Abstract:

In today’s consumer society, human body has become a commodity and, therefore, a project that needs working on accordingly. As a result of this transformation, body representation in media contents have often involved ideal thin bodies that are impossible to achieve even after maximum efforts and workouts. Advertisements, which are an indispensable component of consumer society just like other media contents, also play a significant role in shaping the reality in the minds of individuals about ideal body size. Under the light of this information, the study aims to explore how female body is represented in television advertisements in Turkey. To achieve this purpose, the ads broadcast on national television channels during prime time (20.00 – 22.59) between the programs with high ratings were analyzed through quantitative content analysis method. Accordingly, the sampling of the study was 1.828 female characters who acted in 2.908 spot television advertisements recorded between January 4th and February 2nd, 2021. The results revealed that more than half of the women that play a role in these commercials have “thin” body, which does not reflect the overall demographic reality of the society. In other words, the representations of female body in television ads are often distorted. The variables such as type of product, the social role played by female character, marital status, age, and level of nudity have been found to be the determining factors in these body representations.

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