Entertainmentization of Celebrity Conversion as a Form of Communicative Capitalism

Abstract

The phenomenon of celebrity conversions exposed through digital media has been transformed into an entertainment product within the framework of communicative capitalism. The event is packaged with dramatization, emotionality, and cinematography that resembles performing arts in the format of films, soap operas, or artistic documentaries. This study examines how celebrity conversions (Ruben Onsu, Nita Gunawan, Davina Karamoy) are presented on the YouTube platform to attract audience attention and optimize monetization. Using a qualitative approach with Critical Discourse Analysis methods, this study found that celebrity conversion content is produced in a nearly identical pattern, with narratives of self-discovery, emotional background music, and cinematography aimed at building emotional engagement with the audience. The results of this research indicate that personal spiritual experiences have been transformed into digital commodities capitalized on through an entertainment-based communication model. By revealing how celebrity religious conversions are strategically packaged as entertainment within the framework of communicative capitalism, this study offers an original critical perspective that bridges religious studies, digital media, and the attention economy-an intersection that remains underexplored in existing scholarship. This research raises critical public awareness of how religion is presented in digital media, as well as the importance of distinguishing between authentic spirituality and commercialized religious content. The findings also open up opportunities for further research in the fields of media, religion, and the digital economy.

Keywords:ConversionCelebrityDigital MediaEntertainmentizationCommunicative Capitalism