<p>Abstract</p><p>Title: A gaze says more than a 1000 words – a study of the portrayal of female celebrities in the photographic material on the online portals of Aftonbladet and Expressen En blick säger mer än 1000 ord - en studie av porträtteringen av kvinnliga kändisar i Aftonbladetsoch Expressens bildmaterial på Internet</p><p>Number of pages: 58 (59 including enclosures)</p><p>Author: Sofie Backman</p><p>Tutor: Amelie Hössjer</p><p>Course: Media and Communication Studies D</p><p>Period: Spring 2008</p><p>University: Division of Media and Communication, Department of Information Science, Uppsala University, Sweden</p><p>Aim: The aim of this essay is to study in what ways female celebrities are portrayed in the photographic material of the Swedish tabloid press. In which situations does she appear? What function does she seem to behold in the pictures? Further the thesis explores whetherthe portrayal of the female celebrity shows signs of stereotyping.</p><p>Method/Material: The study combines a quantitative and a qualitative method. A picture analysis of photographic material from the online versions of the Swedish tabloids Aftonbladet and Expressen has been conducted. To do this, a model based on categories from gender and celebrity research in the media field was created and then applied on the material. The study included 40 photographs of Swedish and international female celebritites from the popular culture industries and was studied in-depth according to elements such as activity, smile, gaze, distance and roles.</p><p>Main Results: The main results from the picture analysis show that the female celebrity is seldom shown performing any clear activity in the pictures; she is often passive and posing and she is portrayed as an object to be looked at. She also seems to be aware of this position. There is great focus on body and looks, which even further enhances the objectification. The pictures of the female celebrity show clear signs of stereotypisation. The female role in the pictures can be described using the keywords: inactive, available, personal address, body and looks and an object to be looked at.</p><p>Keywords: women, celebrity, stereotypes, picture analysis, Swedish tabloid press</p>

Abstract Title: A gaze says more than a 1000 words – a study of the portrayal of female celebrities in the photographic material on the online portals of Aftonbladet and Expressen En blick säger mer än 1000 ord - en studie av porträtteringen av kvinnliga kändisar i Aftonbladetsoch Expressens bildmaterial på Internet Number of pages: 58 (59 including enclosures) Author: Sofie Backman Tutor: Amelie Hössjer Course: Media and Communication Studies D Period: Spring 2008 University: Division of Media and Communication, Department of Information Science, Uppsala University, Sweden Aim: The aim of this essay is to study in what ways female celebrities are portrayed in the photographic material of the Swedish tabloid press. In which situations does she appear? What function does she seem to behold in the pictures? Further the thesis explores whetherthe portrayal of the female celebrity shows signs of stereotyping. Method/Material: The study combines a quantitative and a qualitative method. A picture analysis of photographic material from the online versions of the Swedish tabloids Aftonbladet and Expressen has been conducted. To do this, a model based on categories from gender and celebrity research in the media field was created and then applied on the material. The study included 40 photographs of Swedish and international female celebritites from the popular culture industries and was studied in-depth according to elements such as activity, smile, gaze, distance and roles. Main Results: The main results from the picture analysis show that the female celebrity is seldom shown performing any clear activity in the pictures; she is often passive and posing and she is portrayed as an object to be looked at. She also seems to be aware of this position. There is great focus on body and looks, which even further enhances the objectification. The pictures of the female celebrity show clear signs of stereotypisation. The female role in the pictures can be described using the keywords: inactive, available, personal address, body and looks and an object to be looked at. Keywords: women, celebrity, stereotypes, picture analysis, Swedish tabloid press