david gauntlett presents us with the idea that whilst in the past, media created a singular, straightforward meaning for its viewers, the media today offers a diverse range of representations which allow use to create our own personalities.
it is important to discuss the functions and appeals of zoellas blogs and vlogs. through her vlogs, she gives her audience an insight into her daily life, sharing many of her personal stories etc. and, considering her products and media texts are aimed at a teenage, female audience, these seemingly small aspects can have a great effect on her audience in influencing their ideas. an example of this could be from zoella being a very open person in discussing mental health issues such as having anxiety and her struggles she faces due to this. audience members who go through similar situations may look upto her for guidanc when they’re struggling, and might not be as afraid to open up about something so personal as they have witnessed someone they admire do the same thing.
furthermore, her audience is able to construct their own identities as she talks about a whole range of topics, from hair and makeup, to mental health, to cooking and baking. it is likely that they are able to relate to at least one of these topics. however, it can also be argued that some of the ideologies which are promoted through her brands website conform to the agenda of a capitalist society. whilst there are some similarities bet zoella the brand and zoe sigh, such as the articles on mental health, there is also an emphasis on purchasing items, from sex toys, to winter clothing.
gender can also be discussed in terms of zoella from the perspective of gauntlett, considering she both conforms to and challenges gender norms. this goes with the ideology that the audience are able to look at media as a whole and chose elements of it to which they relate. one example of how she reinforces gender norms is through appealing to conventional beauty ideals through hair, makeup, fashion etc. she constructs an ideal representation of beauty not only through this but also through lighting and miss-en-scene as in her vlog, the background is typically very stylised and perfect. also, gender reinforcement is mainly seen through the products in which she promotes such as makeup and beauty products. yet she also deviates from gender norms, which can be seen in her article about sex toys, as she is breaking down the stigma surrounding women and their openness about their sexualities. it is usually tabboo for women to be so vocal about such topics however she is evidently attempting to normalise being open and confident. it is very empowering to see.
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