Introduction and background reading
Read this Vox article on what makes Zendaya a great celebrity. Answer the following questions:
1) What was the 2015 Oscar controversy involving Zendaya?
Gulliana Rancic made a comment on her dress on E's Fashion Police about her Oscar's dress that "That hair is swallowing her. I feel like she smells of patchouli oil" and an off-screen and an unidentified voice adding "or weed". This led to a huge outrage and the her being accused of racist comments.
2) How did Zendaya control the narrative of that controversy?
Zendaya replied back on Instagram that the comment made wad 'disrespectful' and that it's a very 'offensive' 'stereotype' and how downgrading the comment is for other black teenage girls who have her hair like this. She listed famous and influential people who have similar hair (locs).
3) What examples are provided of Zendaya using her celebrity to raise issues of race and social justice?
She feels the responsibility of representing the black community.
4) Zendaya insisted on a black family in Disney’s KC Undercover show. How can we link this to the ideas of Paul Gilroy?
This links to the black Atlantic of black people who came from Africa to settle in America. It shows the diasporic identity of how black people live in double consciousness and how black culture influences the society they live in.
5) Who is Zendaya’s stylist and how did Zendaya use fashion and appearance to develop her celebrity persona?
Her stylist is Law Roach - the clothing creates image and attitude.
6) How has Zendaya influenced the representation of characters she has played?
She wants to include more representation of her background, for example she wanted to have a black family in K.C. Undercover.
7) How did LL Cool J describe Zendaya?
"She's cool. You can manufacture fame. You can manufacture publicity. You can manufacture songs. You can't manufacture cool."
8) Do you agree with his assessment? Is Zendaya authentically cool or just another manufactured celebrity?
In my opinion, I think she is another manufactured celebrity as she is the way she is because of all the fame and support from her fans she has. She has to uphold this reputation for her celebrity persona and her image.
Zendaya textual analysis
Work through the following tasks to complete your textual analysis of Zendaya's social media.
Social media analysis
1) Visit Zendaya's Twitter feed. Analyse her use of tweets - are they promoting her film/TV work, linked to fashion or sponsorship work or more socially or politically oriented?
There is a mixture of her work from film/TV such as promoting trailers and the movie's which are upcoming. However there are also a lot of social oriented tweets such as conversations with other co-stars or even some fans.
2) Look at Zendaya's Instagram account. She has said this is the one account that is always 100% created by her - can you find any evidence of that in the way posts or images are constructed?
Some posts are created by her such as there are some selfies and photos of when she is with her family, also photos of when she was a child. She also has the links to her trailers and behind the scenes footage.
3) Watch Zendaya's 73 questions Vogue interview. How is this constructed to create a particular representation of Zendaya?
- The setting is her home
- She is casually walking around taking the lead which is different as usually the interviewer takes lead - shows she has authority - subverts stereotypes
4) Research Zendaya across any other social media accounts - e.g. Facebook. Do you notice any differences in how she represents herself on different platforms? Comment on text, images or tone/content.
Facebook - her profile mainly includes the same things but there a lot of things about charity and organisations which she is trying to raise a voice for people.
Representations
Go to our Media Magazine archive and read the article on Zendaya, social media, feminism and celebrity (MM81 - page 12). Answer the following questions:
1) What the concerns around social media discussed at the start of the article?
That younger and impressionable users cannot help but to compare themselves to celebrities
2) What example is provided of Zendaya’s authenticity – or possible lack of authenticity?
One of her YouTube videos were title 'Watch Me React To My First YouTube Vids'. In this she stated how fake her performances were as she felt that she needed the acting to follow the path of her onscreen character Rocky from 'Shake It Up' and that 'the kids are gonna love it, it will be cool'.
3) What is the one social media app that Zendaya manages entirely herself?
Instagram
4) What are the issues highlighted by Billie Eilish regarding self-representation and feminism?
She states that she doesn't read the comments on her social media as they are disrespectful and has huge effects no you. She also talks about feminism that men will talk about how women don't want to be sexualised but then wear revealing clothing and sing about sexual songs but says that we went to wear what we are comfortable with but we don't want you to step in.
5) How authentic do YOU feel Zendaya’s media representation is? Is it the real Zendaya or a media construction designed to look authentic?
In my opinion, this is a media construction designed to look authentic. Most of her profile as managed by social media managers trying to sound like her, and stating things that would get her fame and in the public eye.
A/A* extension work
Read this academic history of celebrity culture and social contexts. How much can we find that is relevant to the kind of celebrity persona Zendaya has created?
This links to Zendaya as social media allows Zendaya to carefully construct her celebrity persona for the public eye using her social media handles.
How does the construction of Zendaya's online presence reflect the social and cultural changes of the last 10 years?
Social media has been used for a place to promote opinions and raising a voice for the unheard. Zendaya has used social media to platform to raise concerns about issues such as feminism and racism
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