I think that my relationship with gendered media is particularly interesting because, as a queer individual, the way that I interact with gendered advertisements and marketing is subversive to the traditional cis-normative media. Ever since I was young, I’ve loved Vogue and W Magazine. These magazines are heavily marketed towards women with advertisements for femme clothes and for make-up. I knew that these were gendered female advertisements and that it was abnormal for me to be consuming this media. However, this didn’t discourage or stop me from participating and consuming this media, but it highlights the way that media and magazines are attempting to reinforce cisgendered roles within society and femininity.
I’m curious about the relationship between advertisers and the relationship of whether or not they’re shaping or reinforcing gender roles. I think that it’s sort of a symbiotic relationship where neither has complete control, but rather they work together to establish a norm. Hence, within fashion there’s a constant fluctuation between which bodies are considered desirable and “en vogue.” These tastes are both dictated by the advertisers and fashion houses, but they are also encouraged by popular culture and tastes that are not entirely within their power. It’s difficult to define a boundary between the advertiser’s motivation and the cultural norms and I’m curious as to how that could be further teased out and explored in terms of literacy practices and media consumption.
