Italian Female Ministers: a Test for the Celebrity Politics? Recibido: 12/11/2014 - Aceptado: 10/12/2014
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Ciudades Creativas – CP, 2014 , Nº5, pp. 49-60. ISSN 2014-6752. Girona (Catalunya). CAMPUS, Donatella and GIAMMARIA, Elena: Italian female ministers: A test for the celebrity politics? Recibido: 12/11/2014 - Aceptado: 10/12/2014 ITALIAN FEMALE MINISTERS: A TEST FOR THE CELEBRITY POLITICS? Authors: CAMPUS, Donatella and GIAMMARIA, Elena Associate Professor – University of Bologna – Italy – [email protected] MA degree – University of Bologna – Italy – [email protected] Abstract The so-called celebrity politics is a well-known general and of male politicians, the coverage of gossip magazines can simply global phenomenon, common to most Western democracies. “humanize” their image by showing them in more private set- The celebrity politicians have become leading actors in tabloids, tings and allowing them to express their feelings and emotions. gossip magazines and entertainment TV programs. The paper In the case of women, the same kind of coverage could reinforce aims at investigating the impact of those developments on wo- an already biased treatment due to the fact that they usually men politicians and attempts at evaluating if they are advantaged receive more media coverage mentioning family life, dress and or disadvantaged by the increasing celebritization of politics. By appearance than male politicians. referring to the case of the Italian female ministers and through a content analysis of the most read Italian gossip magazine, the paper tests the hypotheses that female ministers receive more coverage than their male colleagues and that this coverage gives more space to trivial details, like appearance and attire. The Key words paper argues that the celebrity politics may give women more visibility, but offers also some occasions for activating the most female politicians; gender stereotypes; celebrity politics; gossip maga- common and unfair gender stereotypes. Therefore, in the case zines; Italian politics. 1. Introduction The personalization of politics is a well-known they were celebrities (Marshall 1997, Corner and general and global phenomenon, common to most Pels 2003). They have attained an “aura of celebrity” Western democracies. Such a process has appeared as (Dahlgren 2009, 137) in the sense that they are inextricably linked to the so-called mediatization of covered in a way that is similar to what happens to politics (Mazzoleni and Shultz 1999) since the mass the members of the star-system. In particular, the media logic, especially the television logic, has pushed “celebrity politician” (Street 2003; Van Zoonen 2005; parties to put leaders and candidates at the center of Wheeler 2013) has become a leading actor in political communication. The recent introduction of tabloids, gossip magazines and entertainment TV new media genres, with the surge of infotainment programs. (Delli Carpini and Williams 1996), has encouraged a convergence between politics and political culture As Langer (2010, 9) stressed in her analysis of the (Van Zoonen 2005). As a result of these two different British case, “the personal is not only visible or developments- on the one hand, the personalization; public, but also politicized because it is used in the on the other hand, the popularization of politics-, construction of a leader’s persona and its assessment politicians have been increasingly covered by media as by the media”. Therefore, politicians’ private lives Nº5 COMMUNICATION PAPERS –MEDIA LITERACY & GENDER STUDIES – Vol.3 - Nº5 – pp. 49/60 | 2014 | REVISTA | ISSN: 2014-6752 49 Pl. Ferrater Mora, 1 – Edifici Sant Domènec 17071 | Universitat de Girona | Departament de Filologia i Comunicació www.communicationpapers.wordpress.com CAMPUS, Donatella and GIAMMARIA, Elena: Italian female ministers: A test for the celebrity politics? have become increasingly central to political Braden 1996). As a consequence, women should be propaganda. In a comprehensive comparative account more used to the disclosure of the details of their of several industrial advanced democracies James family life and domesticity than men. On the other Stanyer (2013) revealed that the private lives of hand, however, there are some possible biases. As prominent politicians are a key feature of political Campus (2013, 96) underlines, “If being wife and communication: life stories, domestic and family life, mother is reassuring information if taken as the tastes, hobbies, life-style choices are all scrutinized indicator of a caring, nurturing, trustworthy and illustrated by media. personality, the commitment to family raises speculation about the capability of reconciling private What about the impact of those developments on life with public duties”. By contrast, if