Becoming a Tibetan Internet Celebrity: Lithang Tenzin's Self-Presentation and Identity Performance on Chinese Social Media Platforms.

The rise of social media and video-sharing platforms such as Douyin has created new opportunities for Tibetan internet users in China to establish themselves as internet celebrities, endorsing products and services to their followers. This article examines the online performance of Lithang Tenzin, a...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Critical Asian Studies Vol. 57; no. 2; pp. 313 - 334
Autor principal: Wangmo, Sonam
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Taylor & Francis Ltd Jun2025
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:The rise of social media and video-sharing platforms such as Douyin has created new opportunities for Tibetan internet users in China to establish themselves as internet celebrities, endorsing products and services to their followers. This article examines the online performance of Lithang Tenzin, a Tibetan man who gained overnight fame in 2020. By analysing 50 of his Douyin videos, this study explores how Tenzin crafts his self-presentation and identity to engage audiences and accumulate cultural and financial capital. It highlights his strategic adoption of communication strategies to navigate cultural representation, audience expectations, and state-sanctioned narratives. This research offers valuable insights into the dynamic ways in which marginalised Tibetan internet celebrities navigate China's digital landscape to gain visibility, a much-needed comparative perspective for studying social media celebrity and online fame within and beyond Chinese context.