NETTA BARZILAI AS AN ISRAELI SYMBOLIC GOODS

Abstract

his paper discusses Pierre Bourdieu’s term symbolic goods (1930-2002) through an Israeli case study, Netta Barzilai. An Israeli performer and songwriter, winner of the Eurovision 2018 with the song “TOY” which became the anthem of the Me-Too movement. Netta as a symbolic good was packaged, marketed and distributed to the public, and the Netta phenomenon has spread throughout the world. Based on interviews with Netta, through listening to the songs and watching the clips that came after “TOY”, “Bassa Sababa” (2019), “Nana Banana” (2019) and “Ricki Lake” (2020), I examine how and if Netta continues to maintain her status as a symbolic good, as an example and role model for many, and whether she continues to convey her message - self-love and self-acceptance - through shattering cultural and social stereotypes. It seems that Netta’s next three songs introduced a powerful big size Netta but also a vengeful, vicious, narcissistic and lazy Netta. The fresh message she carried at the beginning was swallowed up in an ocean of shallow commercial images. A trend that led Netta’s fans to lose interest and Netta to reinvent herself in her latest song, “Cuckoo” (2020). Through sincerity, directness and cleanliness of her message, Netta like a bird in a cage seeks to break free from the evil loop in which she was imprisoned and not only love herself but also love others and let others love her.