Heteronormativity In Media

A Presentation By Lindsey Vesperry & Rory Killelea

 What is Heteronormativity?
• Heteronormativity is the cultural bias in favor
of opposite-sex relationships of a sexual
nature.
• Cultural designation of the sexes to fall into
distinct and separate gender roles.

http://civilliberty.about.com/od/gendersexuality/g/het
eronormative.htm
 Media & Heteronormativity
• The underrepresentation of same-sex couples
in advertising and entertainment media due to
heterosexual bias.
 “Start ‘Em Young!”
• Heteronormativity begins at birth—either you come home in a
blue (boys) blanket, or a pink (girls) blanket. Gender division
is culturally significant in socializing and raising our children.
Even fast food chains like McDonald’s gives the option of a
boy or girl toy.
 Pom Wonderful Commercials

“The Warrior”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=Z1cLQBQTzkM

“Eve”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=5EJTe14yPfo
 Pom Wonderful Commercials
• The Warrior – The advertisement emphasizes the ideal
masculine strength and power. Pom highlights male power
and patriarchy as a desirable trait in society.

• Eve – The commercial utilizes female sexuality as a desirable

trait. The snake is seen as a phallic symbol, suggesting
heterosexual attributes for the female version of the ads.

The Pom commercials display heterosexual bias towards gender

stereotypes—men should be powerful and dominant, while
women should be sexualized.
http://www.90secondstoculture.com/2009/01/heteronormativity-culturecast-044/
 Advertising Gender Stereotypes
• Many commercials and advertisements are usually aimed towards gender
stereotypes—cleaning commercials feature women intent on keeping a tidy
home, while many beer and alcohol commercials portray men partying and
socializing.

http://www.bgsu.edu/cconline/peele/CulturalStudies.html
 “Socializing” Social Media

Social media is not free of heteronormative bias. Depending on

the gender you select, your default photograph will be either a
male (top left) or a female (top right). From the very moment to
sign up, your gender is used to categorize you into the database.
Similar to newborn babies’ blankets, gender designation is
created is initiated to establish an identity, whether its reality or
virtual reality.
“Facebook As A Means For Reinforcing
Heteronormativity”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1drj-lVpjE
 “What about us?”
Society often view individuals of unspecified or ambiguous
gender a problem. Persons who are born intersex usually
undergo surgery to modify the body to be either male or
female in order to denominate them to a sex very early.
Transgender persons are expected to choose either gender, but
not remain androgynous. These androgynous individuals also
become victims of unfair prejudice.
 Androgyny and Pop Culture

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwT1kp0C3Ss
Mainstream media often pokes fun at androgynous/transgender/transsexual
individuals. Pat, a regular character from Saturday Night Live, was popular for
being an awkward androgen—suggesting that persons with no identifiable
gender are cumbersome individuals who lack social gender standardization.
 Androgyny and Pop Culture

“Thank you for calling USA Prime Credit, my name is Peggy.”

Many commercials exploit a dismal company that features lazy employees, bad
service, and less-than-stellar services. In this commercial for Discover Card, the
representative for the dismal company is a man who goes by the name of ‘Peggy’. In
this instance, Discover Card is using a woman’s name for a man, going against
heteronormitivity in order to create a sort of comedic value, or a sense of social
disorder in the dismal company.

Similar to SNL’s “Pat”, non-heteronormative individuals are exploited as comedic

fixtures rather than ‘normal’ social beings.
 Can We Change?
Heteronormativity is not a matter that can be
changed by legislature or congress. This is
profoundly cultural issue that is rooted in
normative values of society. It may be difficult
for an entire society to shift away
heteronormativity, but change is not impossible.
 Links
• http://civilliberty.about.com/od/gendersexuality/g/heteronorma
tive.htm
• http://www.90secondstoculture.com/2009/01/heteronormativit
y-culturecast-044/
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1drj-lVpjE
• http://www.bgsu.edu/cconline/peele/CulturalStudies.html