Unveiling Identity: Dian Di La Hai's Identity and Semiotic Play in "How to Become an International Supermodel" on Douyin

Authors

  • Hongxi Ye University College London

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53469/jssh.2024.06(07).14

Keywords:

Douyin, Dramaturgical theory of identity, Semiotics, Networked identity, Cultural symbols, Identity construction, Network society

Abstract

In 2022, the Douyin influencer "Dian Di La Hai" rapidly gained popularity on the internet with his video series "How to Become an International Supermodel," attracting significant attention and support from netizens. This paper aims to explore how Goffman's dramaturgical theory of identity and semiotics can help understand this video series. Elements such as ragged clothes, a paper flower collar, the iconic skyward braid, and a rural backdrop are transformed into an international supermodel image, creating a strong sense of contrast and providing immediate visual stimulation, which is the core formula of the series. By bringing back stage acts to the front stage, Dian Di La Hai showcases the essence of dramaturgical identity while breaking the traditional meaning of symbols through the combination of ordinary materials and luxury brands, thus presenting the deconstruction of cultural symbols. This paper delves into the application and impact of dramaturgical theory and semiotics in the context of network society through the analysis of this video series.

References

Barthes, R. & Lavers, A. (1972) Mythologies / Roland Barthes; selected and translated from the French by Annette Lavers. London: Cape.

Baudrillard, J. (1998) The consumer society: myths and structures / Jean Baudrillard. London: SAGE.

boyd, danah (2014) It's complicated: the social lives of networked teens / Danah Boyd. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Brown, J. (1998). The Self. Psychology Press.

Bullingham, L. & Vasconcelos, A.. (2013) 'The presentation of self in the online world': Goffman and the study of online identities. [Online]

Chandler, D. (2022) Semiotics: The Basics. [Online]. Taylor and Francis.

Goffman, E. (1959) The presentation of self in everyday life / Erving Goffman. New York, N.Y: Anchor Books.

Gu, A. and Li, Q. (2022) "Analysis of Replicability of Popular Short Videos: Case from 'Dian Di La Hai' in Tiktok", Highlights in Business, Economics and Management, 2, pp. 401–405. doi: 10.54097/hbem.v2i.2394.

Hall, S. (1997) Representation: cultural representations and signifying practices / edited by Stuart Hall. London: Sage in association with the Open University.

Katovich, M. A. & Longhofer, W. (2009) 'Mystification of rock', in Studies in Symbolic Interaction. [Online]. BINGLEY: Emerald Group Publishing Limited. pp. 389–415.

König, J. C. L. et al. (2016) The legends of tomorrow: A semiotic approach towards a brand myth of luxury heritage. Journal of global scholars of marketing science. [Online] 26 (2), 198–215.

Masi de Casanova, E. et al. (2021) All the World's a Con: Frontstage, Backstage, and the Blurred Boundaries of Cosplay. Symbolic interaction. [Online] 44 (4), 798–818.

McQuillan, M. (2019) Deconstruction: a reader. [Online]. Edinburgh University Press.

Meyrowitz, J. (1986) No sense of place: the impact of electronic media on social behavior. New York: Oxford University Press.

Mitchell, W. J. T. (2007) World pictures: Globalization and visual culture. Neohelicon (Budapest). [Online] 34 (2), 49–59.

Noth, W. (1990) Handbook of Semiotics. [Online]. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

Pearson, E. (2009) "All the World Wide Web's a stage: The performance of identity in online social networks", First Monday, 14(3). doi: 10.5210/fm.v14i3.2162.

Petrilli, S. (1999) About and beyond Peirce. Semiotica. 124 (3-4), 299–376.

Sachs, J., Wise, R., & Karell, D. (2021, April 7). The TikTok Self: Music, Signaling, and Identity on Social Media. https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/2rx46

Tang, X. et al. (2021) The Recreation of Gender Stereotypes in Male Cross-Dressing Performances on Douyin. Journal of broadcasting & electronic media. [Online] 65 (5), 660–678.

van Dijck, J. (2013) 'You have one identity': performing the self on Facebook and LinkedIn. Media, culture & society. [Online] 35 (2), 199–215.

Weber, B. R. (2009) Makeover TV selfhood, citizenship, and celebrity / Brenda R. Weber. Durham: Duke University Press.

Whiting, A. & Williams, D. (2013) Why people use social media: a uses and gratifications approach. Qualitative market research. [Online] 16 (4), 362–369.

Wiese, D. et al. (2018) The fluidity of biosocial identity and the effects of place, space, and time. Social science & medicine (1982). [Online] 19846–52.

Wirth, U. (2001) The struggle for interpretation: Eco's abductive theory of interpretation between semiotics, deconstruction, and hermeneutics. American journal of semiotics. [Online] 17 (1), 125–139.

Witt, U. (2010) Symbolic consumption and the social construction of product characteristics. Structural change and economic dynamics. [Online] 21 (1), 17–25.

Yakin, H. S. M. & Totu, A. (2014) The Semiotic Perspectives of Peirce and Saussure: A Brief Comparative Study. Procedia, social and behavioral sciences. [Online] 1554–8.

Zhang, X. et al. (2021) Does Influencers Popularity Actually Matter? An Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Influencers on Body Satisfaction and Mood Among Young Chinese Females: The Case of RED (Xiaohongshu). Frontiers in psychology. [Online] 12756010–756010.

The $650,000 ad for "Dian Di La Hai": The more you scold him, the more popular he becomes, (2022). Available at: https://m.thepaper.cn/ baijiahao_19976076 (Accessed: 9 September 2022).

Downloads

Published

2024-07-28

How to Cite

Ye, H. (2024). Unveiling Identity: Dian Di La Hai’s Identity and Semiotic Play in "How to Become an International Supermodel" on Douyin. Journal of Social Science and Humanities, 6(7), 59–65. https://doi.org/10.53469/jssh.2024.06(07).14