Gender and authenticity in contemporary popular culture and advertising

Within the fields of feminist media and cultural studies, questions around authenticity and gender have become increasingly pronounced in recent years. This chapter outlines the scope of this work by not only examining the extent to which digital media culture increasingly trades in ideas of ‘realness’ and of ‘being yourself’ but also the consequences of this for particular marginal groups, including women, queer and feminised people. Three significant avenues for research around authenticity are also discussed: masculinity, authenticity and victimhood; feminism, trauma and ‘authentic voice’; and feminism, transphobia and ‘authentic womanhood’.