Coke and the digital age

The portrayal of men and women in a sample of British television adverts was examined in an extension of the study by Manstead & McCulloch (1981). The central figures in 175 adverts were coded for their sex, mode of presentation, relationship to product, role, argument, product type and product price. The results were similar to those found by Manstead & McCulloch, namely, the portrayal of men and women conformed closely to traditional gender roles. A cluster analysis was performed to determine the main types of character portrayed in adverts. Of the eight types which resulted, five were mainly male and three were mainly female. Expensive products were advertised by the most stereotypic males: the most stereotypic females were silent. The few women presented as product authorities differed from the men not only in number but in role, product type and mode of presentation.

The Bechdel test, used to examine the frequency and portrayal of women in film, consists of three criteria – (1) a movie must represent two or more women, (2) who have names and speak to each other, (3) about anything other than a man. In order to answer the research question “Based on the Bechdel test, how does the Avengers series portray their female characters compared to their male characters?”, this paper utilizes and extends beyond the Bechdel test by performing a conventional content analysis of same-gender conversations in four top-grossing superhero films – Marvel’s The Avengers (2012), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019). By combining the simplicity of the Bechdel test with a qualitative approach to code dialogue, this paper illustrates the underrepresentation of female characters and specific differences between the portrayal of men and women in modern Marvel films. While the films improved in the amount of female characters and female-to-female conversations over time, there is still a small amount of female-to-female conversations in these films compared to male-to-male conversations. Furthermore, while male characters rarely spoke to each other about women, female characters spoke to each other about men very often. Some common elements of dialogue for both male and female characters were worries about danger, discussions of violence, and insulting others. Implications regarding this portrayal’s impact on female viewers are discussed.

This study compared portrayals of gender in Malaysian and British television advertisements regarding the portrayal of men and women across these two countries. A total of 236 advertisements were content analyzed for nine variables relating to the primary character of the advertisement. The findings provide evidence of gender stereotyping in both countries for types of products advertised, credibility and role of the primary characters. The results suggest that portrayals in British advertisements are similar to those in Malaysian advertisements despite the cultural gap. These findings are discussed in relation to implications and the limitations of the study are noted.

Orientation: The subject of gender portrayals in advertising continues to generate academicdiscussions in part because of its socialisation effects.Research purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine how print advertisements inDrum magazine portray women and men based on a number of categories including traitdescriptors, physical characteristics, role behaviours and occupational status.Motivation for the study: It is important to understand gender portrayals in advertisingbecause perceptions of social reality are influenced by what people are exposed to insocialisation agents such as advertisements.Research approach, design and method: A quantitative content analysis was run on a sampleof 415 advertisements drawn from Drum magazine. Partial least squares analysis was used toassess the relationships between the variables.Main findings: The findings show that gender has a statistically significant effect on profiles(roles) and sexual appeal but not on gender equity. Advertisers therefore treat modelsdifferently with regard to the roles assigned and the use of sexual appeal.Practical/managerial implications: Previous research evidence and theory indicate that thecontent of advertisements does influence readers’ self-perception and also their perceptionof others. Within the bounds of advertising creativity, it is important that advertisers payparticular attention to gender portrayals in advertising to avoid the creation or perpetuationof gender stereotypes.Contribution/value-add: Though the model’s gender influences portrayals in advertising,other contextual factors are also important determinants of portrayals.

The focus of this article is on portrayals of men and women in UK TV adverts, especially those for chocolate and related products. These ads were selected because they typically portray people engaged in a limited range of activities, and this permits more systematic comparison between them. Analysis focuses on forms of portrayal distinctive to either gender. Emphasis is placed on two findings – the portrayal of women as detachable from their local environments, and of men as foolish and incompetent. It is argued that these patterns are characteristic of TV ads more generally, and that they have possible connections with general cultural presuppositions concerning men and women.

