Out of the Spotlight and Into the Shadows: an Examination of Communication About Adolescent Girls on Music Television
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East Tennessee State University Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University Electronic Theses and Dissertations Student Works 5-2002 Out of the Spotlight and into the Shadows: An Examination of Communication about Adolescent Girls on Music Television. Stacy Nichole Fentress East Tennessee State University Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd Part of the Communication Commons Recommended Citation Fentress, Stacy Nichole, "Out of the Spotlight and into the Shadows: An Examination of Communication about Adolescent Girls on Music Television." (2002). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 653. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/653 This Thesis - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Works at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Out of the Spotlight and into the Shadows: An Examination of Communication about Adolescent Girls on Music Television A thesis presented to the faculty of the Department of Communication East Tennessee State University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Professional Communication by Stacy Nichole Fentress May 2002 Amber Kinser, Ph.D., Chair John King, Ph.D. Martha Copp, Ph.D. Keywords: Adolescent Girls, Music Television (MTV), Body Dissatisfaction, Confidence Slide, Cultivation Theory ABSTRACT Out of the Spotlight and into the Shadows: An Examination of Communication about Adolescent Girls on Music Television by Stacy Nichole Fentress This study examines portrayals of adolescent girls on Music Television (MTV). A content analysis of 26 hours of MTV programming was conducted and analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods. Analyzed programming was shown August-November 2001. Dates were chosen randomly; times were chosen randomly from the pool of hours in which adolescents usually watch television. Adolescent girls predominantly appear in the background of MTV programs. Many of them cheer for male celebrities, but only 12% speak. The content analysis reveals that a narrow beauty ideal is promoted on the channel—most girls are thin, White, and wearing revealing clothing. It is argued that MTV portrayals exacerbate girls’ body dissatisfaction, sexual objectification, and confidence slide. This study is significant because the stories told on MTV are reflected in the lived world, and those stories suggest that girls should sit quietly in the background and be thin and White to be considered beautiful. 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My deepest gratitude is extended to the following people: ... Dr. Amber Kinser, for all of the guidance, ideas, and support and for truly making learning a collaborative, invigorating experience … Dr. John King, for the guidance and for having enough confidence in my work to involve me in some of your own research projects … Dr. Martha Copp, for all of the extra time, the pep talks, and for teaching me how to go into research with an open mind … My mother and father, Harriett and Roy Fentress, for putting up with me throughout this entire process (and throughout my entire life) and for teaching me that my best is always good enough … My best friend and research assistant, Tina Bowden, for all of the hours spent on this project and for always reeling me in and reminding me of what is important in life 3 CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................... 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS................................................................................................... 3 Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................... 7 The Influence of MTV............................................................................................... 8 Cultivation Theory..................................................................................................... 8 Importance of this Study............................................................................................ 9 Overview of this Study .............................................................................................. 11 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................. 12 MTV as an Advertising Outlet................................................................................... 12 Television and the Cultivation of Perspectives.......................................................... 16 Mediated Messages, Body Dissatisfaction, and Eating Disorders............................. 18 Media, Dehumanization, and Violence...................................................................... 23 Adolescent Girls’ Confidence Slide........................................................................... 27 Literature Review Summary...................................................................................... 29 3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS ........................................................................................... 30 4. METHODS.................................................................................................................... 31 Description of Programming Sample......................................................................... 31 Quantitative and Qualitative Analyses....................................................................... 32 Methods Summary..................................................................................................... 35 5. FINDINGS..................................................................................................................... 37 Adolescent Girls......................................................................................................... 38 4 Chapter Page Roles and Speech................................................................................................. 38 Size....................................................................................................................... 41 Clothing................................................................................................................ 41 Racial Diversity................................................................................................... 42 Young Women........................................................................................................... 42 Roles and Speech................................................................................................. 42 Size....................................................................................................................... 44 Clothing................................................................................................................ 45 Racial Diversity................................................................................................... 46 Racial Findings.......................................................................................................... 47 Roles and Speech................................................................................................. 48 Size....................................................................................................................... 49 Proliferation of the White Beauty Ideal............................................................... 50 Clothing................................................................................................................ 51 Violence ..................................................................................................................... 52 Racial Findings.................................................................................................... 52 Age....................................................................................................................... 53 Size....................................................................................................................... 53 Programs .............................................................................................................. 54 Findings Summary..................................................................................................... 54 5 Chapter Page 6. DISCUSSION.................................................................................................................... 56 Messages about Body and Appearance...................................................................... 57 Silence and Sexual Objectification............................................................................ 59 Depictions of Violence.............................................................................................. 61 Adolescent Girls’ Confidence Slide........................................................................... 62 Discussion Summary ................................................................................................. 64 7. CONCLUSION.................................................................................................................. 65 Summary.................................................................................................................... 65 Limitations of this Study............................................................................................ 67 Suggestions for Further