Zoella - Representation

Question 1

Sexualisation

Answer 1

• Zoella and other women are not often sexualised in her content.
• Women are often shown in quite ‘family friendly’ ways e.g. no swearing, no revealing clothing and a focus on fun rather than shock value.
• Zoella may choose to represent herself and others like this because of the young age of her target audience.
• Another reason is that she may want to avoid bad publicity, to avoid losing sponsers or brand deals.
• Zoella ‘performs’ a lot of tasks repetivively in her videos. Tasks that often associted with feminity, e.g. apply make-up, trying on clothes, cooking, cleaning etc.
• These performances may construct her identity as female, and reinforce notions of what feminity means to the audience.

Question 2

Mental Health

Answer 2

• Seeing ‘imperfections’, e.g. no make-up, spots, crying, messy house etc, adds to this representation of ‘reality’ and makes it feel like we are seeing the real Zoella, even though it is likely stilll heavily constructed.
• Zoella even tackles some isssues that are often seen as ‘taboo’, e.g. mental health such as anxiety, depression, sexual health such as smear tests etc.
• This adds to the feeling of reality as well as we are seeing aspects that might traditionally be left out of typical media representations that are idealised.
• Fans feel as though she is exposing her real life.
• Despite this, Zoella’s posts are still heavily constructed, e.g. images chosen, edited, text written, etc.
• Thus, what we are seeing is a hyperreal ‘simulacrum’ of Zoella.

Question 3

Relatablity

Answer 3

• Zoella’s videos and posts feature her doing a lot of relatable actvities such as cooking, cleaning, going out with friends etc.
• This helps the audience relate to her / identify with her and see her as a normal person.

Question 4

Main focus of content

Answer 4

• Zoella also uses a lot of shots of make-up and hair products being used and demonstrated.
• Zoella uses reasonably overtly feminine body language and actions such as applying make-up, touchinh her lips and hair, etc.

Question 5

Representation of Gender

Answer 5

• The emphasis on Fashion and beauty that is commonly found in blogs and vlogs aimed at teen and pre-teen girls could be seen to reinforce stereotypical understandings of gender.
• In many ways, the function that these products perform, particularly in term of gender socialisation, is similar to the role that has traditionally been performed by girl’s magazines.
• The make-up tutorials and demos that feature prominently on YouTube channels of beauty vloggers like Zoella and Tanya Burr could be said to perform a function in reinforcing beauty standards and consumption of beauty products.
• Significantly, these channels are often monetised through advertising and sponsorship relating to the beauty industry

Question 6

Zoella and Femininity: What are the most common videos/blog posts that Zoella makes?

Answer 6

• Most common types of content on her YouTube: Makeup tutorials, fashion hauls. E.g. what’s in my make-up bag, autumn favourites, Summer makeup tutorial, half up knot hair tutorial.

Question 7

To what extent does Zoella’s femininity reinforce or challenge gender stereotypes?

Answer 7

• Make-up tutorials:

Question 8

How is Gender represented in ‘My Boyfriend vs My Brother,’ by Zoella?

Answer 8

Zoella:
- Pink clothing -> stereotypically feminine.
- Heavy make-up -> Full beat, Glamour, Opposes her boyfriend and Brothers bare faces, reinforcing the association of make up with women.
- Favourite hobbies guessed: Flower arranging, shopping, baking —> stereotypically female hobbies.
- Constantly fixing her hair, checking her appearance —> reinforces stereotype that women are particularly conscious of their appearance.
- Giggling, feminine representation
- Female frustration at male behaviour, mothering.

Question 9

How is gender represented in ‘My Boyfriend vs My Brother,’ by Joe and Alfie.

Answer 9

• Male immaturity/childishness —> smelling feet, silly noises, squabbling with each other.
• Relatability: ‘Crappy camera.’
• Binary opposition of clothing —> Alfie wearing a black hoodie, Joe wearing a nude hoodie, Zoella wearing a pink jumper.

Question 10

Examples of gender representation in Zoella’s old content:

Answer 10

• ‘Huge PO Box opening,’ —> overconsumption, female stereotypes of shopping reinforced.
• ‘Boyfriend does my ASOS shop.’ —> code of expression: fear —> men know nothing about shopping unlike women.
• ‘Teen years,’ -> Personal, relatability. Representation of women’s issues.

Question 11

Examples of gender representation by Zoella in her new content:

Answer 11

• ‘Preparing for the new body’ —> Maternal content, child in thumbnail, represents women as maternal, family oriented.
• ‘Bump update,’ maternal, relatability.

Question 12

More than a stereotype

Answer 12

• While Zoella’s content does have
  a lot of stereotypical representation.
• It’s important to remember that this is
  constructed and she is also a self made business woman who built a platform to monetise!
• She’s more than just the beauty and fashion videos.

Question 13

Relevant theory: