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“This is it. This should be enough” : negotiations of Neoliberal performative empowerment in selected contemporary women-centric television series
Dissertation (MA (Drama and Film Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2024.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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University of Pretoria
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613526044966912 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Broodryk, Chris Willem |
| author_browse | Broodryk, Chris Willem |
| author_facet | Broodryk, Chris Willem |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Dissertation (MA (Drama and Film Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2024. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/100477 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:37:32.711Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/100477 “This is it. This should be enough” : negotiations of Neoliberal performative empowerment in selected contemporary women-centric television series Broodryk, Chris Willem vanrensburgrachael@gmail.com Van Rensburg, Rachael UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Gendered performative empowerment Comedy Neoliberalism Neoliberal feminism Fourth-wave feminism Women-centric series Dissertation (MA (Drama and Film Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2024. This study explores gendered performative empowerment through the main women protagonists in three women-centric American comedy series: Superstore; Kevin can F*ck Himself and The Marvelous Mrs. Gendered performative empowerment is analysed through the dominant intersecting themes of labour, class and gender, all of which emerge from the three selected series. The study also specifically engages with women protagonists in comedy therefore it offers insight into the development of women protagonist characters in comedy television series. The written argument of the study conceptualises, and frames gendered performative empowerment within neoliberalism and neoliberal feminism. In addition to this conceptualisation, the study draws on scholarship surrounding fourth-wave feminism to assist in framing the problematic ideology surrounding gendered performative empowerment. The analysis of each series comprises of how gendered performative empowerment is embraced and subverted by each main woman protagonist through labour, class and gender. This analysis is a combination of a thematic and textual analysis. To assist in the understanding of gendered performative empowerment, I use two broad themes: the individual versus neoliberal society and the neoliberal individual versus themselves. These broad themes use labour, class and gender to strengthen their argument as well as problematize gendered performative empowerment. Each series places a different amount of emphasis on each theme therefore certain themes are more prevalent and engaged with more heavily than others. SuperStore showed the gradual shift in Amy from embracing performative empowerment to actively resisting it. In Kevin can F**k Himself Allison shifts from murdering her husband, Kevin, to 'murdering’ her former neoliberal self. Midge, in The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel comes to terms with the façade created by the American Dream and abandons her pursuit of it for her own dream, stand-up comedy. The written aspect of the study is complemented by three audio-visual essays that highlight a particular aspect or focal point of the problematized idea of gendered performative empowerment in each show. The audio-visual essays also demonstrate how each woman protagonist is able to find empowerment within the ruling ideology of neoliberalism that is not gender performative. This study therefore demonstrates through its written argument and audio-visual component that a non-gendered performative empowerment is possible within a neoliberal society. Drama MA (Drama and Film Studies) Unrestricted Faculty of Humanities None 2025-02-03T23:38:17Z 2025-02-03T23:38:17Z 2025-04 2024-08 Dissertation * A2025 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/100477 Disclaimer Letter en © 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Gendered performative empowerment Comedy Neoliberalism Neoliberal feminism Fourth-wave feminism Women-centric series “This is it. This should be enough” : negotiations of Neoliberal performative empowerment in selected contemporary women-centric television series |
| title | “This is it. This should be enough” : negotiations of Neoliberal performative empowerment in selected contemporary women-centric television series |
| title_full | “This is it. This should be enough” : negotiations of Neoliberal performative empowerment in selected contemporary women-centric television series |
| title_fullStr | “This is it. This should be enough” : negotiations of Neoliberal performative empowerment in selected contemporary women-centric television series |
| title_full_unstemmed | “This is it. This should be enough” : negotiations of Neoliberal performative empowerment in selected contemporary women-centric television series |
| title_short | “This is it. This should be enough” : negotiations of Neoliberal performative empowerment in selected contemporary women-centric television series |
| title_sort | this is it this should be enough negotiations of neoliberal performative empowerment in selected contemporary women centric television series |
| topic | UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Gendered performative empowerment Comedy Neoliberalism Neoliberal feminism Fourth-wave feminism Women-centric series |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/100477 |