Abstract
Commercialization of emotions is not a new phenomenon but in Denmark there is a new general trend to tell and sell personal stories in the media. Personal deprivation and crises are also major topics in sports media. This paper focuses on sports biographies as a book genre that is reviving in popularity. The paper approaches the topic through the biographies of one Danish athlete: the former professional cyclist, Jesper Skibby, who writes about his doping disclosure and shares his personal dilemmas as a former elite sportsman. The thematic text analysis orientates around social interactions, emotions, and personality constructions. Inspired by microsociology with a Durkheimian flavor of Goffman and Hochschild, themes including "face work," "interaction rituals," and "emotions management" are discussed. The analysis claims that sharing personal information in the media is not only a means of confession and reclaiming status but is also business and management - on an intimate level. Telling the story of the corrosion of a sporting character has become a hot issue, an entertainment, and not least a commercial commitment.
| Originalsprog | Engelsk |
|---|---|
| Tidsskrift | Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports |
| Vol/bind | 25 |
| Udgave nummer | 2 |
| Sider (fra-til) | 280-288 |
| Antal sider | 9 |
| ISSN | 0905-7188 |
| DOI | |
| Status | Udgivet - 1 apr. 2015 |