Event Title
Flabby to Fabulous and Kick Butt Guarantees: Gender Ideologies in Fitness Advertising
Presentation Type
Poster/Portfolio
Presenter Major(s)
French, Mathematics
Mentor Information
Kathryn Remlinger
Department
English
Location
Kirkhof Center KC42
Start Date
10-4-2013 12:00 PM
End Date
10-4-2013 1:00 PM
Keywords
Gender, Identity, Media
Abstract
Language in the media has created a consumer feminism which has problematized women's bodies for decades, and continues to do so now with the addition of the problematization of the male body, a relatively new phenomenon. Fitness advertising is a billion-dollar institution that has the power to spread and legitimize these ideologies. For our study, we analyzed Shake Weight and Shake Weight for Men advertisements with focus on the presentation of masculinity and femininity. Following the poststructuralist feminist approach, with critical discourse analysis, we examined the discursive construction of masculinity and femininity to reveal ideologies in the language of advertisements. Our data include transcripts of two two-minute Shake Weight commercials. Our findings demonstrate that Shake Weight advertisers are using gender ideologies, such as size, strength, and gaze, to sell their products.
Flabby to Fabulous and Kick Butt Guarantees: Gender Ideologies in Fitness Advertising
Kirkhof Center KC42
Language in the media has created a consumer feminism which has problematized women's bodies for decades, and continues to do so now with the addition of the problematization of the male body, a relatively new phenomenon. Fitness advertising is a billion-dollar institution that has the power to spread and legitimize these ideologies. For our study, we analyzed Shake Weight and Shake Weight for Men advertisements with focus on the presentation of masculinity and femininity. Following the poststructuralist feminist approach, with critical discourse analysis, we examined the discursive construction of masculinity and femininity to reveal ideologies in the language of advertisements. Our data include transcripts of two two-minute Shake Weight commercials. Our findings demonstrate that Shake Weight advertisers are using gender ideologies, such as size, strength, and gaze, to sell their products.