#Girlhood: Why Memetic Aesthetics of Hyperfemininity Matter for Feminist Media Studies
In: Journal of FemininitiesSearch for other papers by Brianna I. Wiens in
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Abstract
There is a pressing need to focus attention on hyperfemininity as a valid and valued form of gender expression and feminist protest within contemporary social media. As resistance against the heteropatriarchal gender expectations that influence femininity and that produce femmephobia, we focus our analysis on the social media #girlhood meme trend that, we suggest, embraces a wide range of femme practices through the re-mixing of fem(me)ininity and femme-ness, while critiquing heteropatriarchal norms. We trace the circulation of #girlhood, including coquette aesthetics, #barbiecore, and #bimbofeminism, outlining how these playful expressions of femininity contribute to subverting expectations of “successful” femme bodies. We argue that if gender norms are scripts that prescribe and describe how we must act, then widening the range of acceptable feminine behaviour through hyperfemininity, as manifest in #girlhood memes, is crucial for changing how we discipline femme bodies and how we analyze femininity within media studies.
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| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 756 | 756 | 422 |
| Full Text Views | 47 | 47 | 31 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 112 | 112 | 64 |
#Girlhood: Why Memetic Aesthetics of Hyperfemininity Matter for Feminist Media Studies
In: Journal of FemininitiesSearch for other papers by Brianna I. Wiens in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Anna McWebb in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
There is a pressing need to focus attention on hyperfemininity as a valid and valued form of gender expression and feminist protest within contemporary social media. As resistance against the heteropatriarchal gender expectations that influence femininity and that produce femmephobia, we focus our analysis on the social media #girlhood meme trend that, we suggest, embraces a wide range of femme practices through the re-mixing of fem(me)ininity and femme-ness, while critiquing heteropatriarchal norms. We trace the circulation of #girlhood, including coquette aesthetics, #barbiecore, and #bimbofeminism, outlining how these playful expressions of femininity contribute to subverting expectations of “successful” femme bodies. We argue that if gender norms are scripts that prescribe and describe how we must act, then widening the range of acceptable feminine behaviour through hyperfemininity, as manifest in #girlhood memes, is crucial for changing how we discipline femme bodies and how we analyze femininity within media studies.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 756 | 756 | 422 |
| Full Text Views | 47 | 47 | 31 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 112 | 112 | 64 |