women women politicians? Are they advantaged or politicians are single or childless, “they are pictured as disadvantaged by the increasing celebritization of deviant and perhaps cynical workaholics” (97). In politics? First of all, it should be stressed that women other terms, the sphere of domesticity, which is are supposed to be more at ease with a personal style traditionally regarded as the realm of women, may of communication, since they are commonly reputed become a slippery ground for a woman who intends to be more able to share feelings and express to pursue a political career (Van Zoonen 2006). emotions. Because of this, in her analysis of television speeches, Kathleen Jamieson (1988) observed that Another crucial aspect stressed by Van Zoonen women’s narratives are “well suited for television” (2006) is that celebrity for women is often linked to because this medium encourages a personal, self- their appearance. The most famous women, those disclosing style. Therefore women’s revelations about who are amply covered by gossip magazines, are their personal memories, details about family life and mostly members of the star system, like actresses, top inner self are likely to appear more authentic. models, pop singers, all people for whom physical Secondly, the popularization of politics promotes a attractiveness is a key issue. Such habit of covering process of intimization: not only politicians become those women by giving a huge attention to their “celebrities, but also “intimate strangers” (Stanyer appearance, dressing and hairstyles, etc. can be even 2007), that is to say people that the public does not too easily extended to the coverage of women know in person, but are very familiar to them. Also politicians. As observed by Falk (2010, 88) the fact in this case women are more credible in sending a that women politicians are physically described by message of intimacy and closeness, since they are not media depends on cultural roots: women have been conventionally seen as authoritative rulers, but rather traditionally evaluated on the basis of their project a softer image of power, sometimes even attractiveness since this resource was supposed to maternal (Schwartzenberg 1977). Being the coverage increase their ability of finding a husband. And “even of gossip magazines or TV entertaining programmes if few in contemporary American society would agree focused mainly on relationships with relatives, family with this, the persistence with which the press has life, domestic space and disclosure of feelings, in tended to comment on women’s appearance reveals principle women should be ideal protagonists of this the enduring legacies and unconscious ideologies of sort of narratives. this value system”. As a matter of fact, a large body of empirical evidence regarding different countries A fundamental part of the intimization process shows a clear gendered bias in the treatment of concerns family relationships. While the families of politicians’ appearance (Sreberny-Mohammadi and male politicians have not been traditionally exposed Ross 1996; Freedman 1997; Carlin and Winfrey to popular attention (with some notable exceptions 2009). This phenomenon can be only more marked in like the President of US), women politicians have popular media outlets, like in glossy and gossip always been intensively scrutinized in their role of magazines that tend to focus more on that sort of wives and mothers as if the experience of marriage trivial aspects. and motherhood might contribute to their qualifications for a public office (Jamieson 1995; Nº5 COMMUNICATION PAPERS –MEDIA LITERACY & GENDER STUDIES – Vol.3 - Nº5 – pp. 49/60 | 2014 | REVISTA | ISSN: 2014-6752 50 Pl. Ferrater Mora, 1 – Edifici Sant Domènec 17071 | Universitat de Girona | Departament de Filologia i Comunicació www.communicationpapers.wordpress.com CAMPUS, Donatella and GIAMMARIA, Elena: Italian female ministers: A test for the celebrity politics? In light of all this, in order to evaluate the impact of and allowing them to express their feelings and the increasing celebritization of politics on women emotions. In the case of women, by contrast, the politicians, the key issue becomes if such a effect can be less positive. In fact, the same kind of development offers further occasions for activating coverage could reinforce an already biased treatment the most common and unfair gender stereotypes. In due to the fact that they commonly receive more other terms, in the case of male politicians, the media coverage mentioning family life, dress and coverage of gossip magazines can simply “humanize” appearance than male politicians. their image by showing them in more private settings 2. Objectives The main objective of this article is to ascertain if trivial aspects, like dressing style, body appearance, female politicians are likely