What are some issues with studying Zoe Sugg/Zoella in 2026 on an academic course? Is she cancelled? She made offensive tweets when she was a child. As an adult, she released a rip off advent calnander… and has been accused of exploiting her fans She is ridiculously outdated! Online media moves fast! Developments such as social media including Tiktok, AI, and the diminishing popularity of youtube Her content is not fashionable, trending, and does not reflect modern values and ideologies. Zoella has pivoted her content from a makeup vlogger to a fashion and lifestyle vlogger making longform videos She does not reflect the algorithm. She produces videos with mainstream appeal, yet she pales in comparison to ‘competitors’ like Mr Beast Her content, especially her older content reflects dated beauty standards and ideologies Her content is embarrassing and cringy (subjective!). It potentially will not appeal to 17-18yos Her original audience has outgrown her content,meaning there are far better examples to study At this stage, Zoella is a historical text. She was designated as a case study a decade ago. The cycle of social media vloggers and influencers moves particularly quickly, a particular characteristic of online media. Additionally, Suggs has produced an enormous amount of work, making it difficult to know what to study. Some audiences may be completely at odds with the messages and ideologies of the text. Suggs targets a specific audience. Her videos lack polish and professionalism. Surely we should be studying art, not amateur flogging makeup! Suggs is a real woman. She is not fictional. Yet what we see is not real. It is hyperreal. This is very complex! \textual analysis is difficult. We must discuss the lack of variation of shot type, setting, MES etc! It’s more difficult to apply theory Age: Zoella is now approaching middle age. She is a millennial, and appeals to millennial audiences. Social media/online media has gravitated to short form content such as Tiktok. She is not representative! The internet is very broad! Very long videos are now Youtube’s USP! We're Engaged! The Proposal, The Ring, Our Holiday & Third Trimester Updates | ad (2023) - Initial discussion - how much media language and theory can we get in?????? Zoe Sugg relies on a narrative that has been constructed over many years. In this video, Sugg expects prior knowledge of her family life, making vague reference to ‘when ottie was born’, relating to her older audience. This assumes her viewers are harcore and motivated fans (Jenkins). It also assumes a knowledge of her narrative, which has formed a cyclical narrative that audiences can still be involved in. The MES of the video is stylish, refined and elegant. It reflects Sugg’s status as a rich and powerful woman. However, Suggs breaks the fourth wall, and directly addresses the audience, with the direct mode of address instilling a comfortable, relatable mode of address. David Gauntlett argues that audiences pick and mix parts of Suggs’s ideology to form their own identity. Audiences may try to emulate her clean, uncluttered, and timeless aesthetic, presenting a traditional and conservative ideology. Her content feels exclusive to women, in particular teenage girls who may be entertained by the escapist ideology presented. Additionally, Suggs will also appeal to a pregnant female demographic, who will take a relatable mode of address. Stuart hall argues that the preferred reading will be taken by the target demographic, and will aspire to live up to Suggs’s ideological expectations. However, other audiences will simply not engage with this video. Suggs mentions going on holiday several times, casually constructing a middle class ideology for her audience. However, her videos are predominantly watched by a working class audience. The products that she uses are aspirational for a working class. Suggs constructs a working class persona through her stereotypical costume and the stereotypical MES of her house. She deliberately avoids the MES of high end fashion, art, and books in order to construct a working class identity for her audience. Judith Butler argues that we perform our gender through the repetition of actions. Here Zoella performs her social class, performatively constructing a working class audience The cinematography and editing is minimalist, making extensive use of spliced in jump cuts. Typically, jump cuts signify low quality in film media. However, in youtube videos, it serves other functions. It can engage audiences, demonstrates some degree of effort, and constructs an unprofessional and relatable mode of address. The single shot, only interrupted by jump cuts, anchors a reading of relatability, and constructs a parasocial relationship. The audience are positioned on the floor with Sugg, the constant medium close up inferring physical contact with her. This in turn constructs a voyueristic mode of address! Suggs encourages involvement with the target audience, asking