Conceptualizations of Female Empowerment and Enjoyment of Sexualized Characters in Reality Television |
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| Authors: | Mackenzie Cato |
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| Institution: | 1. School of Journalism &2. Mass Communication , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
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| Abstract: | This study explores how young women's definitions of empowerment relate to their reception of The Girls Next Door, a popular reality show that documents the life and fun times of Hugh Hefner's three sexy, live-in girlfriends. Specifically, we examine whether young women's general attraction to reality television relates to their endorsement of different views of women and empowerment, how these endorsements relate to the women's own sexual permissiveness, and finally how these views relate to perceptions of The Girls Next Door. Results suggest that reality television preferences relate to greater endorsement of sexual empowerment and traditional feminine roles. However, sexual permissiveness is elevated only when sexual empowerment is endorsed, and perceptions of the show appear to be most positive only when sexual permissiveness is elevated. |
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