The genre repertoires of Norwegian beauty and lifestyle influencers on YouTube
Jul 09, 2021
About this article
Published Online: Jul 09, 2021
Page range: 168 - 184
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/nor-2021-0036
Keywords
© 2021 Aleksander Torjesen, published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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Classification of genre repertoire
| vlog | YouTubers engaging in seemingly unscripted and spontaneous everyday life activities. Does not require a specific situation, structure, or narrative. | SOL, BTS | confessional |
| haul | YouTubers describing and reviewing recently obtained products. | sit-down | informational, confessional |
| challenge | YouTubers performing one or more tasks (challenges). Largely tied to ephemeral trends on social media. | sit-down, SOL | confessional |
| Q&A (question & answer) | YouTubers answering questions posed by audience members. | sit-down | confessional |
| unboxing | YouTubers opening boxes, reviewing their contents, and sharing immediate thoughts. | sit-down | informational, confessional |
| routine | YouTubers enacting routine activities from their lives. Variants include morning, evening, skincare, diet, and workout routines. | SOL, BTS | confessional, informational, instructional |
| how-to / tutorial | YouTubers sharing guides and tutorials on how to perform one or more activities to achieve a particular result. | sit-down | instructional, confessional |
| best of / favourites | YouTubers discussing their experiences with products. Variants include best of, favourite, least favourite, must haves, recently bought, and most used. | sit-down | informational, confessional |
| product test | YouTubers testing products or services and subsequently reviewing them, often based on their first impressions. | sit-down | informational, confessional |
| story time | YouTubers sharing humorous, embarrassing, or intimate stories from their personal lives. | sit-down | confessional |
| girl talk | YouTubers answering questions and discussing topics related to female puberty and coming of age. | sit-down | confessional, instructional |
| declutter | YouTubers tidying up and sorting various products. May contain critique or descriptions of products. | BTS | confessional, informational |
| pack with me | YouTubers packing clothes and traveling supplies whilst chatting about their personal lives and the commodities shown on screen. | BTS | informational, confessional |
| GRWM (get ready with me) | YouTubers applying makeup and “getting ready” whilst conversing about their lives, cosmetics, and makeup application. | sit-down | confessional, instructional |
| reaction | YouTubers consuming media and sharing immediate reactions. | sit-down | confessional |
| mukbang | YouTubers eating, often whilst reading and discussing comments and direct messages. | sit-down, SOL | confessional |
| tour | YouTubers presenting their personal or professional spaces. | BTS, SOL | confessional |
| others | Music videos, pranks, ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response), channel announcements, and maintenance. | n/a | n/a |