Zoella - Representation Flashcards

1
Q

Sexualisation

A
  • Zoella and other women are not often sexualised in her content.
  • Women are often shown in quite ‘family friendly’ ways e.g. no swearing, no revealing clothing and a focus on fun rather than shock value.
  • Zoella may choose to represent herself and others like this because of the young age of her target audience.
  • Another reason is that she may want to avoid bad publicity, to avoid losing sponsers or brand deals.
  • Zoella ‘performs’ a lot of tasks repetivively in her videos. Tasks that often associted with feminity, e.g. apply make-up, trying on clothes, cooking, cleaning etc.
  • These performances may construct her identity as female, and reinforce notions of what feminity means to the audience.
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2
Q

Mental Health

A
  • Seeing ‘imperfections’, e.g. no make-up, spots, crying, messy house etc, adds to this representation of ‘reality’ and makes it feel like we are seeing the real Zoella, even though it is likely stilll heavily constructed.
  • Zoella even tackles some isssues that are often seen as ‘taboo’, e.g. mental health such as anxiety, depression, sexual health such as smear tests etc.
  • This adds to the feeling of reality as well as we are seeing aspects that might traditionally be left out of typical media representations that are idealised.
  • Fans feel as though she is exposing her real life.
  • Despite this, Zoella’s posts are still heavily constructed, e.g. images chosen, edited, text written, etc.
  • Thus, what we are seeing is a hyperreal ‘simulacrum’ of Zoella.
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3
Q

Relatablity

A
  • Zoella’s videos and posts feature her doing a lot of relatable actvities such as cooking, cleaning, going out with friends etc.
  • This helps the audience relate to her / identify with her and see her as a normal person.
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4
Q

Main focus of content

A
  • Zoella also uses a lot of shots of make-up and hair products being used and demonstrated.
  • Zoella uses reasonably overtly feminine body language and actions such as applying make-up, touchinh her lips and hair, etc.
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5
Q

Representation of Gender

A
  • The emphasis on Fashion and beauty that is commonly found in blogs and vlogs aimed at teen and pre-teen girls could be seen to reinforce stereotypical understandings of gender.
  • In many ways, the function that these products perform, particularly in term of gender socialisation, is similar to the role that has traditionally been performed by girl’s magazines.
  • The make-up tutorials and demos that feature prominently on YouTube channels of beauty vloggers like Zoella and Tanya Burr could be said to perform a function in reinforcing beauty standards and consumption of beauty products.
  • Significantly, these channels are often monetised through advertising and sponsorship relating to the beauty industry
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6
Q

Zoella and Femininity: What are the most common videos/blog posts that Zoella makes?

A
  • Most common types of content on her YouTube: Makeup tutorials, fashion hauls. E.g. what’s in my make-up bag, autumn favourites, Summer makeup tutorial, half up knot hair tutorial.
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7
Q

To what extent does Zoella’s femininity reinforce or challenge gender stereotypes?

A
  • Make-up tutorials:
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8
Q

How is Gender represented in ‘My Boyfriend vs My Brother,’ by Zoella?

A

Zoella:
- Pink clothing -> stereotypically feminine.
- Heavy make-up -> Full beat, Glamour, Opposes her boyfriend and Brothers bare faces, reinforcing the association of make up with women.
- Favourite hobbies guessed: Flower arranging, shopping, baking —> stereotypically female hobbies.
- Constantly fixing her hair, checking her appearance —> reinforces stereotype that women are particularly conscious of their appearance.
- Giggling, feminine representation
- Female frustration at male behaviour, mothering.

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9
Q

How is gender represented in ‘My Boyfriend vs My Brother,’ by Joe and Alfie.

A
  • Male immaturity/childishness —> smelling feet, silly noises, squabbling with each other.
  • Relatability: ‘Crappy camera.’
  • Binary opposition of clothing —> Alfie wearing a black hoodie, Joe wearing a nude hoodie, Zoella wearing a pink jumper.
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10
Q

Examples of gender representation in Zoella’s old content:

A
  • ‘Huge PO Box opening,’ —> overconsumption, female stereotypes of shopping reinforced.
  • ‘Boyfriend does my ASOS shop.’ —> code of expression: fear —> men know nothing about shopping unlike women.
  • ‘Teen years,’ -> Personal, relatability. Representation of women’s issues.
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11
Q

Examples of gender representation by Zoella in her new content:

A
  • ‘Preparing for the new body’ —> Maternal content, child in thumbnail, represents women as maternal, family oriented.
  • ‘Bump update,’ maternal, relatability.
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12
Q

More than a stereotype

A
  • While Zoella’s content does have
    a lot of stereotypical representation.
  • It’s important to remember that this is
    constructed and she is also a self made business woman who built a platform to monetise!
  • She’s more than just the beauty and fashion videos.
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13
Q

Relevant theory:

A
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14
Q
A
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