Television, women, and self-objectification: Examining the relationship between the consumption of female TV dramas and sexism, the internalization of beauty ideals, and body surveillance in China

Abstract

In China, a newly arising genre of TV dramas known as “female TV drama” has become very popular among female audiences and brought about great changes to the television industry in recent years. Under the framework of objectification theory, this study examines the relationship between the consumption of female TV dramas and sexism, the internalization of beauty ideals, and body surveillance among female audiences in China. Drawing on data collected from a questionnaire survey, we found that women’s consumption of female TV dramas is directly and indirectly associated with the levels of body surveillance, but is only indirectly associated with self-objectification. The relationship between women’s consumption of female TV dramas and their self-objectification is mediated by the internalization of beauty ideals. The consumption of female TV dramas can impose threats on women’s well-being and pursuit of gender equality in contemporary China.