“Hollywood and beyond” : an intersectional analysis of how Teen Vogue covered the #MeToo movement

Abstract

Using Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality as a lens of analysis, this study asks how the teen magazine Teen Vogue reported on the rise of the #MeToo movement and how intersections of race, class and gender were represented in regards to sexual violence. Drawing inspiration from recent critiques of Teen Vogue’s newfound embrace of politics and social justice reporting, this study used textual analysis to understand who is represented and potentially erased within the magazine’s activism-minded brand. This study found that Teen Vogue primarily situates its stories about sexual violence within the context of Hollywood and the entertainment industry -- powerful executives are seen as perpetrators, and successful actresses are portrayed as both victims and advocates. While Teen Vogue attempts to confront the systemic inequalities that enable sexual violence, the magazine approaches the issue as exclusively a gender-based problem, ignoring the overlapping elements of race and class that shape how and why sexual violence occurs.