CSP - Zoella

1) Who is Zoella and why is she famous? How many subscribers does Zoella's YouTube channel have currently?

Zoella is an online Youtube vlogger, blogger and internet personality. She currently has 12,088,786 people that actually like her (on Youtube). She became famous for writing and recording posts about her life since February 2009.

2) What is convergence?

When two or more platforms are used to promote the same piece of media. Eg, Zoella's blog with Youtube and social media links (Twitter, Instagram etc)

3) What are Zoella's videos about? Find five video titles and write them here:

1. Turning my brother into Pennywise
2. Halloween Cupcake Bake Off Challenge
3. September Favourites 2017
4. Huge Autumn Clothing Haul & Try On
5. My Holiday Outfit Diary: A Week In Outfits

Many of her videos focus on the current and modern times. She suits her videos to events/celebrations and seasons in the year or the social normalities for that time of the year. For example the 'Pennywise' and 'Halloween Cupcake' videos both have connotations of Halloween which are around the time she posted these videos. 

The other three videos I picked out are mainly focused on fashion and outfits. This is basically a few minutes of Zoella just telling you what works for her outfits and what she wants you to wear. The common 'haul' videos are mainly subliminally just advertising the shops she goes to along with the constant comments of her addressing almost every item of clothing as 'cute'. Then again, this is a normal thing to see in 'haul' or clothes advertising videos.

4) What are the codes and conventions of vlogging videos?

They mainly always focus on one person, following their life or interesting aspect/talent that they might have. Vlogs are mainly videos of everyday lives or special events that they may attend, or even going on holiday. Throughout the videos some shameless self advertisement is scattered, if not themselves then a brand or product they're endorsing. Vloggers tend to be on the more happy and confident side, the music accompanying their videos is either generic and very uplifting (annoying), piano music or some other calming alternate genre.

5) How does Zoella use media language choices to create her online identity? Write about Zoella's use of mise-en-scene (CLAMPS) - particularly costume and make-up.

Zoella does not flaunt herself provocatively, or doesn't want to  at least. She attempts to make herself very family friendly, innocent and as a good role model. This is seen in her clothing where she does not show very much skin and if she does, it isn't intended to come off as sexual but instead more young and childish. Her make-up isn't hugely over exaggerated to the point where she might look like a drag queen but I still think it's quite a bit of effort for daily wear. Her location, setting and props are very simple for example a bedroom or a cafe and her props are quite basic. She may intend to further push the idea of relatability and how she and her subscribers are on the same level. (Though I doubt many of her subscribers also live in a £1.7 million Brighton mansion too).

Industries

1) How does Zoella make money?

Zoella endorses and advertises many products and brands on her youtube channel. This not only results in payment from her sponsors but also from Youtube for how many likes and views she manages to get on every video. Aside from youtube, she also has her own makeup line with Superdrug and makes money off her world-famous blog. After publishing 'her' series of books, she also earned money from selling those as well.

2) What is a digital influencer? Why is Zoella considered a digital influencer?

Zoella may be considered a digital influencer due to the fact she is an original pioneer in the world of blogging and vlogging. Due to this, she inspired many people after her to do the same, thus building an empire of internet personalities striving to success. She is also 'fun' to watch by some peoples standards and her videos are blatantly appropriate for all ages. 

3) Why do companies want to place their products in Zoella's videos?

If she decides to advertise a product on one of her videos, her devoted subscribers will be hitting the shops the next day, hour even minute to obey her command. Zoella has a lot of control, influence and responsibility over many naive young children who look up to her like a big sister and can use this to her advantage by convincing them to buy worthless materialistic goods whilst getting paid to do so.

4) Why are YouTube collaborations so important for helping digital influencers like Zoella to grow?

Collaborations can combine brand loyalty between two digital influences like Zoella and Tyler Oakley for example. If one of their fans sees that their favourite youtuber was with another youtuber, they may decide to check out the others channel or even subscribe if they find it interesting or if they have hope the first youtuber will be in any future collaborations.

5) How has Zoella moved into a more traditional media landscape in recent years?


Audience

1) Who is the target audience for Zoella's channel?

Young teenagers, mainly girls with an interest in makeup, fashion, makeup, trends, makeup, Zoella's boring life, makeup, baking, makeup, clothes and... makeup.

2) How are audiences encouraged to participate in or feel part of Zoella's brand? 

She has quite an active audience, in her comments section. These are a range of people of all ages who leave comments, dislikes, likes, dislikes and subscribe to Zoella's channel. By leaving a comment, you get to a voice an opinion Zoella will probably never see or even care about. If you're super lucky, she might leave a whole like on YOUR comment which means you're immediately BFF's. (That will never actually meet or be friends at all.)

