New Trends in The Representation of Women in Contemporary Media Culture: A Critical Analysis of Three Women Empowering Advertising Campaigns

Nermin Alkan

doi:10.16878/gsuilet.258974

New Trends in The Representation of Women in Contemporary Media Culture: A Critical Analysis of Three Women Empowering Advertising Campaigns

Year 2016, Issue: 24, 119 - 143, 29.06.2016

Nermin Alkan

https://doi.org/10.16878/gsuilet.258974

Cited By: 4

Abstract

Unlike previous scholarly research which has examined women representation in the media by highlighting the point that women have long been depicted as passive and dependent on men thereby reproducing traditional gender roles, this research aimed to discover the newly emerging trends in the women’s media representation, in which over the last decade women have been represented in empowered and liberalized manner. Through social semiotic and critical discourse analysis of ALWAYS: Like a Girl (2014), CoverGirl: Girls Can (2014) and Gillette Venus: Use Your And (2015) advertising campaigns’ representational practices about women in the example of campaigns’ video commercials, this research concluded that while these campaigns’ visual texts construct the meaning of empowered women as independent and powerful by way of producing the myths of contemporary women as physically active, multidimensional, authoritative, darer, courageous, funny, successoriented and unstoppable, these representations strive to promote women’s empowerment rhetoric to reach advanced consumerism targets of commercial companies through encouraging women to consume recommended brands as a sign of their independence and feminine power.

Keywords

neoliberalizm, (popüler) postfeminizm, toplumsal cinsiyet ilişkileri, görsel temsil, kadın güçlendirme reklam kampanyaları

References

Always. (2014, June 26). Always #LikeAGirl [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs&feature=youtu.be.
Arthurs, J. (2003). Sex and the City and Consumer Culture: Remediating Postfeminist Drama. Feminist Media Studies, 3(1), 83-98. Doi: 10.1080/1468077032000080149
Bartky, S. L. (1997). Foucault, Femininity, and the Modernization of Patriarchal Power. In D. T. Meyers (Ed.), Feminist Social Thought: A Reader (92-111). New York: Routledge.
Berger, A. A. (2008). Seeing is Believing: An Introduction to Visual Communication (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw Hill Education.
Burkett, M. & Hamilton, K. (2012). Postfeminist sexual agency: Young women’s negotiations of sexual consent. Sexualities, 15(7), 815-833. Doi: 10.1177/1363460712454076
Chen, E. (2013). Neoliberalism and popular women’s culture: Rethinking choice, freedom and agency. European Journal of Cultural Studies, 16(4), 440-452. Doi: 10.1177/1367549413484297
CoverGirl. (2014, February 21). #GirlsCan: Women Empowerment [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmmGClZb8Mg&index=3&list=PL1_vRQKoHSnxQmxjx03a0Y6P-iYIW7DYv.
Gill, R. (2007a). Postfeminist Media Culture: Elements of Sensibility. Cultural Studies, 10(2), 147-166. Doi: 10.1177/1367549407075898
Gill, R. (2007b). Gender and the Media. Cambridge: Polity.
Gill, R. (2008a). Empowerment/Sexism: Figuring Female Sexual Agency in Contemporary Advertising. Feminism & Psychology, 18(1), 35-60. Doi: 10.1177/0959353507084950
Gill, R. (2008b). Culture and Subjectivity in Neoliberal and Postfeminist Times. Subjectivity, 25(1), 432-445. Retrieved 2015, March 27, from http://www.palgrave-journals.com/sub/journal/v25/n1/pdf/sub200828a.pdf.
