From<scp>TV</scp>Personality to Fans and Beyond: Indexical Bleaching and the Diffusion of a Media Innovation

Lauren Squires · 2014 · Journal of Linguistic Anthropology

Summary. This paper examines how a media phrase popularized by a television personality spreads beyond its original audience. The phrase 'lady pond' circulates from Bravo viewers to broader Twitter users while maintaining its form and meaning. However, it loses its connection to its media source through a process called indexical bleaching, where the phrase becomes detached from its original context, enabling wider adoption and diffusion.

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Squires, L.. (2014). From<scp>TV</scp>Personality to Fans and Beyond: Indexical Bleaching and the Diffusion of a Media Innovation. Journal of Linguistic Anthropology. https://doi.org/10.1111/jola.12036

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  title   = {From<scp>TV</scp>Personality to Fans and Beyond: Indexical Bleaching and the Diffusion of a Media Innovation},
  author  = {Lauren Squires},
  journal = {Journal of Linguistic Anthropology},
  year    = {2014},
  doi     = {10.1111/jola.12036},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1111/jola.12036}
}

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Details

DOI: 10.1111/jola.12036
Countries: United States
Regions: North America
Categories: innovation-theory, general-innovation
Added: 2026-04-28