The Representation of Emak-Emak (Indonesian Housewives) in Gojek Indonesia’s Advertisement Titled Belanja di GoMart, Dibelanjain #EmakJago!

Abstract

As a product of pop culture, advertisement is intentionally designed to entice people to get interested in buying products and services, or even ideas. It also often utilizes local social-cultural phenomena that are close to our daily lives. This article will analyze the representation of emak-emak (housewives) in the video advertisement entitled Belanja di Gomart, Dibelajanin #EmakJago (shopping in GoMart, guided by #superbhousewives) released by Gojek Indonesia official YouTube Channel. In this advertisement, the notion of ‘the power of emak-emak’ is used in as the main concept to represent women in two different characters, the ‘funny’ and ‘superb’. To feminist theorists, pop culture is always problematic for women as it strengthens the gender stereotypes putting them as either subordinate or inferior subjects. Additionally, scholars and Indonesian feminist activists have argued that the term emak-emak has either derogatory or negative connotations. Using cultural studies perspective as well as textual analysis, this qualitative research aims at analyzing how these emak-emak are represented in the ad. At the end of discussion, I would argue that this ad serves to actually maintain and exercise the patriarchal ideology in terms of gender stereotypes.