Twitter and the (de)construction of the myth: Maradona and feminist digital activism

Abstract

This article examines the use of Twitter by feminist digital activists to (des) mythicise the figure of footballer Diego Armando Maradona after his death, on November 25, 2020. The athlete represents both and idol within the football sphere -Maradonian myth- and a personality rejected due to his violent behavior against several collectivities, including women. The research analyses the contribution of the interactive publics to the construction and deconstruction of this myth, using empirical data obtained from more than five million tweets, which were processed using Pajek and Gephi big data techniques. The study finds 23 Twitter communities that mainly participate in the digital conversation to mythicize Maradona. However, one of four tweets is submitted to criticize or disapprove his figure. The contents consistent with the feminist claims lead the critical voices collective and contribute to overcome the silence problematic affecting the freedom of expression in the digital and interconnected public space, even if they also show a limited impact of Twitter interactions to make visible and reinforce the feminist fight in the digital space.