Gender Stereotyping and the Jersey Shore: A Content Analysis
Reality television is a highly popular genre, with a growing body of scholarly research. Unlike scripted programming, which offers fictional storylines, reality television relies heavily on cast member’s reactions to carefully crafted situations. This study examined the relationship between reali...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Ludovika University Press
2016-05-01
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| Series: | KOME: An International Journal of Pure Communication Inquiry |
| Online Access: | http://komejournal.com/files/KOME_AndShar.pdf |
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| Summary: | Reality television is a highly popular genre, with a growing body of scholarly
research. Unlike scripted programming, which offers fictional storylines, reality
television relies heavily on cast member’s reactions to carefully crafted situations. This
study examined the relationship between reality television and gender role stereotyping
in a seminal reality television show, MTV’s Jersey Shore. Content analysis was used to
conduct an in-depth examination of the first season of Jersey Shore, investigating three
gendered issues: physical appearance, social roles and behavioral traits.
Findings demonstrated the carefully manufactured relationship between gender role
stereotyping and reality television programming in Jersey Shore, and illustrate the
development of the female reality show character as related to sexualized behavior and
social/emotional gender stereotypes. The depiction of female reality show characters
seems to have increased its level of sensationalism, while continuing to be clichéd and
conventional, while depiction of male characters is beginning to push the boundaries of
being typecast in regards to their physical appearance and role in performing domestic
tasks. Additionally, physical alterations on screen were many, warranting further
investigation of this behavior. |
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| ISSN: | 2063-7330 |