This document summarizes a presentation on a study of gender representations in Italian television advertising. The study analyzed over 1700 characters from commercials and found that traditional stereotypes largely persist, with women more often depicted in subordinate or domestic roles and based on physical attractiveness. However, some commercials presented newer models that showed women as professionals or balancing work and family, and men engaged in domestic tasks. While change exists, male and female identities remain largely divided in advertising, with exceptions that prove the traditional rule. More research is needed to fully understand the slow evolution of gender portrayals.

1. OLD-FASHIONED WOMEN
THE REPRESENTATIONOF FEMALE IMAGE
IN THE ITALIAN TELEVISION ADVERTISING
Sevilla University - April 2, 2014
Paola Panarese - La Sapienza University of Rome

2. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
An Old-fashioned Research
 Representations
 Female images
 Advertising
 Television
 Theoretical basis
 Method

3. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
What we know
 Content analyses pointed to the
small number, poor quality,
and limited roles afforded
female characters in the
medium
(Courtney and Whipple 1974; Dominick
and Rauch 1972; McArthur and Resko
1975; O'Donnell and O'Donnell 1978;
Scheibe 1979; Schneider and Schneider
1979; Gilly 1988).

4. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
 Men are overrepresented,
used as “expert” voiceover,
less shown in family roles, at
home, more presented in all
jobs
 Women are younger, shorter,
shown in secondary roles, in
family, at home, as
unemployed
What we know

5. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
A question
«Moreover, we did not
know all there was to
know about these old
media already?
What more could we
find about the
stereotypes of women
in advertising?»
(Van Zoonen, 2011: 3)

6. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
Actually
We don’t know
everything there
is to know

7. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
Actually
We have tried to answer
the question «What else
is there to say?»
(Johnson, 2007: 14)

8. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
Why Advertising?
GEMMA (Gender and
Media Matters) Observatory
Because of the role of
consumption in our lives

9. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
About Consumption
«Probably, we are
consumers, more than
anything else. More than just
students, professors,
managers, milkmen or
greengrocers we are
consumers»
(Dalli, Romani, 2003: 5)

10. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
About Consumption
We are all consumers, but we
consume in a different way

11. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
About Consumption
There are “masculine” and
“feminine” objects,
different purchasing
practices, use of products
(Kirkham, 1996; Ames, Martinez,
1996) and attitudes
towards shopping (Dholakia,
1999).

12. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
About Consumption
Purchase and consumption
of goods and services help to
express – and to generate -
masculinity and femininity

13. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
About Consumption
 Advertising helped to
popularize a certain woman
image (Passerini 1992)
 Advertising showed less
virile male images (Bellassai,
2003)
 Visual codes of fashion
communication spread a
new male identity (Bovone,
Ruggerone, 2006)

15. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
Why Women?
There is a special
relationship between
female characters and
commercial
communication

17. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
Women and Advertising
 The housewife and the sensual
woman images are both examples
of a partial and stiffened
representation of femininity
 Product of the hyper-ritualization
(Goffman, 1977)
 The consequences are not
irrelevant

18. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
Gender Advertisements
 Women appear more often in
a subordinate position
(hierarchical function)
 They seem to be distracted
by the situation
(estrangement)
 They tend to touch their
body or caress objects
(feminine touch)

19. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
A new research
Aims:
 to update previous analysis
 to determine whether and
to what extent traditional
gender representations
are spread
 to look for any “new”,
richer and modern
representation
 to provide new data for
future Italian researches

20. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
Research Question
Has the Italian television
advertising accepted
and encouraged the
change in the
processes of identities
construction and
gender relations?

21. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
Method
We analyzed the contents of
the six main Italian
television networks (RAI1,
RAI2, RAI3, Rete4, Canale5
and Italia1), recorded for 7
days, between 8 and 2.
9979 total commercials
815 unique commercials
1798 characters

22. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
Method
 First we use content
analysis, considered as a
mix between the
“classical” Berelson’s
approach (1952) and the
analysis as investigation
 Then a qualitative
analysis of some case
studies
 Interesting results

23. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
Results
 2 of 5 30-seconds spots
 43% broadcasted in the
morning
 Over a quarter promoting food
products
Their setting refers especially to
current or indefinite places and
times, with a realistic
connotation.

24. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
Results
 90% of TVC has a
voiceover
 Male in more than 2 cases
out of 3
 Men voices dominate the
commercials for men's
goods, but also for food
and cleaning products.

25. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
More than half of the 1798
characters are women.
Results

26. Role of male and female characters
(percentages)
Base dati: 1798Base dati: 1798
Database: 1798
Role of male and female characters (percentages)
43,0%
58,4% 55,3%
57,0%
41,6% 44,7%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
protagonist relevant, but not protagonist secondary
female
male
Database: 1798

27. Type of male and female characters
(percentages)
Base dati: 1798Base dati: 1798Role of male and female characters (percentages)
Database: 1798
39,3%
43,6%
62,3%
60,7%
56,4%
37,7%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
common famous competent
female male
Database: 1798

28. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
 Women are younger
than men, mainly
depicted at home, and
as unemployed
Female empowerment?

29. Work of male and female characters
(percentages)
71,0%
66,9% 69,2%
100,0%
55,0%
29,0%
33,1% 30,8%
100,0%
45,0%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
freelancer manager/teacher employee worker housewife retired
female male
Database: 1798

30. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
Aesthetic features
 Beautiful faces are
feminine in four
cases out of five
 Over 80% of the
skinny figures are
female
 Less conventional
eyes or hair colors
are prerogative of
the female figures

31. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
Aesthetic features
 Female figures are
shooting especially in
close-ups
 Medium shots or long
shots are mainly used
for men.

32. Shots of male and female characters
(percentages)
72,8%
59,3%
53,0% 49,5%
33,5%
29,2%
8,3%
27,2%
40,7%
47,0% 50,5%
66,5%
70,8%
91,7%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Extreme long
shot, long
shot, medium-
long shot
Medium shot Two shot Medium-close
shot
Close-up Extreme close-
up
Detail shot
female male
Database: 1798

33. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
 Very little has changed
since the time of
Goffman’s analysis
 The image of wife and
mother prevails over the
others
Base dati: 1798Base dati: 1798
Base dati: 1798
Results

34. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
An example
 Attention wife! Do you want to
go out for dinner? Do not
propose this meal to your
husband!
 Attention wife! Your husband
does not say a word during the
dinner? Remove the dish from
the table!
 Attention moms! This meal
keeps children at home beyond
age 40.
Base dati: 1798
Base dati: 1798

35. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
 Despite the expectations, the
sensual woman/object is
not very popular in our
sample.
 She serves to embellish the
scene or attract the gaze.
 She often appears in spots of
products related to
seduction
Results

36. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
Qualitative analysis
 If the whole sample
shows mostly
old-fashioned
women, we have seen
some glimmer of
novelty
 These new features
regard women
appearance only in
the case of Dove
commercials

37. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
 Novelties related to
the enrichment of
role portrayals are
more
 Sometimes women
are depicted as
professionals and
ambitious workers,
inserted in different
workplaces,
flanked to the men
New models

38. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
 A more original
figure is the
multitasking
mother of a
Fastweb spot,
an everyday
heroine, able to
manage both
family and
career
New models

39. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
New models
 The researcher
 Mellin milk for
children (I study it
as a researcher, I
choose it as a
mom).
 Lines è tampons
(Designed by
women for you).

40. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
 Even the representation
of men is quite
conventional.
 The novelties concern
those spots where the
man takes care of his
children, prepares
meals or uses house
cleaning products
(Conad, Bio Presto, Dash,
Knorr).
New models?

41. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
The portrayal of the
man as a seducer or
an object appears in
a limited number of
spots and repeats
many clichés of the
representation of
the bait woman
(Lavazza, Dolce and
Gabbana)
New models?

42. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
 Male and female
continue to occupy
different areas of
expertise and still
reveal few points of
contact.
 Not surprisingly, the
hybrid or
transgender figures
are absent in the
sample
New models?

43. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
 Italian women and men are
characters in motion
 Women, in particular, live and
promote a radical and rapid
change.
 It’s difficult to catch this
change in just a few seconds
of a spot.
 No wonder for the general
static image of gender
identity
Conclusion

44. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
 At a closer look, the
apparently fixed frames of
male and female figures
reflect together a moving
image
Slow motion

45. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
 However, the openings are
few
 Male and female identities
are divided
 The change can be found
not in the reduction of
their differences, but in
their representation in a
new form.
Slow motion

46. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
Exceptions
 The few partially new
advertising images
are exceptions that
prove the rule

47. Paola Panarese – La Sapienza, University of Rome
Next steps
We are more concerned
with the ways in which
television contributes to
change than with mapping
the obvious ways in
which it maintains
dominant viewpoints»
(Newcomb and Hirsch 1984, p. 70).