"I want world peace... oh, and bigger boobs": repetitions and stereotyping on Friends sustainable character Phoebe

S. Raynaud, M.C. Zanette, C. Valor, P. Antonetti

Journal of Marketing Management

Summary:

Television (TV) series have emerged as the quintessential entertainment product in popular culture, amplifying their potential for affecting stereotypical representations. However, how stereotypes are embedded and transformed through media has been overlooked. This study investigates repetitions, an essential feature of serial narratives that plays a key role in stereotyping through the construction of characters in TV series. Through a literary deconstructionist analysis of Phoebe Buffay, one of the main characters from the neo-cult TV series Friends, we offer a typology of different repetitions – namely, reproduction, layering and evolution – and show how they contribute to cementing the stereotypes of morally desirable yet deviant behaviours, such as sustainable consumption.

Spanish layman's summary:

El estudio examina cómo se construyen estereotipos de sostenibilidad en series usando tres mecanismos de repetición. 

English layman's summary:

The study unveils how sustainable stereotypes are built in series using three mechanisms of repetition. 

Keywords: TV series; friends; character; stereotypes; sustainable consumer

JCR Impact Factor and WoS quartile: 3,500 - Q2 (2023)

DOI reference: https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2024.2380795

In press: August 2024.

Citation:
S. Raynaud, M.C. Zanette, C. Valor, P. Antonetti, "I want world peace... oh, and bigger boobs": repetitions and stereotyping on Friends sustainable character Phoebe. Journal of Marketing Management.