them to get a drink, to get comfy and even apply their own makeup. This makes many assumptions of the target audience: the context, the time of day, and even the fact that the audience wears makeup! The video is 45 minutes long! However, many audiences will simply skip to the best bit. Youtube encourages this through a ‘most replayed’ feature. In the engagement video, this happens to be a discussion of the size of Suggs’s fetus, a shared moment that will appeal to her devoted fandom. The title is highly conventional of vlogs. By including so many words in this title, all sense of ambiguity is removed, and an explicit address is made to an audience who is interested in her engagement. This demographic will largely be her age, and in a similar set of circumstances. Additionally, the selection of very specific key words is a form of SEO or search engine optimisation, and allows her to target a very specific audience. The video features paid adverts. This is indicated in the title, but also is indicated through a pop up graphic that pops up as she discusses a bronzer/ Suggs’s performance takes a frank and practiced sing-song approach. She refers to “one of my favourite skincare products: niacinamide”, blending the obligations of her advertising obligation with her relatable mode of address. Additionally, Suggs describes ‘looking more alive’ constructing a hyperreal mode of address for her target audience. This utilisation of advertising strategies helps to minimise risk and maximise profit. THe most rewatched part of the video features Suggs comparing her fetus to a variety of objects, such as cabbages, penguins and shoes. This constructs a narrative for the target audience that pregnancy can be scary Suggs forms a parasocial relationship with the audience, using phrases such as “as you know, we never remember anniversaries” referring to taking two holidays as “the least zoe thing ever”. We as an audience therefore become percentages and datapoints that are being analysed by Sugg. Her knowledge of her target audience therefore cultivates and subjectifies an audience into a product. By watching her videos, we generate advertising revenue for Suggs The video takes a direct mode of address, with Sugg looking directly in too the camera. This is common in vlogs, and cultivates a friendship with the audience in order to profit from the advertisements that are incorporated into this video. The lexis “as you guys will now” therefore constructs a parasocial relationship with the audience, which ultimately cultivates an ideology that we as an audience are privileged and special, despite being one of 1000000 people who have engaged with this product The video uses extensive artificial lighting, which is referred to by Suggs herself. By referring to the lighting, Suggs creates a direct address that breaks the fourth wall. She also references breaking ‘several Canon GX7’s’, again breaking the rules of conventional narrative. WHile in experimental cinema this effect will upset and confuse the audience, in this video, Suggs is seeking to be inclusive, and get to know her problems The problems that SUggs outlines and shares in this video includes going on holiday too often, breaking several high end cameras, and the fact that she has to rely on her extensive artificial lighting. This constructs a reality where Suggs is clearly wealthy and privileged, which contrasts with the reality simultaneously constructed that she is a regular, relatable middle class woman. Suggs is a walking binary opposition,simultaneously constructing two different realities, one where she is a successful business woman, the other where she is a relatable, normal young working class woman. If you don’t follow me on Instagram, you can now see I’m an engaged woman’ - provides audiences with the opportunity to engage with Sugg using a different platform. Instagram reaches a different audience demographic, and allows audiences to endgame with and to create their own responses , a perfect example of Shirky’s end of audience theory Jean Baudrillard argues that there is now no such thing as reality. The system of images is now so confusing we have no idea what is real or not. Most importantly, we do not care. This video encourages the audience to fetishistically disavow the reality that Sugg is creating a landscape of digital exploitation, where we are being used for clicks and cash. We're Engaged! The Proposal, The Ring, Our Holiday & Third Trimester Updates | ad – how does this video seek to minimise risk and maximise profit? The video takes the form of a relaxed, friendly and intimate conversation. However, Sugg weaves in references to brands, such as ‘Colour Wonder’ pens, and ‘Drunk Elephant B Goldi drops’. By code switching from advertising to conversation, Sugg presents this longform advert in a more relatable, presentable and less intrusive way. The video lacks pictures, insert graphics, cutaways and other conventions of mainstream advertising. In fact