Girlish Images across Cultures: Analyzing Japanese versus U.S.SeventeenMagazine Ads

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Abstract
The authors address cross-cultural variability in the manner in which advertising portrays teenage girls. Specifically, the level to which “girlish” images are portrayed in Japan and the United States by employing a content analysis of 263 advertisements appearing in eight issues of Seventeen, four Japanese and four American. Culture-based differences in advertising are discussed with a specific focus on how advertising constructs the image of teenage girls, and how, in turn, teenage girls are encouraged to identify with their mediated images of self. Chi-square analysis shows a significantly higher frequency of verbal and visual girlish images in the Japanese Seventeen issues.