The Tropes of Celebrity Environmentalism

Abidin, Crystal; Brockington, Dan; Goodman, Michael K.; Mostafanezhad, Mary; Richey, Lisa Ann

doi:10.1146/annurev-environ-012320-081703

Cited by 39 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 75 publications

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“…The Lacanian concept of jouissance is not the same as the common-sense understanding of enjoyment: it is "the raw libidinal energy of the bodily drives, which is only experienced as enjoyment when structured by specific fantasies that underpin our sense of reality" (Wilson 2014b: 113). In this case, tourists can tap into fantasies about themselves as white saviors, who are needed to save African nature from brutal, mostly black, poachers (Abidin et al 2020). Based on colonially grounded, racial inequalities, conservation spaces "create space for white saviors to make their mediagenic interventions" (Abidin et al 2020: 10;cf.…”

Section: Enjoyment/jouissancementioning

confidence: 99%

Enjoying extinction: philanthrocapitalism, <i>jouissance</i>, and 'excessive environmentourism' in the South African rhino poaching crisis

Koot¹

2021

Journal of Political Ecology

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From 2007 to 2015, rhino poaching grew rapidly in and around Kruger National Park, South Africa. And though poaching numbers have declined since then, the 'poaching crisis' and its consequences continue to influence rhetoric and practice in the area, including continuing public outcries that the rhino is close to extinction. This discourse of extinction is also prevalent among the luxurious tourist lodges on private nature reserves of the Greater Kruger Area that attract wealthy tourists. In response, some lodges started initiatives in which tourists can join the fight against rhino poaching. These tourist activities share important similarities with 'philanthrocapitalism',in which wealthy philanthropists address social and environmental challenges drawing on the same business principles that made them successful. Based on research on the tourism industry, I explore the political ecology of such high-end, 'environmentourist' activities. I argue that philanthropic environmental tourist activities are based on a reductionist articulation of the rhino poaching crisis. They de-politicize it from its socio-economic and historical context and are 'excessive', in that they produce and legitimize exorbitant forms of privatized, luxurious tourism and consumerism as a solution for social and environmental crises. Moreover,such 'excessive environmentourism' allows wealthy tourists to enjoy 'doing good'in a very specific way, best captured by the term 'jouissance.' Jouissance is a particular type of ambivalent enjoyment that includes fascination with dark and horrific elements (i.e. poached rhinos and the idea that these animals are at the brink of extinction). I conclude that jouissance functions as a core motivation for wealthy tourists to engage in touristic experiences precisely because it enables them to believe they can overcome the dark sides of their own excesses ironically by 'doing good', grounded in excessive consumption.

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Section: Enjoyment/jouissancementioning

confidence: 99%

Enjoying extinction: philanthrocapitalism, <i>jouissance</i>, and 'excessive environmentourism' in the South African rhino poaching crisis

Koot¹

2021

Journal of Political Ecology

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“…In another important work, Crystal Abidin et al (2020) identified various tropes of celebrity environmentalism. They observed that celebrities have a specific form of capital (deriving from Pierre Bourdieu's (1993) field theory) which gives them recognisability and influence across multiple platforms.…”

Section: Digital Representations Of Naturementioning

confidence: 99%

Construction of Natures and Protests on Instagram: A Study of Virtual Environmental Activism in India During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Tuli

Danish²

2021

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In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown in India restricted ‘real world’ protests, shifting dissent to digital spaces. In this article we explore virtual environmental activism on Instagram by looking at two case-studies that gained prominence during this period. The first was the death of a pregnant elephant in Kerala by consuming cracker-laden food meant to deter boars from crop-raiding. The second was an oil and gas leak in Baghjan, an ecologically sensitive region in Assam. Through content analysis of ‘Top’ posts, we thematically classified the representations of nature and non-humans constructed through Instagram visuals, identifying overlaps and contradictions in the two cases. Observing that the images of animals in pain generated massive response, we argue that Susan Sontag’s (2003) framework on the haunting power of images of human suffering can be expanded to include non-humans. These visuals highlight certain creatures, excluding other species and vilifying human communities belonging to the same landscapes. We show how unilinear models of economic development and progress, as well as hierarchical and casteist notions in Hinduism continue to shape environmental debates in India. The religious overtones discount the environmental discourse based on scientific knowledge, and disrupt nuances of community driven action. By tracing the online trajectories of the two protests, we also illustrate how virality limits Instagram activism by sidelining local voices and privileging short-lived consumer action over systemic change.

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“…Arguably, this appears to be the case of famous personalities such as Greta Thunberg (see Morningstar 2019;Abidin et al 2020) as much as it was for (in-)famous terrorists such as Timothy McVeigh or Osama Bin Laden (see Nacos 2007). Thunberg's sharp rise to celebrity status began as an anonymous, headstrong teenager campaigning against climate change on the steps of the Swedish parliament.…”

Section: The Rise Of the Terrorist As A Micro-celebritymentioning

confidence: 99%

Fatal portraits: The selfie as agent of radicalization

Mantello

2021

SSS

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For the modern-day jihadist, the digital self-portrait or, more specifically, battlefield selfie is a popular tool for identity building. Similarly to the selfies taken by non-violent practitioners of self-capture culture, the jihadist selfie represents an alternative to the Cartesian formulation of a unitary and indivisible self. Rather, it is a product of social relations and performative actions, constituted in dialogue with others through very specific socio-cultural frameworks and expectations. However, unlike its non-violent Doppelgänger, the expectations of this dialogue are centred around a larger political agenda which actively seeks to reformat collective memories of imperial Islamic conquests and co-opt religion as a way to impose a moral order on its violence. Importantly, the battlefield selfie allows the jihadist easily to traverse the boundaries between two seemingly opposing belief systems. Although there exists a wealth of scholarship of self-capture culture, image sharing sites and micro-celebritism, their pervasive influence and practice on battlefield is understudied. This article draws from the personal histories of key Islamic extremists who were both lionized and demonized as a result of their battlefield micro-influencer practices. Today, however, the same individuals can achieve internet fame by participating in self-capture culture – posting selfies, videos or blogging. In other words, never before has a soldier’s public communication been so personal yet collective.

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The Tropes of Celebrity Environmentalism

Cited by 39 publications

References 75 publications

Enjoying extinction: philanthrocapitalism, <i>jouissance</i>, and 'excessive environmentourism' in the South African rhino poaching crisis

Enjoying extinction: philanthrocapitalism, <i>jouissance</i>, and 'excessive environmentourism' in the South African rhino poaching crisis

Construction of Natures and Protests on Instagram: A Study of Virtual Environmental Activism in India During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Fatal portraits: The selfie as agent of radicalization

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