the production values are very low, helping sugg to maximise profit through familiarity and a gentle address. The language used is plain, easy, accessible. Zoe Sugg uses the phrase ‘so freaking exciting’ as opposed to saying fucking. Sugg here establishes a friendly mode of address that will cause no harm or offense to anyone. It also constructs Sugg as childish and innocent. This weird, wholesome modesty is further cultivated by Sugg’s lack of opinions. She discusses no politics, ideology or anything beyond a consumerist lifestyle. It constructs a reality where politics and war and inequality and anything important doesn’t matter, and escapist fantasy. Through the use of hyperlinks, the audience is able to navigate to an affiliate website to buy the products that she uses. This quick and easy process is an example of hypermodality. The advert is legally obligated to be signposted by an onscreen graphic reading ‘ad’. However, the discussion of the bronzer is anchored through the relatable content of her discussion. It mixes advertising and the reality of her life in a manner that embeds advertised content into her brand. The discussion of her pregnancy reaches a target audience who potentially will be buying lots of products The video creates a number of anticipatory moments, discussing the upcoming release of a new bronzer. She also discusses combining it with another product, reinforcing an ideology of consumption. By promoting a consumerist lifestyle, she encourages audiences to buy products to address their needs There are links to purchase Drunk Elephant B-Goldi Bright Drops. Thi sis labelled as paid for advertising, indicating she receives click through revenue. The advertising is indicated in a subtle and minimalistic way, which in turn minimises risk and maximises profit. Audiences are cynical about influencers being paid to say things, so making this as subtle as possible is important Additionally, by signposting this ad, risk is minimised, and she cannot be targeted by OFCOM or the ASA for malpractice The title itself features the word ‘ad’, indicating the video is a long form advert. Additionally, the video title has many words, which not only minimises the word ‘ad’, but also stuffs the title with keywords, encouraging clickbait, and promoting SEO (search engine optimisation) Additionally, these keywords function as proairetic codes, encouraging the audience to keep watching until they are revealed Media language and textual analysis Homepage and other pages - The opening page, the launch page where all aspects of the website can be accessed Codes and conventions Layout and design Composition - where everything is placed how it’s structured Font size, type of font (e.g. serif/sans serif), colour Images/photographs - camera shot type, angle, focus Mise-en-scene – colour, lighting, location, costume/dress, hair/make-up - the stuff in scene Graphics, logos - Logos, images, anything that’s not a picture or text Language - formal/informal mode of address? Anchorage of images and text Elements of narrative/structure around the site Interactive features - stuff that the audience can get involved with Menu bar and navigation – structure and design of the site Navbar - A pull down or top bar that allows access to different section Hyperlink - An element that will directly take the audience to another webpage Hypermodality - The interconnectedness of the internet, that allows easy access to different digital media forms Web 2.0 - modern, commercial aesthetic of the internet. White background, straightforward fonts, clean… Thumbnail/preview image - An enticing image that functions as a hyperlink Audience - exploring complex audience theories and active audience responses Zoe Sugg is a series of dichotomies… She reviews sex toys, yet cultivates a family friendly appearance… she represents herself as being wholesome and innocent, yet has made hate speech online… she represents herself as a relatable creator, yet is clearly wealthy, privileged Yet the audience engage in a form of escapism and fetishistic disavowal, ignoring the issues because we want to watch her, and engage with her Let’s list every audience theory AGAIN!!!!!!!!?????!! Reception theory (Hall) - How the audience decodes the ideology of the producer. Preferred, oppositional, negotiated reading Cultivation theory - (Gerbner) - beliefs grow over time due to repeat exposure Active and passive audiences - active audiences engage! The may make media, passive audiences simply take in the message Clay Shirky - end of audience - we can all actively engage and make media! Bandura - the effects model. Audiences are passively influenced. Henry Jenkins - fans exist! Fans create communities, and textually poach (steal) aspects from media To what extent does Zoella use YouTube algorithmic business practices in order to manipulate her audiences? And how can audiences respond to these techniques? An algorithm is a code or routine that runs a particular