Pitching the Feminist Voice: A Critique of Contemporary Consumer Feminism

This dissertation’s object of study is the contemporary trend of femvertising, where seemingly pro-women sentiments are used to sell products. I argue that this commodified version of feminism is highly curated, superficial, and docile. The core question at the centre of this research is how commercial feminism—epitomized by the trend of femvertising—influences the feminist discursive field. Initially, I situate femvertising within the wider trend of consumer feminism and consider the implications of a marketplace that speaks the language of feminism. Then, through detailed content analysis of advertising by brands like Dove, Secret, CoverGirl, and Barbie, examples of this trend are identified, defined, and analyzed. Next, I apply the theoretical metaphor of ventriloquism to the concept of femvertising to access the deeper, rhetorical appeal of these commercials. This metaphor illuminates how patriarchal consumer culture throws its voice to consumer feminism. Finally, the work explores other forms of marketable feminism, specifically celebrity feminism. Here, I borrow Roxanne Gay’s phrase, “the gateways” to feminism, to question whether a commodified feminism that is wielded for profit is an appropriate entrée to a political social movement. Finally, the discussion explores the wider historical commodification of feminism to argue that the freedom many North American women enjoy is rooted in their value as consumers. The dissertation concludes by calling out femvertising as a problematic trend, one that fetishizes and domesticates the feminist movement, and one that ultimately limits future feminist action if the marketplace continues to be the leading voice in feminist discourse

First Words: Speech and Silence in Maxine Hong Kingston’s The Woman Warrior and Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale

https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/essay-contest-previous/1002/thumbnail.jp

Outcome of prosthesis exchange for infected knee arthroplasty: the effect of treatment approach: A systematic review of the literature

Background and purpose Two-stage revision remains the gold standard in the treatment of infected knee arthroplasty. Lately, good long-term results of direct exchange arthroplasty have been reported. The purpose of this literature review is to compare the clinical outcome achieved with one-stage revision and two-stage revision with different types of spacers

Biological guides to the positioning of the artificial teeth in complete dentures.

Setting teeth for complete dentures is traditionally done away from the clinic in the dental laboratory. This has unwittingly given the impression that arranging tooth position is a mechanical process in which the clinician has little say. Many technicians are given few instructions, but a detailed prescription is crucial to the success of the denture. This article describes those considerations the dentist should address in communicating with the laboratory technician. A ‘denture space’ impression technique is described to assist the dentist in the correct prescription for posterior teeth placement. </jats:p