Post-feminist Visibilities in Modern Advertising Techniques

This thesis examines how advertising tactics have evolved since third wave feminism in relation to gendered messages in advertisements. Specifically, this paper investigates how current print advertisements, featured in popular magazines, embody post-feminist themes. These themes include: the notion that feminism is a bodily property; the shift from objectification to subjectification; an emphasis upon self-surveillance, monitoring and self-discipline; a focus on individualism, choice, and empowerment; the dominance of a makeover paradigm; and a resurgence of ideas about natural sexual difference. Furthermore, this paper will explore the presence of common figures that embody these themes and the implications of these representations on society. To explore these topics, two current editions of popular magazines, one which targets women and one which targets men, were analyzed. Thirty-two advertisements from Women’s Health and twenty-six advertisements from Men’s Health comprised a sample of fifty-eight total advertisements that were evaluated to identify trends