Abstract
This study explores how Korean love reality shows construct idealized images of femininity, focusing on the 2025 Netflix program ‘Better Late Than Single’. While such shows are typically marketed as lighthearted entertainment, they actively shape and reinforce cultural norms surrounding gender. This research analyzes how female participants are framed through visual techniques, emotional narratives, and behavior that align with socially accepted expressions of womanhood — including emotional openness, physical presentation, and romantic passivity. Although the show portrays its contestants as independent agents making personal choices in their romantic journey, these choices are often shaped by subtle forms of aesthetic and emotional regulation. Visual strategies such as selective editing, slow motion, and framing further reinforce traditional ideals of femininity. These portrayals create a tension between the appearance of empowerment and the reproduction of conventional gender roles. Using qualitative textual analysis, this study examines selected episodes to understand how visual and narrative devices work together to construct gender performance. The findings contribute to ongoing discussions in media and gender studies by highlighting how reality television reshapes the boundaries of femininity under the guise of authenticity, growth, and romance.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Gender Representation, Reality Television, Korean Media, Femininity, Popular Culture
