"I'M GAY": INVESTIGATING AUTHENTICITY IN YOUTUBE CELEBRITIES' COMING OUT VIDEOS

Abstract

Coming out videos where individuals reveal their sexual orientation represent a significant subgenre on the video sharing platform, YouTube. While the account of coming out is a deeply personal one, the celebrity status of certain YouTube personalities causes their audience to cast doubt on the authenticity of the individual and the experience presented through the video. Using Bucholtz and Hall’s (2005) identity framework, this paper identifies strategies employed in the authentication of one’s identity by examining coming out videos of three YouTube celebrities, NikkieTutorials, ElleOfTheMills, and Riyadh K. Through the use of affective stance and strategic framing of the audience in a participatory experience, these celebrity figures imply a shared, intimate relationship with their audience in order to construct a genuine and trustworthy persona. Although certain strategies are similar across the three case studies, the intention behind each coming out video is diverse. Bearing in mind these personal narratives of the YouTube celebrity, this paper re-evaluates the designation of these authentication processes as intrinsically profit-making to boost the celebrity’s influence, by considering authentication as a general practice in identity work.