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Empati som strategi: Publikens upplevelser av Joe Goldberg i You
Dalarna University, School of Culture and Society.
Dalarna University, School of Culture and Society.
2025 (Swedish)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesisAlternative title
Empathy as a Strategy : Audience Engagement with Joe Goldberg from You (English)
Abstract [en]

This study looks at how viewers react to Joe Goldberg, the main character from You (Berlanti & Gamble, 2018-2025), based on discussions on TikTok and Reddit. Using a netnographic approach, the study shows that reactions are divided: some viewers feel sympathy for Joe, mainly because the story is told from his perspective, while others reject him, arguing that the series romanticizes harmful behaviors tied to masculinity and power. The study highlights how people’s interpretations of morally complex characters are shaped by the way the story is told, their own values, and the conversations happening online. Sympathy for Joe often comes from him being the central character, but viewers also reflect on and criticize the messages the show sends. Feminist and social perspectives often come up in discussions, with many connecting the show to real-life issues like power and violence in relationships. Overall, the study shows that audience interpretations continue to evolve through online discussions, and moral questions live on long after the show ends.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2025.
Keywords [sv]
You, Joe Goldberg, Onlineforum, Netnografi, Följsamhet, Empati, Feminism, Maskulinitet, ASPD
National Category
Media and Communications
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:du-52239OAI: oai:DiVA.org:du-52239DiVA, id: diva2:2024951
Subject / course
Moving Image Production
Available from: 2026-01-02 Created: 2026-01-02

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fulltext(937 kB)455 downloads
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CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • chicago-author-date
  • chicago-note-bibliography
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf