Broadly, the term commodity feminism was developed by Goldman, Heath, and Smith in a 1991 essay, in Critical Studies in Mass Communication.
Goldman argued that “advertisers’ response was to develop commodity feminism – an attempt to incorporate the cultural power and energy of feminism while simultaneously domesticating its critique of advertising and the media.“ (Commodity Feminism – iResearchNet, n.d.)
Commodity feminism happens when the idea of feminism is being appropriated and misused for purposes that have nothing in common with its ideology. For example, when the idea of female empowerment is being misused by media and companies to sell products.
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Commodity Feminism – iResearchNet. (n.d.). Communication. Retrieved February 17, 2023 from http://communication.iresearchnet.com/feminist-and-gender-studies/commodity-feminism/