ColdplayGate as digital spectacle: memetic communication, hybrid media events, and platform amplification
Article / Journal
Author(s) / editor(s):
Dag Øivind Madsen
Year: 2026
Language(s): English
Abstract:
The paper analyzes "ColdplayGate"—a July 2025 kiss-cam moment that became a global meme within hours—to show how minor live events turn into digital spectacles via hybrid media dynamics, platform amplification, and memetic practices. It traces how users, journalists, brands, and performers co‑produce rapid narratives by remixing and recirculating awkward live footage, and argues that context collapse, algorithmic visibility, and shared meme repertoires shape public meaning and involuntary visibility in platform society
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2026.2617065
Post created by: Virginia Signorini