Introduction Where children’s television once ruled supreme as a vehicle for sales of kids’ brands, the marketing of children’s toys now often hinges on having the right social media influencer, many of them children themselves (Verdon). As Forbes reported in 2021, the pandemic saw an increase in children spending more time online, many following their favourite influencers on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. The importance of tapping into partnering with the right influencer grew, as did sales in toys for children isolated at home. We detail, through a case study approach and visual narrative analysis of two Australian influencer siblings’ Instagram accounts, the nature of toy marketing to children in 2023. Findings point to the continued gendered nature of toys and the concurrent promotion of aspirational adult ‘toys’ (for example, cars, high-end cosmetics) and leisure pursuits that blur the line between what we considered to be children’s playthings and adult objects of desire. To Market, to Market Toys are a huge business worldwide. In 2021, the global toys market was projected to grow from $141.08 billion to $230.64 billion by 2028. During COVID-19, toy sales increased (Fortune Business Insights). The rise of the Internet alongside media and digital technologies has given toy marketers new opportunities to reach children directly, as well as producing new forms of digitally enabled play, with marketers potentially having access to children 24/7, way beyond the previous limits of children’s programming on television (Hains and Jennings). Children’s digital content has also extended to digital games alongside digital devices and Internet-connected toys. Children’s personal tablet ownership rose from less than 1 per cent in 2011 to 42 per cent in 2017 (Rideout), and continues to grow. Children’s value for brands and marketers has increased over time (Cunningham). The nexus between physical toys and the entertainment industry has grown stronger, first with the Disney company and then with the stand-out success of the Star Wars franchise (now owned by Disney) from the late 1970s (Hains and Jennings). The concept of transmedia storytelling and selling, with toys as the vehicle for children to play out the stories they saw on television, in comics, books, movies, and online, proved to be a lucrative one for the entertainment company franchises and the toy manufacturers (Bainbridge). All major toy brands now recognise the power of linking toy brands and entertaining transmedia children’s texts, including online content, with Disney, LEGO and Barbie being obvious examples. Gender and Toys: Boys and Girls Come Out to Play Alongside the growth of the children’s market, the gendering of children’s toys has also continued and increased, with concerns that traditional gender roles are still strongly promoted via children’s toys (Fine and Rush). Research shows that girls’ toys are socialising them for caring roles, shopping, and concern with beauty, while toys aimed at boys (including transportation and construction toys, action figures, and weapons) may promote physicality, aggression, construction, and action (Fine and Rush). As Blakemore and Center (632) suggested, then, if children learn from toy-play “by playing with strongly stereotyped toys, girls can be expected to learn that appearance and attractiveness are central to their worth, and that nurturance and domestic skills are important to be developed. Boys can be expected to learn that aggression, violence, and competition are fun, and that their toys are exciting and risky”. Recently there has been some pushback by consumers, and some toy brands have responded, with LEGO committing to less gendered toy marketing (Russell). YouTube: The World’s Most Popular Babysitter? One business executive has described YouTube as the most popular babysitter in the world (Capitalism.com). The use of children as influencers on YouTube to market toys through toy review videos is now a common practice (Feller and Burroughs; De Veirman et al.). These ‘reviews’ are not critical in the traditional sense of reviews in an institutional or legacy media context. Instead, the genre is a mash-up, which blurs the lines between three major genres: review, branded content, and entertainment (Jaakkola). Concerns have been raised about advertising disguised as entertainment for children, and calls have been made for nuanced regulatory approaches (Craig and Cunningham). The most popular toy review channels have millions of subscribers, and their hosts constitute some of YouTube’s top earners (Hunting). Toy review videos have become an important force in children’s media – in terms of economics, culture, and for brands (Hunting). Concurrently, surprise toys have risen as a popular type of toy, thanks in part to the popularity of the unboxing toy review genre (Nicoll and Nansen). Ryan’s World is probably the best-known in this genre, with conservative estimates putting 10-year-old