The Radio Host Cried, the Facebook Users Identified: Crying as an Action Linked to ‘good people’

This chapter analyzes online comments to a video made public on a Facebook site. The video shows a radio host that starts crying while broadcasting. Using Membership Categorization Analysis (MCA), the analysis shows how users account for the crying by making reference to common-sense-knowledge about people and what kinds of conduct particular types of people engage in. The analysis also shows that users identify with the host using indications of personal experiences, but while the host’s crying is praised, users avoid self-praise using humor and other self-deprecating devices. The chapter argues that categorization practices are indispensable for making sense about social conduct, and systematic analysis of the practices supply knowledge about the culture of a community that is built using online platforms.