BIMBOFICATION TO EMPOWER: REPRESENTATION OF HYPERFEMININITY ON TIKTOK

Melanie Rosaria, Andika Wijaya

Abstract


Among the diversity of trends and subcultures on TikTok, bimbofication has become a notable phenomenon with its representation of hyperfemininity to dismantle misogyny and patriarchal standards in society. The movement acknowledges and challenges the stigma towards bimbos who are often portrayed as hyperfeminine women, while inviting the audience to engage in traits and attitudes that are associated with the stereotypes. The purpose of the movement is to empower and liberate women from the fear of misogyny. However, due to the layers and complexity in the discussion, bimbofication may provoke mixed interpretations and invite various responses. The complexity of bimbofication can be found in videos posted by Chrissy Chlapecka, a self-proclaimed bimbo figure on TikTok. This paper contributes to gender studies as it explores hyperfemininity representation in relation to the notion of women’s empowerment. Moreover, it also intersects with cultural studies as it examines a social phenomenon on social media, specifically TikTok movement, and how it challenges society's standards. By following Sandelowski purposive sampling method (1995) and Murnen and Byrne’s hyperfemininity scale (1991), it is found that regardless of the ambiguities and varying interpretations, bimbofication has provided a space for women to freely express and explore their unique version of femininity.


Abstrak

Di antara keragaman tren dan subkultur di TikTok, bimbofication telah menjadi fenomena penting karena representasi hiperfeminitasnya yang membongkar misogini dan standar patriarkis dalam masyarakat. Gerakan ini mengakui dan menantang stigma terhadap bimbo yang sering digambarkan sebagai wanita hiperfeminin sambil mengajak penonton untuk melibatkan diri mereka dengan sifat dan sikap yang terkait dengan stereotip tersebut. Tujuan dari gerakan ini adalah pemberdayaan dan pembebasan perempuan dari ketakutan akan misogini. Namun, karena lapisan-lapisan dan kompleksitas dalam diskusi ini, bimbofication dapat memicu interpretasi yang beragam dan mengundang berbagai macam tanggapan. Kompleksitas bimbofication dapat ditemukan dalam video yang diunggah oleh Chrissy Chlapecka, sosok yang memproklamirkan dirinya sebagai bimbo di TikTok. Artikel ini berkontribusi pada studi gender dengan mengeksplorasi representasi hiperfeminitas dalam kaitannya dengan gagasan pemberdayaan perempuan. Selain itu, penelitian ini juga bersinggungan dengan kajian budaya karena meneliti fenomena sosial di media sosial, khususnya gerakan TikTok, dan bagaimana gerakan ini menantang standar masyarakat. Dengan mengikuti metode purposive sampling dari Sandelowski (1995) dan menggunakan skala hiperfeminitas Murnen dan Byrne (1991), artikel ini menemukan bahwa, terlepas dari ambiguitas dan interpretasi yang berbeda-beda, bimbofication telah memberikan ruang bagi perempuan untuk berekspresi secara bebas dan mengeksplorasi feminitas mereka yang unik.



Keywords


Bimbofication; Bimbo; Hyperfemininity; Chrissy Chlapecka; Empowerment

Full Text:

PDF

References


Banner, L. W. (2008). The Creature from the Black Lagoon: Marilyn Monroe and Whiteness. Cinema Journal, 47(4), 4–29. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20484410

Braithwaite, A. (2002). The personal, the political, third-wave and postfeminisms. Feminist Theory, 3(3), 335–344. https://doi.org/10.1177/146470002762492033

Burn, O’Neil, & Nederend. (1996). Childhood tomboyism and adult androgyny. Sex Roles, 34(5–6), 419–428. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01547810

Cayley. (2021). TikTok’s Bimbo Feminism: Feminist Activism in the Digital Age. Debating Communities and Networks XII. https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2021/2021/04/26/tiktoks-bimbo-feminism-feminist-activism-in-the-digital-age/

Cervi, L., & Divon, T. (2023). Playful Activism: Memetic Performances of Palestinian Resistance in TikTok #Challenges. Social Media + Society, 9(1), 205630512311576. https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051231157607

Chimba, M., & Kitzinger, J. (2009). Bimbo or boffin? Women in science: an analysis of media representations and how female scientists negotiate cultural contradictions. Public Understanding of Science, 19(5), 609–624. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963662508098580

Coles, B. A., & West, M. (2016). Trolling the trolls: Online forum users constructions of the nature and properties of trolling. Computers in Human Behavior, 60, 233–244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.02.070

Crepax. (2020). The Aestheticisation of Feminism: A Case Study of Feminist Instagram Aesthetics. ZoneModa Journal, 10. https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.2611-0563/10555

Cresswell, J. (2021). Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins.

Cvajner, M. (2011, September). Hyper-femininity as decency: Beauty, womanhood and respect in emigration. Ethnography, 12(3), 356–374. https://doi.org/10.1177/1466138110392463

Dalzell, T. (Ed.). (2018). The Routledge Dictionary of Modern American Slang and Unconventional English. Routledge.

