GÊNERO EPIDÍTICO E O AUTOELOGIO NA CONSTITUIÇÃO DO ETHOS DE INFLUENCIADORES DIGITAIS

Abstract

In the context of discursive production in digital media, influencers emerge as central figures in shaping opinions and consumption trends. Their performance depends crucially on building a credible and trustworthy ethos, often associated with the demonstration of virtues, prudence, and benevolence. This article addresses the following question: what is the role of praise and self-praise in the constitution of influencers’ ethos? We investigate the rhetorical use of praise – both from third parties and self-praise – as a discursive strategy in constructing this image. The analyzed corpus consists of excerpts from a video by Pablo Marçal. The analysis is grounded in rhetoric, drawing on theoretical foundations proposed by Aristotle regarding ethos and the epideictic genre, Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca’s New Rhetoric, as well as approaches by Meyer and Reboul. The focus is to understand how these discursive practices are strategically employed as means of persuasion in rhetorical acts. Our hypothesis is that external praise functions as social validation that grants and converts symbolic capital (Bourdieu) in relations with the audience, thereby reinforcing the influencer’s ethos. Simultaneously, self-praise operates as an active performance (Goffman), aiming to construct, display, and amplify this same symbolic capital. These strategies significantly shape perceptions of authority by attributing to the speaker competencies and virtues that seek to lend greater weight to rhetorical proofs presented to the audience. The strategic use of praise and self-praise is a fundamental component in the manifestation of ethos and in the dynamics governing relationships between digital influencers and their audiences. This analysis reveals essential persuasive mechanisms in contemporary digital communication and in the struggle for recognition within this social field.