Ryan Kanji’s family earnings at $25 million annually (Kang). Ryan’s World, formerly Ryan’s Toy Review, now has 10 YouTube channels and the star has his own show on Nic Junior as well as across other media, including books and video games (Capitalism.com). Marsh, through her case study of one child, showed the way children interact with online content, including unboxing videos, as ‘cyberflaneurs’. YouTube is the medium of choice for most children (now more so than television; Auxier et al.). However, Instagram is also a site where a significant number of children and teens spend time. Australian data from the e-Safety Commission in 2018 showed that while YouTube was the most popular platform, with 80 per cent of children 8-12 and 86 per cent of teens using the site, 24 per cent of children used Instagram, and 70 per cent of teens 13-17 (e-Safety Commissioner). Given the rise in social media, phone, and tablet use in the last five years, including among younger children, these statistics are now likely to be higher. A report from US-based Business Insider in 2021 stated that 40 per cent of children under 13 already use Instagram (Canales). This is despite the platform ostensibly only being for people aged 13 and over. Ofcom (the UK’s regulator for communications services) has discussed the rise of ‘Tik-Tots’ – young children defying age restrictions to be on social media – and the increase of young people consuming rather than sharing on social media (Ofcom). Insta-Kidfluencers on the Rise Marketers are now tapping into the selling power of children as social media influencers (or kidfluencers) to promote children’s toys, and in some cases, parents are happy to act as their children’s agents and managers for these pint-size prosumers. Abidin ("Micromicrocelebrity") was the first to discuss what she termed ‘micro-microcelebrities’, children of social media influencers (usually mothers) who have become, through their parents’ mediation, paid social media influencers themselves, often through Instagram. As Abidin noted: “their digital presence is deliberately commercial, framed and staged by Influencer mothers in order to maximize their advertorial potential, and are often postured to market even non-baby/parenting products such as fast food and vehicles”. Since that time, and with children now a growing audience on Instagram, some micro-microcelebrities have begun to promote toys alongside other brands which appeal to both children and adults. While initially these human ‘brand extensions’ of their mothers (Archer) appealed to adults, their sponsored content has evolved as they have aged, and their audience has grown and broadened to include children. Given the rise of Instagram as a site for the marketing of toys to children, through children themselves as social media influencers, and the lack of academic research on this phenomenon, our research looks at a case study of prominent child social media influencers on Instagram in Australia, who are managed by their mother, and who regularly promote toys. Within the case study, visual narrative analysis is used, to analyse the Instagram accounts of two high-profile child social media influencers, eleven-year-old Australian Pixie Curtis and her eight-year-old brother, Hunter Curtis, both of whom are managed by their entrepreneur and ‘PR queen’ mother, Roxy Jacenko. We analysed the posts from each child from March to July 2022 inclusive. Posts were recorded in a spreadsheet, with the content described, hashtags or handles recorded, and any brand or toy mentions noted. We used related media reports to supplement the analysis. We have considered ethical implications of our research and have made the decision to identify both children, as their accounts are public, with large follower numbers, promote commercial interests, and have the blue Instagram ‘tick’ that identifies their accounts as verified and ‘celebrity’ or brand accounts, and the children are regularly featured in mainstream media. The children’s mother, Jacenko, often discusses the children on television and has discussed using Pixie’s parties as events to gain publicity for the toy business. We have followed the lead of Abidin and Leaver, considered experts in the field, who have identified children and families in ethnographic research when the children or families have large numbers of followers (see Abidin, "#Familygoals"; Leaver and Abidin). We do acknowledge that other researchers have chosen not to identify influencer children (e.g., Ågren) with smaller numbers of followers. The research questions are as follows: RQ1: What are the toys featured on the two social media influencer children’s sites? RQ2: Are the toys traditionally gendered and if so, what are the main gender-based toys? RQ3: Do the children promote products that are traditionally aimed at adults? If so, how are these ‘toys’ presented, and what are they? Analysis The two child influencers and toy promoters, sister and brother Pixie (11) a