Fleming. (2021). Britney, Paris & Lindsay again: ‘Bimbo Summit’ looks a lot different 15 years later. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2021/11/12/britney-paris-lindsay-again-bimbo-summit-15-years-later/

Grady, C. (2018). The waves of feminism, and why people keep fighting over them, explained. Vox. Retrieved July 12, 2023, from https://www.vox.com/2018/3/20/16955588/feminism-waves-explained-first-second-third-fourth

Granados. (2021). The Bimbo’s Laugh: An Old Hollywood stereotype makes a comeback. The Baffler, 58, 46–50. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27087342

Gu, L., Gao, X., & Li, Y. (2022). What drives me to use TikTok: A latent profile analysis of users’ motives. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.992824

Haenlein, M., Anadol, E., Farnsworth, T., Hugo, H., Hunichen, J., & Welte, D. (2020). Navigating the New Era of Influencer Marketing: How to be Successful on Instagram, TikTok, & Co. California Management Review, 63(1), 5–25. https://doi.org/10.1177/0008125620958166

Haigney, S. (2022). Meet the Self-Described ‘Bimbos’ of TikTok. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/15/opinion/bimbo-tiktok-feminism.html

Hiebert, A., & Kortes-Miller, K. (2021). Finding home in online community: exploring TikTok as a support for gender and sexual minority youth throughout COVID-19. Journal of LGBT Youth, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/19361653.2021.2009953

Hilton, P. (2023). Paris: The Memoir. Dey Street Books.

Jackson, S. (2018). Young feminists, feminism and digital media. Feminism & Psychology, 28(1), 32–49. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959353517716952

Kato, B. (2022). We’re proud bimbos who are hell-bent on creating a new women’s movement. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2022/04/13/were-proud-bimbos-and-hellbent-on-bringing-back-bimboism/

Lennon, Rudd, Sloan, & Kim. (1999). Attitudes Toward Gender Roles, Self-esteem, and Body Image: Application of a Model. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 17(4), 191–202. https://doi.org/10.1177/0887302X9901700403

Levstik, L. S. (1983). “I am no lady!”: the tomboy in children’s fiction. Children’s Literature in Education, 14(1), 14–20. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01135791

Looft, R. (2017). #girlgaze: photography, fourth wave feminism, and social media advocacy. Continuum, 31(6), 892–902. https://doi.org/10.1080/10304312.2017.1370539

Lopez, K. J., Muldoon, M. L., & McKeown, J. K. L. (2018). One Day of #Feminism: Twitter as a Complex Digital Arena for Wielding, Shielding, and Trolling talk on Feminism. Leisure Sciences, 41(3), 203–220. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2018.1448022

Mahatmaharti, R. A. K., Brata, D. N. P., Firdaus, W., Wati, N., & Ummah, Y. C. (2020). The Role Of Teachers Communication Through The Pattern of Early Childhood. Humanities and social sciences, 8(1).

Matschiner, M., & Murnen, S. K. (1999). Hyperfemininity and Influence. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 23(3), 631–642. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.1999.tb00385.x

Megarry, J. (2020). The Limitations of Social Media Feminism: No Space of Our Own. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-60629-9

Munro, E. (2013). Feminism: A Fourth Wave? Political Insight, 4(2), 22–25. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-9066.12021

Murnen, S. K., & Byrne, D. (1991). Hyperfemininity: Measurement and initial validation of the construct. Journal of Sex Research, 28(3), 479–489. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499109551620

Reilly, C. (2022). Hyperfemininity Isn’t a Trend — It’s a Movement. NYLON. https://www.nylon.com/life/hyperfemininity-tiktok-feminism-movement

Richards, A. (2022). Bimbofication Is Taking Over. What Does That Mean for You? VICE. https://www.vice.com/en/article/4aw4kd/bimbofication-is-taking-over-what-does-that-mean-for-you

Sandelowski, M. (1995). Sample size in qualitative research. Research in Nursing & Health, 18(2), 179–183. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.4770180211

Shafie, T. (2021). Beyond Slacktivism: The Cases of K-pop Fans and Tiktok Teens. International Journal of Social Science Research, 9(2), 147. https://doi.org/10.5296/ijssr.v9i2.18924

Simões, R. B., Baeta, A. D., & Costa, B. F. (2023). Mapping Feminist Politics on Tik Tok during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Content Analysis of the Hashtags #Feminismo and #Antifeminismo. Journalism and Media, 4(1), 244–257. https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia4010017

Snyder, R. (2008). What Is Third‐Wave Feminism? A New Directions Essay. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 34(1), 175–196. https://doi.org/10.1086/588436

Snyder-Hall, R. C. (2010). Third-Wave Feminism and the Defense of “Choice.” Perspectives on Politics, 8(1), 255–261. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1537592709992842

Subculture. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subculture

Szymanski, D. M., Gupta, A., Carr, E. R., & Stewart, D. (2009). Internalized Misogyny as a Moderator of the Link between Sexist Events and Women’s Psychological Distress. Sex Roles, 61(1–2), 101–109. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-009-9611-y

The Simple Life | Apple TV. (n.d.). Apple TV. https://tv.apple.com/us/show/the-simple-life/umc.cmc.4lstuk2y3l4iy1q0s6jzqv8lo

Tomboy. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tomboy

Young. (2022). “Bimbofication” Is Taking Over TikTok. Bustle. https://www.bustle.com/life/bimbofication-meaning




DOI: https://doi.org/10.51817/susastra.v11i1.123

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

 

SUSASTRA: jurnal Ilmu Susastra dan Budaya is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License


SUSASTRA: jurnal Ilmu Susastra dan Budaya Indexed in:

       

       

 

SUSASTRA: Jurnal Ilmu Susastra dan Budaya diterbitkan oleh Himpunan Sarjana Kesusastraan Indonesia (HISKI), Grha STR, Jalan Ampera Raya nomor 11, Telepon (021) 7813708, Jakarta Selatan 12550

View My Stats