The Feminist Strikes Back: Performative Mourning in the Twitter Response to Carrie Fisher’s Death

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Published: Jan 1, 2018

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Christine J. Widmayer
University of Wisconsin

Abstract

This essay explores the feminist response to Carrie Fisher’s death by analyzing the dialogic nature of tweets memorializing Fisher. In reaction to other fan’s memorials, feminists offer commentary about not only Leia and Fisher, but also Star Wars fandom in general. These feminist tweets become a form of performative mourning in that they both highlight the Twitter users’ identities and identification with Leia/Fisher and seek to further Fisher’s social causes. I unpack how these memorials honor Fisher by not only illuminating the general divisions within the Star Wars fan community, but also taking up Fisher’s activist legacy.

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How to Cite
Widmayer, C. J. (2018). The Feminist Strikes Back: Performative Mourning in the Twitter Response to Carrie Fisher’s Death. New Directions in Folklore, 15(1/2), 50–76. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/ndif/article/view/24284
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Vol. 15 No. 1/2 (2017): The Folk Awakens: Star Wars and Folkloristics
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