Midterm Project:
Exploiting the Image of the Empowered Woman
Exploiting the Image of the Empowered Woman
Morning talk shows are a unique niche of mainstream media. There is an especially powerful aspect to these shows because they enter houses all around the nation every morning. The people on the shows become like friends greeting us every morning and in that way they earn a certain level of trust from the audience. The Today Show is a well-known and respected morning show, which as evidenced by its ratings has come to perfect the recipe for what it takes to become successful. Overall there is a mix of genders amongst the cast of the show, but there is one portion that is gender imbalanced. This segment features Kathie Lee and Hoda, which airs at 10:00 am Eastern Standard Time. During this segment the feel of the show shifts from a news perspective to a gossipy and discussion based feel. This shift sparked my interest because it seems like a conscious decision to feature only women at this time of day to handle the discussion based segment. After learning about the relationship between gender and the media throughout the course of this class it appears that The Today Show may be using Kathie Lee and Hoda as a way to project the image of empowered women. The media knows how to project the image of an empowered woman in order to earn the trust and respect of the female audience. This image of empowerment is far from the reality because the image is then exploited by corporations to sell products.
In order to test this theory I examine a clip of an episode of Today with Kathy Lee and Hoda that is about finding the right jean for your specific body type. This clip is an example of a fairly typical segment that Kathie Lee and Hoda cover on a daily basis. It discusses how finding the right jeans for your body can “change your life”. Immediately women come across as shallow beings whose only aspiration in life is to find jeans that will fit her. I believe that the average American woman would not stand for the media to belittle her in such a way. The question then becomes what is it about this show makes women not only willing to hear this criticism, but also to believe it?
The first step in earning the trust of the American female audience is through the crafting an appearance that is deemed acceptable. In class we discussed how prominent female figures in the media are mocked if they do not properly play the role of femininity. That can go either way with Susan Boyle being the example of a woman who displays a lack of femininity versus Sarah Palin who is seen as overly feminine. Hoda and Kathie Lee have created an image that walks the line between feminine and professional. This narrow realm of acceptability of appearance is reminiscent of “The New Girliness” from Douglas’ book Enlightened Sexism. In this chapter Douglas discusses the recent image that women can be ultra feminine, while at the same time being empowered and making a difference in the world. The way in which Kathie Lee and Hoda are presented encapsulates this idea. They are perfectly made-up, have impeccably matching accessories and in this particular episode are wearing body-hugging jeans. They are conforming to a very narrow image of feminism that America demands of women in power. The empowered woman wears respectable yet feminine and figure showing clothing without being overtly sexual. This exemplifies the paradox that images of empowered women in the media create. The public sees Kathie Lee and Hoda as empowered women when they are really being controlled by some greater force. They cannot really be empowered if a corporation, whose main objective is to make money, is dictating their image.
This discrepancy between image and reality carries over from their image to the content that they cover in their segments. The content that is covered in the fourth hour of The Today Show has similar characteristics to the advertising and product placement in women’s magazines. Kathie Lee and Hoda introduce many products as objects that will improve women’s lives by improving their looks. In this particular episode on jeans it is apparent that the sales tactic used is similar to something that would be seen in women’s magazines. One similarity is the way in which they say the models are “five real women with five real problems”. By calling women with bodies that differ from what is seen as ideal as “problem bodies” is a way to make women in the audience feel insecure. Suddenly they see their differences as problems that can only be fixed by finding the right pair of jeans. Then the first “real woman” is brought out and she is shown wearing a brand called “Hello! Skinny Jeans”, which ironically is the same perfect pair of jeans that Kathie Lee is wearing. I went to the website for this jean brand and saw that Hello! Skinny Jean has a section on its home page that said, “as seen on” and Today with Kathie Lee and Hoda was listed.
Clearly both The Today Show as well as Hello! Skinny Jeans is in someway benefiting from this partnership. The only people who seem to be disadvantaged by this deal are the everyday women of the audience.
The everyday women viewer is targeted by the time of day that this airs because it is believed to be the stay at home wife that would be watching TV at this time. Once this target is designated NBC needs only to find partnerships with companies whose products they can push onto these viewers. Hello! Skinny Jeans is a great choice because their brand can benefit from the publicity as well. The next step is to make the housewives watching feel bad about their bodies and then spend their money. Clearly this proposition must be presented in a positive manner and that is where the image of the empowered woman becomes a selling tool. Through fostering an image of Kathie Lee and Hoda as empowered women the pushing of products comes off as a secret between friends. There is a feeling that these women want all women to achieve their best and would only recommend what they personally know to be good for them. The question is who is really benefiting? In women’s magazines as well as Today with Kathie Lee and Hoda, the image of the empowered woman is exploited in a manner that forces women betray other women. Advice that may be taken as an insult when coming from a man is manipulated to be seen as friendly advice. Corporations that are often patriarchal in structure have found a way to use the image of empowered women to gain trust and sell their products to the before unreachable female population.
I think you make some good points here about the way that The Today Show is set up and the real purpose of having Kathy Lee and Hoda try to "help" women. I think your point about the timing of the show is very true and something I had not thought of. By 10:00 the kids and working husbands are out of the house and the stay at home mom is toiling in front the TV waiting to hear from Kathy Lee and Hoda what their next project or concern should be. This example of the marketing of he the media revolves around and has found sneakier and sneakier ways to get to consumers of all ages. It seems like the marketing is permeating all aspects of our lives and we must guard against this.
ReplyDelete