear your true voice.”
(樱花虾 2008-12-08 22:46:24)
“You are the person who cares about happiness most. Promise us, you will be
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happy. However, I want to hear you say that those rumors are not real and you are still have a good marriage with Harlem. Can I ?”
(丫丫 2009-01-01 15:03:42)
“Sister, I think you have done something wrong in this event. From a more practical perspective, I don’t like woman like you; however, I would like to imaging you as another kind of person so I can come visit your blog.”
(新浪网友 2009-02-12 09:34:16)
As their divorce seemed to be settled, it is obvious that there were more comments with question marks left in Yi’s blog and more of her fans’ confidence in Yi was shaken. For example, the Apple Daily reporters witnessed Yi at the airport with a lot of luggage, waiting for her flight to Beijing on the 9th Feb, 2009. The report covered the fact that she had already moved her stuff out of Harlem’s house and they were going to publish their divorce statement. The comments below are some of her fan’s responses to the report:
“I indeed hope you and Harlem don’t separate. Maybe there are many things you can’t speak out in your marriage; however, if you really love Harlem, I believe you can endure them. I don’t want to discuss your right or wrong anymore.
Maybe there are no things like that in marriage. Wish you best in the future.”
(新浪网友 2009-02-11 16:17:44)
“Are you still the “Little Princess” we used to like?
Have you changed?
We still like you in the past. It’s so pure, cute and kind.
Are you still like that?
Are you?”
(镜子 2009-02-11 16:18:32)
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“You were once the idol in my mind. But right now you are in decadence.”
(新浪网友 2009-02-12 21:25:31)
“I hope those are not real. I hope you can think twice about your future. The kid is innocent. Adults shouldn’t ask kid to bear responsibility from the decisions and affect his future.”
(新浪网友 2009-02-11 17:14:21 )
In the beginning when the extramarital affair broke out, more of her fans still showed their support and believed that she and Harlem would be alright. However, as her marriage with Harlem seemed to be ending, there were more opinions showing their confusion or dissatisfaction. For example, Yi and Harlem finally made their divorce statement on the 20th March, 2009, and Apple Daily covered this news. It was not until then that many of her fans knew that the rumor was true; that their “Prince and Princess Fairy Tale” was finally over.
“There are so many things have passed in these years. You have accompanied so many by your blog, including me. When I saw this news this evening. Frankly speaking, I feel really sad. You finally marked a period in your marriage this time. However, I really don’t want to let it go. I still hope it’s not real.”
(amywang_172009-03-20 19:13:10)
“I really like you and hope you get your happiness. But why are you divorced?
Many celebrities’ marriage can’t last long. I really don’t understand why two people loving each other so much can made a quick decision like that.”
(心痛 2009-03-20 19:19:24)
“Annie, I have seen entertainment news many times which distribute your extramarital news. There were so many time I chose not to believe them and took them as media’s deliberate intentions to knock you down. It was not until
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today when I saw the news report, did I believe that it’s true. My eyes full of tears and feel so pity for your marriage.”
(风中的叶子 2009-03-20 22:39:34)
“I won’t support you afterwards. You really make me feel sad.”
(給妳壹生的寵愛 2009-03-21 18:12:14)
“Suddenly accept this fact. And all those beautiful feelings that come from you seem to disappear in front of this fact. I feel so powerless. We, those who have see you appear like an angel, have to accept this cruel truth. However, still wish you all the best, and walk on your life path with good luck.”
(新浪网友 2009-03-21 06:48:57)
Between the pull and push of Yi’s blog and the news media report, the majority of fans in her Sina China’s blog still showed their support. However, when there was more credible news that damaged her favorable qualities in her fans’ minds (e.g. her persistence in love), more people were influenced because they could not accept the contrast between the reality and her public image. When they had already taken everything she had said in her blog as being true and believed that her correspondent personality was the same in the real world, this contrasting image shattered their fantasy. Maybe the comments below can precisely describe the complicated emotions of Yi’s fans.
“There was a moment I don’t believe you at all. I originally thought those peaceful words are “you”; however, they are not. I once believed you so much, but you have your own world and you don’t have to be honest toward others about your mental thoughts. That’s your right and freedom. Nevertheless, you shouldn’t harm those people that love you. I wish I could still believe those peaceful and beautiful words, because I like them so much.”
(soursweet135 2008-12-02 16:13:10)
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