The Apple Doesn'T Fall Far From The Tree? A Comparison Of The Advertising Portrayal Of The Youth And Parent Generations

Abstract

Gender staging in advertisements has been a popular research topic at least since Goffman (English original 1976 / German translation 1981). However, an explicit comparison of generations has been neglected so far. A content-analytical study of the advertising staging of men and women with a focus on a comparison of the youth and parent generations (here: 14- to 19-year-olds vs. 40- to 49-year-olds) shows that on the one hand, advertising today has reacted to changed social conditions and broken with traditional principles of representation. On the other hand, it becomes apparent that especially young advertising protagonists are fitted into an advertising corset of outward appearances and are strongly standardised. The 40-49 generation, on the other hand, has more freedom with regard to their appearance, but on other levels, e.g. in the area of the advertised products, they are still bound to traditionally gendered frames.