The Portrayal of a 21st Century Emancipated Woman in Perfume Commercials Cover Image

Prikaz emancipirane žene 21. stoljeća u reklamama za parfem
The Portrayal of a 21st Century Emancipated Woman in Perfume Commercials

Author(s): Viktorija Car, Lana Gajger
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Gender Studies, Media studies, Communication studies
Published by: Fakultet političkih znanosti u Zagrebu
Keywords: emancipation; postfeminism; fourth wave of feminism; celebrities; perfume commercial;

Summary/Abstract: In the 21st century, the feminist movement is experiencing a new upswing. This process is‏ particularly affected by the activity of female celebrities who promote and embody the idea of woman‏ emancipation. The main goal of this paper is to identify the ways in which female perfume commercials‏ present emancipation as desirable. By means of narrative analysis and the qualitative research method,‏ we analysed five perfume commercials featuring female celebrities as their main protagonists. The‏ common characteristics shared by all the protagonists in the analysed commercials is their determination‏ and a pronounced sense of self-awareness and insurgence. They are extroverted, assertive, and prone‏ to seeking excitement, competent and success-oriented. Their desirability is simultaneously determined‏ by masculine behaviour, feminine aesthetics, the rejection of gender norms (with the exception of the‏ slimness ideal), dominant behaviour when interacting with men, and the focus towards the future. The‏ behaviour of female protagonists almost completely matches the characteristics of the postfeminist‏ understanding of femininity and supports the fundamental determinant of feminism – the idea of‏ emancipation

  • Issue Year: 11/2020
  • Issue No: 22
  • Page Range: 102-120
  • Page Count: 19
  • Language: Croatian