Consuming the Body

Capitalism, Social Media and Commodification

Dawn Woolley (Autor)

Buch | Softcover

240 Seiten

2024
Bloomsbury Visual Arts (Verlag)
978-1-350-22533-6 (ISBN)

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Consuming the Body examines contemporary consumerism and the commodified construction of ideal gendered bodies, paying particular attention to the new forms of interaction produced by social networking sites. Describing the behaviours of an ideal neoliberal subject, Woolley identifies modes of discipline, forms of pleasure, and opportunities for subversion in an examination of how individuals are addressed and the ways in which they are expected to respond. Key modes of address that compel the consumer to consume are: sadistic commands communicated in adverts, TV programmes and magazine articles; a fetishistic gaze that dissects the body into parts to be improved through commodification; and a hystericized insistent presence that compels the consumer to present their body for critique and appreciation that is exemplified in the selfie.

Woolley interprets the visual characteristics of different types of selfies, including #fitspiration, #thinspiration, #fatspiration, and #bodypositivity to understand how they relate to current body ideals. Healthism and culture bound illnesses such as hysteria and eating disorders are examined to demonstrate the impact of commodified body ideals on consumers’ bodies. An analysis of thinspiration images (photographs of emaciated bodies shared on pro-eating-disorder blogs and websites) suggests that the anorexic body represents the logical (and fatal) end point for the idealised body in consumer culture. Fat acceptance selfies suggest there is a fourth mode of address, empowering presence that has the potential to liberate consumers from the ‘trap of visibleness’ produced by the other three modes of address. In conclusion, the book identifies some creative methods for producing selfies that evade commoditisation and discipline.

Dawn Woolley is an artist and research fellow at Leeds Arts University examining consumer culture, social media, and gender. She completed an MA in Photography (2008) and PhD by project in Fine Art (2017) at the Royal College of Art. Her artwork is a feminist critique of consumer culture, encompassing photography, video, installation, and performance to draw attention issues of sexualisation, objectification, and idealisation. Recent solo exhibitions include; ‘Consumed: Stilled Lives’, Perth Centre for Photography, Australia (2021) and ‘Dance for Good & Exercise Your Rights’ in collaboration with Davin Watne, Public Space One gallery, Iowa City (2020).

List of Illustrations

Acknowledgements

Introduction

1 Sadistic Commands

2 The Fetishistic Gaze

3 Hystericized Insistent Presence

4 Self(ie) Discipline

5 The Hysteria Economy

6 The Clinical Fetishistic Gaze

7 Anti-Consumers and the Fetishistic Gaze

8 The Bulimic Economy

9 Empowering Presence

Conclusion

Bibliography

Glossary

Index

Erscheinungsdatum	03.04.2024
Zusatzinfo	16 bw illus
Verlagsort	London
Sprache	englisch
Maße	156 x 234 mm
Themenwelt	Kunst / Musik / Theater ► Design / Innenarchitektur / Mode
	Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Gesundheit / Leben / Psychologie ► Lebenshilfe / Lebensführung
	Sozialwissenschaften ► Kommunikation / Medien ► Medienwissenschaft
	Sozialwissenschaften ► Soziologie ► Gender Studies
ISBN-10	1-350-22533-9 / 1350225339
ISBN-13	978-1-350-22533-6 / 9781350225336
Zustand	Neuware