Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University Communication Dissertations Department of Communication 5-11-2015 Post-Feminism, Shaming, and Wedding-Themed Reality Television Katharine P. Zakos Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/communication_diss Recommended Citation Zakos, Katharine P., "Post-Feminism, Shaming, and Wedding-Themed Reality Television." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2015. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/communication_diss/56 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Communication at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Communication Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. POST-FEMINISM, SHAMING, AND WEDDING-THEMED REALITY TELEVISION by KATHARINE P. ZAKOS Under the Direction of Edward J. Friedman, PhD ABSTRACT This project combines elements of textual analysis, feminist criticism, and media reception studies to examine wedding-themed reality television programming. Drawing on feminist media studies, television studies, and new media studies, this project investigates identity construction through wedding-themed reality television in three case studies: the renegotiation of icons of traditional femininity on Say Yes to the Dress, the policing of female behavior and perceived unruliness through Bridezillas, and the depiction of female labor in celebrity culture through three weddings featured on Keeping Up with the Kardashians. These three case studies deal with unique yet ultimately interconnected themes of gender identity construction and management. I argue that post-feminist ideologies are instrumental in shaping the way that identity is constructed through advocating specific behaviors and shaming others in three key areas: hyper-consumerism, the pursuit of pseudo-celebrity status, and the reinforcement of traditional gender norms.