This thesis will focus on the popularisation of the feminist movement. It will look into how several influential mainstream Instagram trends, such as the VSCO Girls and the Insta-Baddies,...Show moreThis thesis will focus on the popularisation of the feminist movement. It will look into how several influential mainstream Instagram trends, such as the VSCO Girls and the Insta-Baddies, incorporate feminist ideals in their aesthetic. Nowadays, stereotypical gender imagery is not only visible in advertisements, films and pop culture anymore, but also on social media. Platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, where imagery is the main component, have a humongous influence on its users’ way of thinking, and with that their self-image and self-esteem. Through the past decade, there has been risen more attention for these so-called toxic social media habits. New online social media trends try to reprogram the well-known stereotypes and toxic aspects. The focus of this thesis is, therefore, on the influence feminism has on visual media, specifically female performativity in Instagram posts. Do women challenge or perform the Male Gaze? Could there be said that current Instagram aesthetics execute feminist ideals? The trends will be analysed (loosely) based on the Roman stylistics of translatio, imitatio and aemulatio. This will show where we are currently finding ourselves in the progress of challenging the Male Gaze and executing feminist ideals online. It will show that there has been made quite some progress, especially in mainstream culture, but that there is still a long way to go as well.Show less
