[Institutional Affiliation] Course: Media Studies & Digital Communication Date: April 14, 2026
For a figure whose livelihood depends on image, the phone is a threat. Cadey Mercury on the phone is "just a voice"—which democratizes but also unmoors the persona. Listeners cannot see the makeup, the lighting, the gesture. As such, phone calls force a return to raw charisma. cadey mercury on the phone
Walther, J. B. (1996). Computer-mediated communication: Impersonal, interpersonal, and hyperpersonal interaction. Communication Research, 23 (1), 3–43. As such, phone calls force a return to raw charisma
Research by Walther (1996) on Social Information Processing Theory suggests that even in lean media, users adapt to convey relational warmth. The telephone’s paralinguistic cues (pitch, volume, pauses, laughter) become hyper-salient. For a figure named Mercury, vocal dynamism is central; the phone therefore becomes a test of vocal authenticity. (1996)