Gill, R. & Scharff, C. (Eds.). (2011). New Femininities: Postfeminism, Neoliberalism and Subjectivity. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Gillette Venus. (2015, January 6). Gillette Venus #UseYourAnd [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFEaj2rNknU.
Gonick, M. (2006). Between “Girl Power” and “Reviving Ophelia”: Constituting the Neoliberal Girl Subject. NWSA Journal, 18(2), 1-23. Retrieved 2015, January 31, from http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/4317205?uid=28262&uid=3738032&uid=2&uid=3&uid=5910784&uid=67&uid=28260&uid=62&sid=21105290356371.
Hall, S. (Ed.), (1997). Representation, Cultural Representation and Signifying Practices. London: Sage Publications.
Iedema, R. (2001). Analysing film and television: a social semiotic account of hospital: An unhealthy business. In T. van Leeuwen & C. Jewitt (Eds.), Handbook of Visual Analysis (183-204). London: SAGE.
Jewitt, C., & Oyama, R. (2001). Visual Meaning: a social semiotic approach. In T. van Leeuwen & C. Jewitt (Eds.), Handbook of Visual Analysis (134-156). London: SAGE.
Johnstone, J. & Taylor, J. (2008). Feminist Consumerism and Fat Activists: A Comparative Study of Grassroots Activism and the Dove Real Beauty Campaign. Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 33(4), 941-966. Retrieved 2015, 3 February, from http://earbirding.com/3020summer2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Feminist-Studies-and-Dove.pdf.
Kauppinen, K. (2013). Full power despite stresses: A discourse analytical examination of the interconnectedness of postfeminism and neoliberalism in the domain of work in an international women’s magazine. Discourse & Communication, 7(2), 133-151. Doi: 10.1177/1750481313476596
Koller, V. (2008). Not just a colour: pink as a gender and sexuality marker in visual communication. Visual communication, 7(4), 343-368. Doi: 10.1177/1470357208096209
Kress, G. & van Leeuwen, T. (2002). Colour as a semiotic mode: notes for a grammar of colour. Visual Communication, 1(3), 395-423. Doi:10.1177/147035720200100306
Kress, G. & van Leeuwen, T. (2006). Reading Images, the Grammar of Visual Design (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.
Lazar, M. M. (2007). Discover the Power of Femininity! Analyzing global “power femininity” in local advertising. Feminist Media Studies, 6(4), 505-517. doi:10.1080/14680770600990002
Lazar, M. M. (2011). The Right to Be Beautiful: Postfeminist Identity and Consumer Beauty Advertising. In R. Gill & C. Scharff (Eds.), New Femininities: Postfeminism, Neoliberalism and Subjectivity (37-51). Basingstoke, GB: Palgrave Macmillan.
Martin, B. (1988). Feminism, Criticism and Foucault. In I. Diamond & L. Quinby (Eds.), Feminism and Foucault: Reflections on Resistance (3-9). Boston: Northeastern University Press.
Macdonald, M. (1995). Representing Women: Myths of femininity in the popular media. London: Arnold.
McRobbie, A. (1997). More! New sexualities in girls’ and women’s magazines. In A. McRobbie (Ed.), Back to Reality?: Social Experiences and Cultural Studies (190-209). Manchester: Manchester University Press.
McRobbie, A. (2004). Post feminism and popular culture. Feminist Media Studies, 4(3), 255-264. Doi: 10.1080/1468077042000309937
McRobbie, A. (2009). The aftermath of feminism: Gender, Culture and Social Change. London: Sage.Murray, D. P. (2012). Branding “Real” Social Change in Dove’s
Campaign For Real Beauty. Feminist Media Studies, 13(1), 83-101. Doi: 10.1080/14680777.2011.647963
Riordan, E. (2001). Commodified Agents and Empowered Girls: Consuming and Producing Feminism. Journal of Communication Inquiry, 25(3), 279-297. Doi:10.1177/0196859901025003006
Zoonen, V. L. (1994). Feminist Media Studies. London: Sage Publication.