Fifth graders as young adolescents are recognisable by training their abilities to think critically and questioning gender roles. It is known that any representation of gender in purely traditional roles shapes students’ minds and influences their understanding of their abilities and interests. Therefore, their learning environment must be suited for students‘ growth as intellectuals. Textbooks, being one of the most popular tools between teaching materials, are responsible for the righteous portrayal of gender roles. The object of this study was to evaluate mathematics textbooks for the fifth graders using comparative analysis. For this research, four textbooks for fifth graders were chosen to be evaluated based on their usage in schools. Mixed methodology content analysis was performed together with evaluation analysis that was based on content analysis findings. For research purposes, the author‘s evaluation matrix was created. This research showed results determining the stereotypical portrayals of gender roles in all examined teaching materials. The portrayal of gender mostly dominated in traditional roles, almost in all categories was domination by males, except for traditionally ‘feminine’ household activities, also in some cases, there was a devaluation of women’s logical skills. It showed that the portrayal of man’s gender had superiority over the woman’s gender.

So angry at the blatant sexism of the mass media as to be blinded, students of the media's presentation of women have been more politically sophisticated than theoretically sound. In part, their research has been crippled by dependence upon the academic study of mass communications, a field hardly known for its intellectual vigor, but one whose problems must be understood in order to see why research on women and the media is theoretically stalled. The American Study of the Mass Media In the years following World War II, the media grew exponentially. So did study of the media. Perhaps because the media associated with the "mass" were insistently differentiated from high culture and intellectual substance, no academic field was willing to give such study a home. Instead, just as interdisciplinary teams of social scientists had cooperated during the war to study propaganda, they now cooperated to study the mass media. Perhaps defensively, the field became ponderously "scientific." To demonstrate that the media constituted an intellectually valid subject, researchers embraced the sophisticated techniques of modern social science and simultaneously hired themselves out as media consultants. Working for both Madison Avenue and the media conglomerates, they were asked to supply practical answers to seemingly

The study on 'The portrayal of gender in The Merchant of Venice and its effects on students' perceptions of gender roles' was carried out with the aim to understand how the play influenced students' opinions about gender roles. Although there is numerous research that has investigated gender stereotypes in the play, there is limited research done on the effect of the play on students. Adopting the constructivist paradigm, the data was collected using semi-structured interviews with 12 students and four teachers. According to the study, the play contains a significant amount of gender stereotypes that have both positive and negative effects on students' perceptions of gender roles. While the students learn about the ill effects of gender disparity and the role of women, they shared their discontentment about the portrayal of women as a weaker gender resulting in male students denying to take up the roles of female characters. The study confirms that teachers have a significant role to instill a sense of gender equality among the students, thus recommending that teachers employ a variety of activities in the class while teaching the play to enhance the perception of gender equality.

While numerous studies have analyzed women's portrayals in U.S. general market television as well as depiction of both sexes in several foreign countries, no data have been published regarding gender depictions targeted to the growing U.S. Hispanic market via Spanish-language television. A content analysis of 162 prime-time commercials from a Spanish-language television affiliate in a major U.S. market revealed depiction of women is most likely to be in traditional sex-stereotypical roles. In only a few cases was a male character cast as a parent or performer of household chores, and never as a homemaker. Some of the commercials appeared to be “re-treads” of general market creative edited for the Hispanic market.

Technological developments are experiencing very rapid enlightenment, especially in telecommunications and information. Social media is one of the tools andplatform which is often used by individuals and groups in the process of exchanging information, for example Instagram. Instagram is currently no longer only used by individuals, but many communities also use it. Such as being used to spread content that contains information about volunteerism from the community, for example, the Instagram account @idvolunteering. Content uploaded by the Instagram account @idvolunteering is of high quality, so it is hoped that it will meet information needsfollowers. The purpose of this study was to find out how much influence the content and quality of information on the @idvolunteering Instagram account have on fulfilling information needsfollowers. This research method uses a quantitative method using a questionnaire as a data collection instrument. In this study, the respondents werefollowers from the Instagram account @idvolunteering with a total sample of 400 respondents. The theory used in this research is theoryUses and Effect. This theory explains the relationship between mass communication conveyed through the mass media as a means and has an effect on its users. Media users are trying to find which media can meet their needs, one of which is to meet the information needs related to the recruitment of volunteer members. The results of the study indicate that there is a significant influence between the content and quality of information on the @idvolunteering Instagram account on fulfilling information needs. ABSTRAK Perkembangan teknologi mengalami pencerahan yang sangat pesat khususnya pada telekomunikasi dan informasi. Media sosial menjadi salah satu sarana dan platform yang seringkali digunakan oleh setiap individu maupun kelompok dalam proses pertukaran informasi, contohnya Instagram. Instagram saat ini tidak lagi hanya digunakan oleh individu saja, tetapi banyak komunitas yang juga menggunakannya. Seperti digunakan untuk menyebarkan konten yang berisi informasi-informasi seputar kerelawanan dari komunitas tersebut, sebagai contoh adalah akun Instagram @idvolunteering. Konten yang diunggah akun Instagram @idvolunteering memiliki kualitas sehingga diharapkan dapat memenuhi kebutuhan informasi followers. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui seberapa besar pengaruh konten dan kualitas informasi pada akun Instagram @idvolunteering terhadap pemenuhan kebutuhan informasi followers. Metode penelitian ini menggunakan metode kuantitatif dengan menggunakan kuesioner sebagai instrumen pengumpulan data. Pada penelitian ini, responden adalah followers dari akun Instagram @idvolunteering dengan keseluruhan jumlah sampel 400 responden. Teori yang digunakan pada penelitian ini adalah teori Uses and Effect. Teori ini menjelaskan mengenai hubungan antara komunikasi massa yang disampaikan melalui media massa sebagai sarananya dan menimbulkan efek bagi penggunanya. Pengguna media berusaha mencari media mana yang dapat memenuhi kebutuhannya, salah satunya adalah memenuhi kebutuhan informasi yang berhubungan dengan perekrutan anggota volunteer. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan menunjukkan bahwa terdapat pengaruh yang signifikan antara konten dan kualitas informasi pada akun Instagram @idvolunteering terhadap pemenuhan kebutuhan informasi.