3) What audience pleasures are provided by Zoella's videos and associated products?

Zoella's videos provide diversion from your bland boring life into the perspective of Zoella's bland boring life... but she's rich. This gives the audience a form of escapism into Zoella's life and cares. It may also provide personal identity to those who are also British and a female and can relate to being british and a girl.
I may also offer some information, on clothes and makeup, either way you may finish one of her videos knowing something you didn't know before. (Or didn't even need to know).

4) Applying Stuart Hall's Reception theory, what would a preferred and oppositional reading of Zoella?

Preferred Reading: Zoella is a fun loving older sister who instead of talking about scary real world problems talks about the fun and carefree aspects of life that don't really require much effort. She is a positive role model and promotes a healthy mental and body image for young teenage girls.

Oppositional Reading: She has the power to manipulate adolescent children into spending time and money on meaningless things. She focuses that happiness can only be earned by wearing the right clothes and being beautiful.

5) Why has Zoella been criticised by some people?

Because she has such a large fanbase and a lot of power, when she launched her new Christmas Advent Calendar in association with Superdrug, fan immediately went out to buy it. Although they found themselves robbed of £50 in exchange for very pathetic and useless presents like a small notebook (to angry write your disappointment (oh no wait, you don't have a pen, that'll come later), a tiny bag of confetti (to celebrate your loss) and a star shaped cookie cutter (which surprisingly you can get for less than £50 from pretty much ANY other shop). Parents and children alike raged at the fact they were ripped off and Zoella received a lot of backlash. 

As well as this instance where Zoella "unintentionally" targeted the gay community by deciding to post this INTERESTING opinion on her twitter: 

This exploded in the community. She revoked the tweets and meagerly apologised saying: "I would never say anything like that now" and "I've grown up and I'm more mature" despite the fact she stills dresses and acts as if she's trying to stay young but whatever her intention is, it is not in the bank of what I care about.
Representations

Read this Independent article arguing Zoella is a bad role model for young women.

Next, read this Independent article arguing the opposite. 

1) What is your opinion on this debate - is Zoella a positive role model for young women?

I believe Zoella promotes a very positive outlook of life and could be good for teenage girls to look up to although I also don't believe she's a good role model if her motto is being strong and independent yet she apparently couldn't be strong and independent enough to write her own book, make a decent calendar or check her use of hateful language BEFORE she became an internet sensation. Zoella started a whole new brand of Youtubers and, like most iconic figures, is being drowned out by those Youtubers and bloggers as there are said to be around 540 million bloggers in the world. The only thing that makes Zoella 'unique' and 'special' is the fact that she was one of the first to do it.

2) What representations of women are provided by Zoella?

Zoella presents a quite positive if not stereotypical representation of women. She believes all women and young girls are strong, beautiful and independent yet most of the underlying messages behind her videos (which are around 90% make-up or clothing videos) only show how women should be attractive and make themselves pretty as a way to solve all problems in life. 

3) What representations of celebrity are provided by Zoella? Is a self-made YouTube celebrity more authentic or positive than a traditional music or TV star?

Zoella presents being a celebrity as not as huge a deal as most other celebrities present it as. I respect she is quite modest in that aspect and shows how 'ordinary' her life is in comparison to other famous people. As Zoella is self-made, I do believe she is more authentic as many music/TV stars are brainwashed and trained by the media industry until they're simply mindless puppets for their creators and desperate slaves for their fans. 
4) How does Zoella represent herself? Is this the real Zoe Suggs or a media construction designed to sell products?

Zoella keeps an aspect of originality in the fact that she is a pioneer in the vlogging/blogging industry/area. She doesn't represent her fame audaciously, buying useless things like big fancy cars. She isn't a hugely popular celebrity as she doesn't attend many famous social events or premieres but she has spent her fortune quite typically. For example her house, clothes etc. Zoella follows most of the media constructed conventions of fame like opening a make-up line, writing books, going on tour. I believe the media controls most of what she produces to make sure it's more appropriate to fit her image and appropriate for her target audience.

5) What criticisms could be levelled at the representation of Zoella? 

Zoella may be seen to focus only on the fact that women should be dainty, delicate and beautiful due to the fact she isn't very "manly" or defy the female stereotype much except in the concept of power (showing that women can be powerful/successful independently). She seems to care a lot about her appearance as well baring a striking resemblance to a certain celebrity who's name rhymes with Bardashian.