Year 2016, Issue: 24, 119 - 143, 29.06.2016

Nermin Alkan

https://doi.org/10.16878/gsuilet.258974

Cited By: 4

Abstract

References

Always. (2014, June 26). Always #LikeAGirl [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs&feature=youtu.be.
Arthurs, J. (2003). Sex and the City and Consumer Culture: Remediating Postfeminist Drama. Feminist Media Studies, 3(1), 83-98. Doi: 10.1080/1468077032000080149
Bartky, S. L. (1997). Foucault, Femininity, and the Modernization of Patriarchal Power. In D. T. Meyers (Ed.), Feminist Social Thought: A Reader (92-111). New York: Routledge.
Berger, A. A. (2008). Seeing is Believing: An Introduction to Visual Communication (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw Hill Education.
Burkett, M. & Hamilton, K. (2012). Postfeminist sexual agency: Young women’s negotiations of sexual consent. Sexualities, 15(7), 815-833. Doi: 10.1177/1363460712454076
Chen, E. (2013). Neoliberalism and popular women’s culture: Rethinking choice, freedom and agency. European Journal of Cultural Studies, 16(4), 440-452. Doi: 10.1177/1367549413484297
CoverGirl. (2014, February 21). #GirlsCan: Women Empowerment [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmmGClZb8Mg&index=3&list=PL1_vRQKoHSnxQmxjx03a0Y6P-iYIW7DYv.
Gill, R. (2007a). Postfeminist Media Culture: Elements of Sensibility. Cultural Studies, 10(2), 147-166. Doi: 10.1177/1367549407075898
Gill, R. (2007b). Gender and the Media. Cambridge: Polity.
Gill, R. (2008a). Empowerment/Sexism: Figuring Female Sexual Agency in Contemporary Advertising. Feminism & Psychology, 18(1), 35-60. Doi: 10.1177/0959353507084950
Gill, R. (2008b). Culture and Subjectivity in Neoliberal and Postfeminist Times. Subjectivity, 25(1), 432-445. Retrieved 2015, March 27, from http://www.palgrave-journals.com/sub/journal/v25/n1/pdf/sub200828a.pdf.
Gill, R. & Scharff, C. (Eds.). (2011). New Femininities: Postfeminism, Neoliberalism and Subjectivity. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Gillette Venus. (2015, January 6). Gillette Venus #UseYourAnd [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFEaj2rNknU.
Gonick, M. (2006). Between “Girl Power” and “Reviving Ophelia”: Constituting the Neoliberal Girl Subject. NWSA Journal, 18(2), 1-23. Retrieved 2015, January 31, from http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/4317205?uid=28262&uid=3738032&uid=2&uid=3&uid=5910784&uid=67&uid=28260&uid=62&sid=21105290356371.
Hall, S. (Ed.), (1997). Representation, Cultural Representation and Signifying Practices. London: Sage Publications.
Iedema, R. (2001). Analysing film and television: a social semiotic account of hospital: An unhealthy business. In T. van Leeuwen & C. Jewitt (Eds.), Handbook of Visual Analysis (183-204). London: SAGE.
Jewitt, C., & Oyama, R. (2001). Visual Meaning: a social semiotic approach. In T. van Leeuwen & C. Jewitt (Eds.), Handbook of Visual Analysis (134-156). London: SAGE.
Johnstone, J. & Taylor, J. (2008). Feminist Consumerism and Fat Activists: A Comparative Study of Grassroots Activism and the Dove Real Beauty Campaign. Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 33(4), 941-966. Retrieved 2015, 3 February, from http://earbirding.com/3020summer2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Feminist-Studies-and-Dove.pdf.
Kauppinen, K. (2013). Full power despite stresses: A discourse analytical examination of the interconnectedness of postfeminism and neoliberalism in the domain of work in an international women’s magazine. Discourse & Communication, 7(2), 133-151. Doi: 10.1177/1750481313476596
Koller, V. (2008). Not just a colour: pink as a gender and sexuality marker in visual communication. Visual communication, 7(4), 343-368. Doi: 10.1177/1470357208096209
Kress, G. & van Leeuwen, T. (2002). Colour as a semiotic mode: notes for a grammar of colour. Visual Communication, 1(3), 395-423. Doi:10.1177/147035720200100306
Kress, G. & van Leeuwen, T. (2006). Reading Images, the Grammar of Visual Design (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.
Lazar, M. M. (2007). Discover the Power of Femininity! Analyzing global “power femininity” in local advertising. Feminist Media Studies, 6(4), 505-517. doi:10.1080/14680770600990002
Lazar, M. M. (2011). The Right to Be Beautiful: Postfeminist Identity and Consumer Beauty Advertising. In R. Gill & C. Scharff (Eds.), New Femininities: Postfeminism, Neoliberalism and Subjectivity (37-51). Basingstoke, GB: Palgrave Macmillan.
Martin, B. (1988). Feminism, Criticism and Foucault. In I. Diamond & L. Quinby (Eds.), Feminism and Foucault: Reflections on Resistance (3-9). Boston: Northeastern University Press.
Macdonald, M. (1995). Representing Women: Myths of femininity in the popular media. London: Arnold.
McRobbie, A. (1997). More! New sexualities in girls’ and women’s magazines. In A. McRobbie (Ed.), Back to Reality?: Social Experiences and Cultural Studies (190-209). Manchester: Manchester University Press.
McRobbie, A. (2004). Post feminism and popular culture. Feminist Media Studies, 4(3), 255-264. Doi: 10.1080/1468077042000309937
McRobbie, A. (2009). The aftermath of feminism: Gender, Culture and Social Change. London: Sage.Murray, D. P. (2012). Branding “Real” Social Change in Dove’s
Campaign For Real Beauty. Feminist Media Studies, 13(1), 83-101. Doi: 10.1080/14680777.2011.647963
Riordan, E. (2001). Commodified Agents and Empowered Girls: Consuming and Producing Feminism. Journal of Communication Inquiry, 25(3), 279-297. Doi:10.1177/0196859901025003006
Zoonen, V. L. (1994). Feminist Media Studies. London: Sage Publication.

There are 32 citations in total.

Details

Journal Section	Articles
Authors	Nermin Alkan
Publication Date	June 29, 2016
Published in Issue	Year 2016Issue: 24

Cite

APA	Alkan, N. (2016). New Trends in The Representation of Women in Contemporary Media Culture: A Critical Analysis of Three Women Empowering Advertising Campaigns. Galatasaray Üniversitesi İletişim Dergisi(24), 119-143. https://doi.org/10.16878/gsuilet.258974