Body Politics in Online Communication

¶ … Body Politics in online communication" offers an analytical stand on the issue of body representation in online communication. Her main ideas are based on the analysis of the public forum of the reality show, "Fear Factor," which she considers to be a discriminative communication tool for the world.

Her arguments are based on a research study conducted on one of the topics present on the forum entitled "Fat Fear Factor" in which a subtle discussion over the issue of body representation is conducted. More precisely, the author tries to view the debates that take place on the forum from an academic point-of-view. In this sense, she appeals to the theoretical discussion related to communication and online contact in order to properly assess the way in which the issue of the "appropriate" and "inappropriate" bodies is dealt with in free online communication.

The methods used for her analysis are as stated before related to the academic field. In this sense, she takes into account the "narrative content of the posts," "the ideological assumption of the post," and "the display of agreement and alignment" inside the forum (Carey, 2007).

This method is issued in order to assess the role played by the subject under discussion and by the arguments presented in support of or against the topic. Due to the complexity of the issue, and the wide variety of answers one can deliver, the topic chosen was the desire to include fat people to take part in the reality show.

The subject of the thread was particularly chosen by the author of the article because it could serve two purposes. On the one hand, it allowed for the online conversation to run along a rather determined line, therefore, there were little possibilities that the discussion would develop to a different subject completely unrelated. At the same time, the issue raised by the thread is summarized by the next idea, "I would like to make a suggestion that I have not seen before. I would like to suggest a "Fat Fear Factor" where all of the contestants are overweight. I would sign up for such a show and would love the opportunity to prove that plus-sized people can do the types of things average sized people do." (Carey, 2007, 3) on the other hand, the discussion of this topic as well as the thorough analysis of the text would reveal important aspects about the society in which we live.

Throughout the analysis she makes, the author reaches several conclusions on both these aspects; on the one hand, she considers the discussion from the academic point-of-view; on the other hand, she follows the aim of her theoretical research and concludes on the idea of the representativeness of the body in online communication.

On the one hand, in regard to the technicalities of online communication, from the analysis conducted to the lines of the messages and responses to posts, she concludes that there is indeed distinctiveness in the way in which people communicate online vs. face-to-face communication. More precisely, in the first situation they are more willing to talk about the issues otherwise would be reluctant to address such as for instance body fat or the way in which society treats overweight people. Also, the techniques used to maintain the flow of conversation are different from those used in face-to-face conversations, in the first case the interlocutor offering his partner more time and opportunity to agree with him. Finally, she positively reflects on the role played by cyberspace, as a means with powerful potential "not only for transforming embodied identity, but also for transforming social and cultural values surrounding those bodies" (Carey, 2007, 30)