DOI
10.17077/etd.v87f8fy5
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Degree
Spring 2018
Access Restrictions
Access restricted until 07/03/2020
Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Degree In
Journalism
First Advisor
Melissa Tully
First Committee Member
Brian Ekdale
Second Committee Member
Thomas Oates
Abstract
Bodybuilding “mecca” Gold’s Gym Venice is a popular hotspot for athletes, celebrities, and their fans. Traditional and new media celebrities inhabit the space together and use it for a variety of purposes. Social media influencers often congregate within the walls of Gold’s Gym, using the commercial space to film, host meet-ups with fans, and socialize with other social media stars. Recently, Gold’s Gym Venice has placed restrictions on when, where, and how the influencers can film. This study explores fitness influencers in relation to their environment, the commercial space of Gold’s Gym Venice, through the strategies and tactics (De Certeau, 2011) implemented by different social groups and the self-work (Banet-Weiser, 2012) done by influencers to construct authenticity for their followers and fans. Influencers have often been studied separately from their surroundings, and this thesis analyzes the social media personalities in connection with their surroundings in order to understand how new digital workers navigate creative work in a traditional commercial space.
Keywords
bodybuilding, branding, digital media, Gold's Gym, influencers, YouTube
Pages
v, 72 pages
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 62-66).
Copyright
Copyright © 2018 Mariah Wellman
Recommended Citation
Wellman, Mariah. "Gold’s Gym as a “home”: exploring the tensions between traditional bodybuilders and fitness influencers in a commercially branded space." MA (Master of Arts) thesis, University of Iowa, 2018.
https://doi.org/10.17077/etd.v87f8fy5