Beauty Ideals, Myths and Sexisms: A Feminist Stylistic Analysis of Female Representations in Cosmetic Names

Abstract

Cosmetic names today carry more than just information on products' functions or ingredients; they carry dreams, fantasy and stereotypical beliefs of femininity. This study intends to investigate gender representation through advertising language from the perspective of Mills' (1996) Feminist Stylistics. This research explores the naming devices at word and clausal level, stylistic features and rhetorical devices in order to uncover the extent to which prevailing views of gender are either maintained or challenged. It examines how advertisers and copywriters use language to depict women and how language contributes to such depictions. Findings reveal that the noun phrases are dominated by pre modifiers that function as adjectives to describe the cosmetic names. The notion of gender is also represented in various clause types in which women are not encouragingly depicted, while the stylistic features and rhetorical devices used in cosmetic names reveal traits that are stereotypically prescribed to women. Evidences in which the cosmetic names revolve around gender differences and the patriarchal concept of male domination are extensive. This study hopes to contribute in improving advertising practices, as well as to provide awareness in educating buyers to be more critical when decoding advertising language.

تحلیل الملامح الأسلوبیة النسویة فی روایة ریم بسیونى الدکتورة هناء: دراسة نسویة للترجمة

“…Consequently, such approach provides a model to interpret the typifying features of women's literary writing style. Syuhada, Radzi and Musa (2017) believe that, such model also reports on the representation and description of women within narratives.…”

Implementing Stylistics in IELTS Writing Preparation Focusing on Noun Phrases

“…Studies have already implemented stylistic analysis on various types of passage in different focuses (Agu, 2015;Ejupi, Iseni, Siljanovska, & Hossain, 2014;Maulida, 2020). Some studies used stylistics specifically on NP in cosmetic names (Radzi, & Musa, 2017), novels (Pratama & Isti'anah, 2017), and newspapers (Biber, 2004). IELTS students, who are already familiar with English, face another challenge with how they style their thoughts in their writing.…”

A Feminist Stylistic Analysis of Characterisation in Doris Lessings A Woman on a Roof

“…Another interesting study in this regard is carried out by Nur Syuhada Mohd Radzi (2017). She looks at the relationship between cosmetic names and gender stereotypes by using Mills' (1995) model at the levels of word and clause.…”

“…The study examines the way advertisers exploit language to represent women. Radzi (2017) finds that women are described negatively in these names. The names of different cosmetics highlight stereotypical female traits and male dominance.…”