ABSTRACT
In the wake of COVID-19, a “Virtual YouTuber” (hereafter VTuber) named Ironmouse rose to prominence. The global pandemic was “a mass-disabling event,” where barriers to full social participation that had once been invisible became common concerns. There was a crisis of “care economies,” which disabled people had long experienced. While she is not unique in sharing disability with others online, Ironmouse, whose physical conditions have meant that she has spent much of her life in seclusion, stands out in her consciousness of what new forms of interaction and relation can mean to fans. Drawing on the literature on “idols,” or performers who appeal directly to their audience for support and invite intimate and intense interactions and relations, the chapter contends that Ironmouse’s approach to disability highlights vulnerability and loops others into her “open becoming.” Fans participate in VTubers’ open becoming through their interactions and relations with them. This participation can be therapeutic for those who see their own vulnerability in the idolized VTuber. This open becoming and shared vulnerability is a common condition and aspect to the idol amid the mass-disabling COVID-19. Against this backdrop, Ironmouse promotes new modes of collaboration and mutual empowerment. The chapter closes with thoughts on Ironmouse and her fans and talent management agency as stakeholders in the idolized character, as well as limits that come with taking advantage of vulnerabilities in ways that can hurt.
