The commodification of women's bodies in “hype/controversial” media: the “capital of transgression”

Abstract

Abstract. Introduction. The article addresses the role of mass media normalizing commodification of women's bodies, specifically those projecting a hype/controversial image focusing on young teenage targets. Likewise, it approaches the symbolic values on the “transgression” as a key element of their branding strategies. Objectives. First: analyze the role of mass media in the construction and promotion of the “rebel identities” that young people consume. Second: identify the discourses for which young people internalize pornography and prostitution as dissenting sexualities or acts of subversion. Methodology. The backbone of the research in this article follows the process of resignification of the term “feminism” into the current “post feminism” through an interdisciplinary approach, including a conceptual review of “philosophy of transgression” as its main theoretical foundation. The fieldwork will be made in three representative media of this typology due to their high number of followers in social media as well as to their regular publications advocating for self-commodification of women as a conduct of female empowering. Conclusions. This research determines, first, that “transgression” constitutes a key symbolic capital for branding addresses to young audiences and secondly, the research concludes that the “transgression” consumed into these media is a representation of transgression, deeply integrated in the system values in accordance with media’s stakeholders’ private interests.