This article summarizes the content analyses of male and female portrayals in U.S. television commercials that have been published since 1971. The paper also includes the results of a content analysis of television commercials conducted on a 1985 sample. Where possible, the data from the present study are compared to the findings of previous research to illustrate trends over time. The results reveal several differences between the portrayal of men and women, but many of the gaps seem to be narrowing. Men and women now appear equally often as central characters in prime-time commercials. Although a prior study indicated a difference between male and female primary characters' use of arguments, the present data revealed no differences in this regard. A lower percentage of female than of male central characters are depicted as employed, but males are being presented in increasing numbers as spouses and parents, with no other apparent occupation. Women are still more likely than men to be seen in domestic settings, advertising products used in the home. Although the difference seems to have become smaller, women are more likely than men to be shown as users of the products they advertise. The most striking gap persists with regard to narrators. Consistent with other content analyses conducted over the past 15 years, approximately 90% of all narrators are male. The findings are discussed in terms of the potential effect of exposure to stereotyped depictions on viewers' sex role attitudes.

In 1999, Furnham and Mak published a review of 14 content-analytic studies of sex roles stereotyping in television commercials. All these studies were based on the McArthur and Resko (1975) content categories. This paper updates that review considering 30 studies in over 20 countries published between 2000 and 2008. Studies were from Australasia, Austria, Bulgaria, Ghana, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Malaysia, Mauritius, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. They examined over 8,000 advertisements. National and cultural differences in gender stereotypes are also considered in the light of this data. The popularity of, and the problems associated with, the research paradigm are considered.

ABSTRACTIn this article we focus on alcohol commercials in the media because they have a large influence on behaviors and the portrayal of gender. This paper seeks to reevaluate and extend ideal types used to define gendered behaviors in alcohol commercials. Through an analysis of 77 alcohol commercials out of an available 12,195 time slots we find that alcohol advertisements portray deeply gender-specific messages about social life through the following ideal types: hotties, bitches, losers, and buddies. Beyond these established ideal types, we put forth new types that include the 007, the prop, the party girl, and the worker. While more nuanced, these ideal types still define and reinforce stereotypical and traditional notions of gender and gender roles. In expanding previous typologies we contribute to a greater understanding of advertising and how displays of gender are currently becoming more spectacular.

Feminism has been an integral part of Indonesia’s history, yet it is commonly misunderstood as a western concept, causing fundamentalist religious groups and right-wing parties to strongly reject feminism. Therefore, social media that offer feminist literacy content is highly important, especially for Indonesia’s youth, as it can provide much-needed information that is often deemed taboo. The purpose of this research is to answer three research questions: (1) What is the use most sought by the followers of the @indonesiafeminis Instagram account? (2) What is the gratification most obtained by the followers of @indonesiafeminis Instagram account? And (3) Is the level of congruence between uses sought and gratifications obtained correlated with the intensity of consuming the @indonesiafeminis Instagram account? Using a quantitative survey method on 165 active followers of the @indonesiafemis Instagram account, results show that: (1) Cognitive needs are the use most sought by @indonesiafeminis followers; (2) Cognitive needs are also the gratification most obtained by the followers, and; (3) There is a positive but very weak correlation between the congruence of the uses sought and gratifications obtained and the intensity of consuming the Instagram account. Therefore, it is crucial that the administrators of @indonesiafeminis focus on providing informational content that satisfies the cognitive needs of the followers. However, despite the correlation, other factors beyond the congruence of the uses and gratifications possibly have an impact to the media consumption intensity.