BEAUTY IN BULKING: VISUAL AND TEXTUAL DISCOURSE OF SINGAPOREAN FEMALE BODYBUILDERS

Abstract

The sport of bodybuilding boasts a long history, with origins tracing back to the 19th century. Traditionally, the practice was viewed as predominantly masculine as males were its first and most frequent participants. As such, there exists a bias towards the bodybuilding practice, with it being construed as a competition that determines the best hypermuscular male physique. The entry of female bodybuilders into this iconically hypermasculine sport occurred in the late 20th century, and sparked contention as it defied traditional gender ideologies.

This study investigates how female Singaporean bodybuilders on Instagram mitigate the association of muscularity with masculinity, and subsequently avert stigmatisation in their posts online. Social media platforms including Instagram have been pivotal for the mediatised naturalisation of gender ideology as they afford regular individuals the ability to brand themselves as experts of a specific domain. The female bodybuilders in the study align themselves with culturally conventionalised modes of femininity given the inherently masculine impression attached to the sport of bodybuilding. The results of this research aim to shed light on the prominence and persistence of gender ideologies within media products. Women were and continue to be repeatedly cast under the mould of prescriptive feminine practices.