The Language of Cosmetics Advertising
1st Edition
Published on 28. September 2016
XIII, 118 pages
978-1-137-55798-8 (ISBN)
Description
This book offers a cross-cultural comparison of French and British cosmetics advertisements and explores how the discourse of beauty advertising represents ideas about femininity in French and English language contexts. As the global beauty industry expands and consumers become more critical of the claims made, the topic of cosmetics advertising discourse is examined using Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis. One common theme underlying most cosmetics advertising discourse is that the female body always requires 'work' to fix its 'problems': flat skin, dry hair, and so on. The author uses themes of language and gender, media and identity, and advertising across cultures to expose exactly what is going on in the language of cosmetics advertising and to offer a first step towards challenging these ideas and thinking about alternatives.
Reviews / Votes
"The multi-billion dollar global beauty business thrives on the commoditization of the female body. Their obsession with sex, science and youthfulness are expertly laid bare in this skillful synthesis of critical linguistics and gender studies. Ringrow uses a corpus of cosmetics adverts from Cosmopolitan and Elle magazines to expose and challenge how femininity is discursively constructed in contemporary English and French media discourse. An essential text for anybody seeking to explore and resist corporate gender stereotyping." (Matt Davies, Senior Lecturer, University of Chester, UK)
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Palgrave Macmillan UK
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Reflowable
Illustrations
XIII, 118 p. 21 illus., 14 illus. in color.
File size
2,22 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-137-55798-8 (9781137557988)
DOI
10.1057/978-1-137-55798-8
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Helen Ringrow
The Language of Cosmetics Advertising
Book
10/2016
Palgrave Pivot
€64.19
Shipment within 10-20 days
Person
Helen Ringrow is Senior Lecturer in Communication Studies and Applied Linguistics at the University of Portsmouth, UK. Prior to this, she completed her PhD in Linguistics at Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, where she also contributed to undergraduate teaching on language and power.
Content
- Chapter 1: Beauty advertising in a cross-cultural context.- Chapter 2: Language, gender, and advertising.- Chapter 3: Problems and Solutions: Pursuing the youthful, ideal body.- Chapter 4: Femininity as a sensual identity.- Chapter 5: Scientised beauty advertising discourse: with peptides or paraben-free?.- Chapter 6: The case for Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis.
