Queer production: The political economy of print advertisements
Date
2005-08
Authors
Trujillo, Valerie Ann
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Abstract
Studies of mass media render the discursive power of advertisements as sites of
identity construction reflecting cultural hegemony. Using ethnographic content analysis,
this study explores the production of Queer identity through the political economy of
print advertisements in The Advocate and Curve from 2000-2002. Over 1,000
advertisements were examined based on four schematic themes: race, sex and gender,
relationship and family status, visual cues, and textual messages. Men are more likely than women to be portrayed within gender normative scripts in relation to their status as
the ideal representation of the Queer niche market. As compared to Caucasians, African
Americans are branded through restricted representation by visibility, product type, and
sexual appeal. Furthermore, advertisements reveal a cooptation of language for political
rights in exchange for consumer liberties. The findings show evidence that support the
role of niche marketing in the commodification and homogenization of Queer identity in
consumer society privileging men over women, Caucasian over African American, and normative over marginalized.
Description
Keywords
Content analysis (Communication), Sex role in advertising, Market segmentation, Identity (Psychology)
Citation
Trujillo, V. A. (2005). <i>Queer production: The political economy of print advertisements</i> (Unpublished thesis). Texas State University-San Marcos, San Marcos, Texas.