The Surprise of Performance
Are the exaggerated expressions in reaction videos genuine? This video essay delves into YouTube culture and analyzes the phenomenon of “emotional labor” within it.
It particularly focuses on how gender norms shape the emotional performance rules of creators. This article argues that these reactions are far from spontaneous behaviors, but rather a highly gendered performative work carried out to meet the expectations of the audience and the algorithms of the platform.
Of course, you can also watch this video by using a web link（If you can’t open the video on the website, try clicking on it.）: https://youtu.be/niOSfvCWBKw?si=YnLTEBKl0DfINgpR
Core Argument: The expressions in reaction videos are a form of emotional labor influenced by gender norms and performed for the sake of traffic.
Hejun Wang24020546 