31 research outputs found
AccessCulture:the remixable culture of prosumers and the cultural policy of the European Union
A Mayor’s Diary on Facebook
In May 2010, the Best Party won the municipal elections in Reykjavik, and the party’s
leading figure, comedian Jón Gnarr, was appointed Mayor of Reykjavik. During the election
campaign, the party ‘performed democracy’ by playing with irrational, satirical discourses
that challenged traditional discourses within political public spheres. Soon after
his inauguration, Gnarr began a Facebook page called ‘The Mayor’s Diary’ on which he
wrote openly about the challenges faced by a newcomer to politics. Approximately 10%
of the Icelandic population follows his profile. This article presents an analysis of the
communication conducted on the Mayor’s Diary, particularly of how Facebook as a media
environment conditions the Mayor’s performative manoeuvres and, correspondingly, how
the subversive discourses galvanised in the election campaign can begin ricocheting back
when discussions move from cultural public spheres to political public spheres