process. Complex algorithms can be used by digitally convergent media platforms to push certain videos of certain topics depending on how the user interacts with other videos. The most effective way of measuring this is engagement, the time spent interacting with a media product online. However, content creators can do certain things in order to maximise engagement and to game the algorithm… Stuart Hall - audience negotiation Dominant ideological perspective - Wholesome, family orientated (traditional, conservative, nuclear), fails to engage with the corporate nature of her life, absorbed within the narrative of her life Preferred reading - We submerge ourselves within the escapist fantasy of her life, and the joyous conservative values, engaging with a rich parasocial relationship. The audience understands the monetisation, but we accept it as an important part of the consumer society that we live in. Oppositional reading - deeply uncomfortable with the representation of perfection. An unnatural, uncanny, creepy and offputting version of life. May oppose the promotion of the nuclear family, anyone who has an alternative lifestyle. May also oppose the exploitation and commercialisation of her children. Negotiated reading - audiences may take exception to the commercialism and exploitation, but may still take influence from the Christmas activities! They may have a desire to live this lifestyle, yet with a completely different aesthetic. Audiences may disagree with the ideology, yet may disregard it completely, and view the videos as entertainment, to play in the background for parasocial reasons. Nostalgia! Applying reception theory to Zoe Suggs most recent brand identity (2025 vlogmost posts) Reception theory theorises hope audiences can interpret, negotiate and respond to the producers ideology Dominant ideological perspective - Family orientated. Her blood related immediate family and her friends. A nuclear family, 2 parents and 2 children. It’s important to be festive and the true meaning of Christmas is to buy lots of things. Christmas is secular. Their life is always happy, with a highly edited construction. It’s completely acceptable and desirable to film every moment of our lives, including our children. Fashion is plain, neutral, grown up and mature. Preferred reading is that Sugg lives an ideal life that we wish to achieve ourselves. Aspirational standards of living. The preferred audience will agree with the importance of materialism, and will aspire to obtain these objects. It’s fine to film our children: they will look back fondly in the future Oppositional reading - Filming your children and sharing their likeness online is essentially child abuse. Buying so much for Christmas is out of touch with the reality of going through a cost of living crisis. Rampant inequality is destroying our country, and Zoella does not address this at all. Sharing personal details is boring and self obsessed, and encourages an overly individualistic lifestyle. Negotiated readings… I disagree with these values, yet I find this video entertaining I have a history with Zoella. I grew up with her. I feel like I know her. THe new content isn’t as good, but I’ll sometimes watch I disagree with her filming her children! That’s wrong. But It’s useful to find out tips on how to entertain my own children at Christmas. I don’t care about about family blogging, it doesn’t interest me, but I like it on tin the background Henry Jenkins - fandom! A dedicated group of active audience participants who will distribute, engage with and interact with media in sometimes unusual ways. While a Zoella audience may simply watch and occasionally comment, fans can engage actively and differently. The audience refers to those who watch, play, read, or consume a media product. Fans, by contrast, will form communities, make meanings, will interact with, and otherwise do things with the media product. Examples of fannish behaviour include… Fan pages Video edits Fan art Fan fiction Cosplay Analyse the product Discuss with fan communities Attend conventions Make comments Attempt to meet actors or creators Buy merchandise eg tshirts Fannish behaviour allows fans to express their love and devotion to their favourite media product. It allows fans to actively fantasise and take the media product further. It also allows fans a creative outlet, and allows them to use a preexisting genre and narrative framework. Fannish behaviour is also made to be seen by the producer, creating a different link Erotic fan fiction - written in a childish style. Focus on kissing and romance between Zoe Sugg and Aflie Dayes, set in a high school, with both parties being 18. Commenting on videos - Allows fans the opportunity to directly interact with their idol. Sugg chooses not to interact with her fans on youtube, presumably because it’s too labour intensive. Additionally, commenting allows fans to present their parasocial relationship to the world: “MARK IN BED NEXT TO ALFIE AB