"Alla killar är dumma i huvudet!" : En kritisk diskursanalys av (re)produktionen av och motståndet mot genusnormer i sjunde säsongen av Gift vid första ögonkastet

Sammanfattning: This study examines how hegemonic gender norms are reproduced and resisted in the seventh season of the Swedish reality show Gift vid första ögonkastet. Through the lens of Butler's theory of performativity, the study uses Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis to uncover the hidden ideologies in the language used in the show.  The show’s material consists of the contestants and their discussions, as well as a panel of experts who guide both the audience and the contestants in their relationship struggles. The language analyzed is that of both the contestants and the experts. With a selection of fourteen scenes, the study aims to analyze how the language used can establish and reproduce hegemonic gender norms as well as reject and resist said norms.  The results show that the reproduction of hegemonic gender norms is mainly achieved by differentially ascribing certain attributes to women and others to men. Resistance against hegemonic gender norms by contestants is almost exclusively enacted by the show’s women, mainly by pointing out to the men their use of heterosexist language and demanding them to participate in traditionally feminine behavior. This demand leads to a new masculine gender norm in the studied context, a norm which differs from the one the show’s men usually participate in. The results also show that the panel of experts have an amplifying function: As part of the production apparatus, they elevate certain subjects and disputes to create particular narratives.