‘I love you, please notice me’: the hierarchical rhetoric of Twitter fandom

摘要: Since its 2006 debut, Twitter has emerged as the primary online space for communication between celebrity and audience. Yet scholars are conflicted on whether Twitter’s expanded interaction is actual or merely perceived. Some contend that social media site represents a democratised public square in which borders ordinary extraordinary flattened, while others argue encompasses synthetic personalisation: hierarchical power dynamics masked by simulated interconnection. Assuming an extension of traditions letter-writing fans fan clubs, this study utilises framework rhetorical arrangement drawn from medieval work ars dictaminis, art letter-writing. Informed Cicero, dictaminis divided letter into five parts, including exordium (opening), captatio benevolentiae (capturing goodwill), narratio (background), petitio (petition/request), conclusio (conclusion). Tweets directed at top most...